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Made with fresh, plump blueberries and a hint of lemon, blueberry french toast casserole is an easy way to make rich, custardy french toast for a crowd. Prep this casserole the night before and bake it the next morning to make it even easier!
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a big fan of breakfast casseroles. My make-ahead breakfast casserole and Christmas morning casserole get made all of the time over here.
And not just for a holiday breakfast or brunch! Sometimes I’ll make one of my breakfast casserole recipes on a Sunday evening so we have breakfast ready to reheat throughout the week.
Recently I was craving my overnight french toast casserole, but wanted to give it more of a spring twist. And you know that for me, that means incorporating two of my favorite ingredients: fresh berries and lemon.
Why you’ll love this blueberry french toast casserole recipe
My blueberry french toast casserole combines rich brioche bread, an eggy custard, fresh blueberries, and a bit of lemon zest.
This is a french toast casserole for anyone who wants something that isn’t overly sweet. You can always top it with maple syrup or powdered sugar to add more sweetness, but the flavor of the casserole is well balanced between the fruity blueberries, bright lemon, and lightly sweet custard.
It’s similar to my blueberry bread pudding but is just a little less rich—perfect for breakfast!
Even better, you can assemble it the night before and bake it in the morning. A real win, since I am not able to function in the morning before I get a cup of coffee or iced shaken espresso in my system.
And yes, this recipe does use a lot of eggs. But it also makes a big pan, so you’re able to feed a crowd of people!
How to make my blueberry french toast casserole
There’s nothing complicated here—this is just a simple recipe that turns out perfectly delicious.
Ingredients you’ll need
- 16 ounces brioche bread
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ⅔ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Brioche bread is my go-to for making french toast casserole. It soaks up the custard really well and adds richness without having to use heavy cream in the recipe.
16 ounces is about 1 loaf of brioche. If you can’t find brioche, challah would work really well, too.
You can use fresh blueberries, but frozen blueberries work just as well. If you’re using frozen, do not thaw them before adding them.
Out of brown sugar? Make an easy brown sugar substitute to use instead. If your brown sugar hardened in the pantry, learn how to soften brown sugar and save a trip to the store.
I recommend using whole milk in this recipe, but a reduced-fat milk or non-dairy milk will work, too.
Making this french toast casserole
Start by cutting the bread into 1-inch cubes with a large serrated knife. Add half of the bread cubes to a greased 9×13-inch baking dish and top with half of the blueberries.
Evenly top with the rest of the bread, followed by the rest of the blueberries.
Now make the custard. In a large bowl, combine the lemon zest and brown sugar with your fingertips, rubbing the zest into the sugar until it is well combined and fragrant.
This is a small step that will help infuse the flavor of the zest into every single bite, just like when we make lemon raspberry muffins.
Whisk in the eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and salt. Slowly pour the custard over the bread and blueberries. Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate the casserole for at least 4 hours, or up to 12 hours.
When you’re ready to bake the french toast casserole, let the pan sit at room temperature while you preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the casserole covered for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes. It is done when the french toast is evenly puffed and the custard in the center is cooked through.
Serving suggestions
You can go totally classic with this blueberry french toast and serve it warm with a drizzle of maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar.
But don’t stop there! Try adding a dollop of whipped cream to make it more dessert-like, or top it with homemade blueberry sauce for even more blueberry goodness.
You could even top it with some lemon curd if you want more lemon flavor.
Storage and reheating tips
Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
I like to reheat slices of the casserole in the microwave for 30-60 seconds before enjoying them. You could also reheat the entire pan in a low oven, covered with foil, for 15-20 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Even though this recipe makes a great make-ahead breakfast, you don’t have to prep it the day before you plan to bake it.
You do need to let the casserole chill for at least 4 hours; this is to allow the bread to soak up the custard so you don’t end up with any weird/dry spots. But feel free to bake it at the end of 4 hours instead of waiting until the next day!
If you prefer a cinnamon-y french toast, simply leave out the lemon zest and add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to the custard instead.
If you’re not a fan of blueberries or other berries are in season, try swapping them out for the blueberries. Raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries are all great options.
If using blackberries, I recommend halving or quartering them. For strawberries, I recommend dicing them.
Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 16 ounces brioche bread
- 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries if frozen, do not thaw
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ⅔ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Spray (1) 9×13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
- Using a large serrated knife, slice the bread into 1-inch cubes. Spread half of the bread cubes in the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle half of the blueberries on top. Top with the remaining bread cubes and finish with the rest of the blueberries, distributing evenly.
- In a large bowl, add the lemon zest and brown sugar. Using your fingertips, rub the lemon zest into the sugar until well combined and fragrant.
- Add the eggs, milk, melted butter, vanilla, and salt to the bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- Slowly pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread and blueberries. Cover with foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight (up to 12 hours).
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature while the oven preheats.
- Bake covered for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake uncovered for another 10-15 minutes or until the french toast is evenly puffed and the custard in the center is cooked through.
- Serve with maple syrup or powdered sugar.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
