In this super easy overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole, slices of challah bread French toast are filled with pockets of blueberry jam. Fresh blueberries are added right at the end so that the blueberries warm through and burst right in your mouth.
This blueberry french toast casserole is crispy and golden on top, soft and decadent in the middle and yet not overly sweet. It’s a great way to make a weekend or special occasion breakfast with minimal work or morning distractions.
Making it Ahead
The best thing about an overnight dish is that it can be prepared ahead. This Blueberry French Toast Casserole takes the craziness out of a busy morning. It allows you to have the time and space to have a calmer morning and still have a special breakfast. All without having to run around the kitchen trying to put it together when you’d rather be spending time with your family.
Prep the slices of challah bread by creating pockets with blueberry jam, soaking them in an egg and milk mixture and allowing the casserole to sit overnight. It’s pretty simple to throw together.
Blueberry Jam
One of the great things about blueberry jam is that it’s not overly sweet. I love a sweet breakfast, but too much sugar makes me feel slow and drowsy and not my best. Blueberry jam tends to be not as sweet as other jams. You can add 1 tbsp of jam to a pocket in each slice and get a more subtle blueberry flavor without tons of extra sugar.
Fresh Blueberries
The trick to getting the brightest juiciest blueberry flavor is to add the fresh blueberries at the end – 10 minutes before the casserole is done!
If you add them earlier, they will get overcooked and dried out. They really only need a short time in the oven to get extra sweet and juicy. That way when you eat the blueberries they will burst in your mouth – super satisfying! I coat them in a little bit of cinnamon sugar, but you could reduce the sugar from 1 tbsp to ½ tbsp or even skip the sugar all together.
Challah Bread
Challah bread comes in all different sizes and prices. Depending on where you get a loaf, it can be pretty pricey or pretty reasonable. The most expensive ones I’ve seen are at Whole Foods, and they are middle of the range when it comes to size. I’ve seen loaves of challah bread at some, but not all Trader Joe’s, where they tend to be cheaper, but smaller.
My preference is either at a local bakery or a regional grocery store near us in New England where its twice the size of the ones at Whole Foods and half the cost. Though its not always easy to get there, so sometimes we’ll pay the extra money for one at Whole Foods (which is super close to us).
The amount of bread that you’ll use will really just depend on the size of the loaf. Some loaves are longer or fatter than others. You may have 10 slices that are 1-inch thick but with a small circumference, or six 1-inch slices that are quite large in circumference. This recipe feeds 4-6 people with about 8 medium slices. If you have a larger loaf, double the milk-egg mixture and use a larger rectangular casserole dish.
If you make this Blueberry French Toast Casserole, I'd love to hear from you and learn how it went. Leave a rating and a comment down below and let me know how it turns out. Your feedback means a lot!
If you're looking for more breakfast recipes, you might love these below:
Dutch Baby with Cinnamon Sugar Blueberries
Ham Cheese and Spinach Frittata
Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- ½ tbsp butter
- 6 large eggs
- 1½ cups whole milk
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 loaf challah bread, about 8 slices
- 8 tbsps blueberry jam (½ cup)
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- powdered sugar optional
- whipped cream optional
Instructions
- Butter a 9x9 square casserole dish.
- Combine the eggs, milk, vanilla, maple syrup, and salt in a separate large shallow baking dish.
- Slice the challah bread into pieces about 1 inch thick. Then cut a small slit in the top of each slice of challah bread so that it looks like a hot dog bun. Add 1 tbsp of blueberry jam inside each slice of challah bread.
- Place each slice flat in the baking dish with the egg mixture. Flip over after 1 minute, and remove after 1 more minute. Then place in the prepared square baking dish standing upright and tilted slightly at an angle.
- Once all the bread has soaked in the mixture and been placed in the baking dish, pour the remaining egg yolk mixture over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉.
- Bake the French toast casserole for 35 minutes. In a small bowl combine the fresh blueberries, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. Remove the casserole and add the blueberries on top.
- Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until the top is golden brown. Cool slightly and top with powdered sugar and whipped cream (optional).
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