Blueberry French Toast Casserole

You’ll love the delicious combination of thick-cut bread soaked in vanilla custard with juicy blueberries and a crunchy brown sugar streusel in this blueberry French toast casserole. It’s perfect for your holiday brunch table!

Save

I absolutely adore French toast for special mornings, but standing at the stove flipping individual slices when you have guests is a little too stressful. I prefer to make it casserole-style so I can assemble it the night before and let the oven do all the work. The overnight soak is what makes this truly special!

I love the texture of this casserole, with a rich custardy interior that’s somewhere between bread pudding and the most perfect French toast, topped with sweet bursts of blueberries and that golden, crunchy streusel crown. Add the fact that you just slide it into the oven in the morning and walk away, and you’ve hit the jackpot. If you’re looking for an impressive yet effortless breakfast for Thanksgiving morning or the holiday season, this is it!

Ingredients in Blueberry French Toast Casserole

This ingredient list builds a deeply rich, custardy casserole with layers of berry flavor and a perfectly crunchy streusel topping.

Save

How to Make Blueberry French Toast Casserole

This recipe is built around an overnight soak, meaning most of the work happens the night before and the morning is almost entirely hands-off.

1. Prepare the bread

Slice the brioche or challah into 1-inch thick slices, or tear it into generous chunks. If the bread is fresh, spread it on a baking sheet and leave it out for a few hours or overnight to dry out slightly slightly stale bread absorbs the custard far more effectively than fresh bread without turning to mush.

2. Make the custard

In a large bowl or jug, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt until smooth and completely combined. Taste the custard it should taste rich, sweet, and deeply vanilla-flavored.

3. Assemble and soak overnight

Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish generously with butter. Arrange the bread slices or chunks in the dish, overlapping slightly. Pour the custard evenly over the bread, pressing the pieces down gently so every piece is submerged and soaking. Scatter the blueberries generously over and between the bread. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for a minimum of 4 hours.

4. Make the streusel topping

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Add the cold cubed butter and work it in with your fingers until large, sandy clumps form. Cover and refrigerate alongside the casserole until needed.

5. Bake until golden and puffed

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Scatter the streusel topping evenly over the surface. Bake uncovered for 45 to 55 minutes, until the top is deeply golden, the custard is fully set, and the blueberries are jammy and bubbling.

6. Rest and serve

Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving it continues to set as it cools slightly and slices far more cleanly after a brief rest. Dust with powdered sugar, drizzle with maple syrup if desired, and serve directly from the dish.

Save

How to Serve Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Serve this casserole warm, straight from the baking dish, with a generous pour of warm maple syrup and a bowl of extra fresh blueberries on the side. I love the way the cold fresh berries contrast with the warm, baked ones inside the casserole.

For a more indulgent brunch presentation, add a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream alongside each portion and a few mint leaves for color. It makes each plate look genuinely beautiful with almost no extra effort.

This is the ideal dish for a crowd it feeds eight to ten people from one pan, requires no last-minute cooking, and arrives at the table looking like something from a proper brunch restaurant.

Recipe Tips

• Use day-old or slightly stale bread fresh bread turns too soft and loses its structure in the custard.
• Don’t rush the soak an overnight rest gives the bread time to fully absorb the custard and results in a much richer, more evenly set casserole.
• Let the casserole sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking to take the chill off and ensure even cooking.
• The casserole is done when the center no longer jiggles when you shake the pan gently a loose center means it needs more time.
• Frozen blueberries work just as well as fresh no need to thaw, and they create even more jammy pockets of fruit.
• Cover with foil for the first 30 minutes of baking if the streusel begins to brown too quickly.
• Add a block of cream cheese cut into small cubes and tucked between the bread layers for an extra rich, cheesecake-like quality.
• Leftovers reheat beautifully in a 325°F oven, covered, for 15 minutes.