Description

This Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole is a delightful breakfast dish combining toasted brioche or challah bread cubes layered with fresh blueberries and a rich cream cheese custard. Baked to golden perfection and served with your choice of blueberry sauce, maple syrup, or berry syrup, this casserole is perfect for a brunch or special morning treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Casserole

1 loaf (16 ounces) brioche or challah sliced into 1-inch cubes
2 6 oz. half pints blueberries (12 ounces total)

Custard

2 8 ounce blocks cream cheese, softened (16 ounces total)
1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
6 eggs at room temperature
2 cups half and half at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt

For Serving (Pick One)

Blueberry sauce (homemade or store-bought)
Berry syrup like boysenberry
Maple syrup
Strawberry syrup

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Instructions

Toast bread: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Arrange the cubed bread in a single layer on a large baking sheet or two half sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes until the bread is toasted but still soft in the center. Watch carefully to avoid burning. Remove and set aside.
Prepare custard: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and sugar with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until smooth. Then beat in the half and half, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt until well combined.
Assemble casserole: Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. Place half of the toasted bread cubes evenly in the dish. Sprinkle half of the blueberries over the bread. Pour half of the custard evenly over the layers. Repeat with the remaining bread cubes, blueberries, and custard. Press down gently with a spatula or hands to submerge the bread in the custard as much as possible. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight to allow the custard to soak into the bread.
Bake: Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature while preheating the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake, covered with foil, for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Prepare blueberry sauce (optional): While the casserole is baking, prepare the blueberry sauce following your preferred recipe or use store-bought.
Serve: Serve the French toast casserole warm topped with blueberry sauce, berry syrup, maple syrup, or strawberry syrup as desired.

Notes

If using sliced brioche from the bread section instead of the bakery, the slices may be thinner but will still work fine.
Do not thaw frozen blueberries; brush off any excess ice before using.
Use room temperature cream cheese, eggs, and half and half for smooth custard; white flecks of cream cheese may appear but will melt during baking.
To bring eggs to room temperature quickly, place them in a bowl of warm (not hot) tap water for 20 minutes.
For a smaller portion, bake half the recipe in an 8×8-inch pan for 30-35 minutes.
If you prefer not to refrigerate overnight, skip toasting the bread and fully saturate the bread cubes with custard in a bowl. Let sit 30-60 minutes at room temperature or longer in the fridge before assembling and baking. Expect a less fluffy and slightly runnier casserole.
Store leftovers covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 30-45 seconds or in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.
To freeze, cool the baked casserole completely, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 370 kcal
Sugar: 22 g
Sodium: 220 mg
Fat: 18 g
Saturated Fat: 10 g
Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 40 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 9 g
Cholesterol: 150 mg