Description
Sweet morning magic happens when Blueberry & Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole arrives at breakfast. Comforting layers of bread, creamy cheese, and juicy blueberries create a dreamy morning experience you’ll savor with pure delight.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups (300 g) blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 8 oz (225 g) cream cheese, cut into small cubes
- 8 large eggs
- 1 loaf (about 1 lb / 450 g) French bread or brioche, cubed
- 2 cups (480 ml) milk
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
- ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup (60 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Casserole Base Setup: Thoroughly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish, layering bread cubes, cream cheese cubes, and blueberries in strategic alternating sections to ensure even distribution throughout the dish.
- Custard Creation: Whisk eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon into a smooth, well-incorporated liquid mixture, gently pouring over bread layers and pressing softly to guarantee complete absorption.
- Streusel Preparation: Combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then incorporate cold butter using a pastry cutter until the mixture transforms into rustic, crumbly texture resembling coarse sand.
- Chilling and Resting: Refrigerate assembled casserole for minimum 2 hours or overnight, allowing flavors to meld and bread to thoroughly soak in custard mixture.
- Baking Process: Remove casserole from refrigerator, allowing 20 minutes of room temperature rest, then sprinkle prepared streusel evenly across surface. Slide into preheated 350F oven, baking 45-50 minutes until golden brown and custard sets completely.
- Serving Presentation: Allow casserole to cool 10 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar and optionally accompany with maple syrup or whipped cream for enhanced indulgence.
Notes
- Choose day-old or slightly stale bread like brioche or challah for better absorption of custard and enhanced texture.
- Cut cream cheese into small, uniform cubes to ensure even melting and consistent flavor throughout the casserole.
- Refrigerating the casserole overnight allows bread to fully absorb custard, creating a more cohesive and luxurious dish with deeper flavors.
- Place a baking sheet underneath the casserole dish while baking to ensure even heat distribution and avoid undercooked or soggy bottom layers.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 9
- Calories: 300
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg