Fruity French Toast Bake can make any morning a celebration. How could it not? It’s practically jumping for joy the moment it comes out of the oven, with its smoky-sweet brown sugar topping and fireworks display of fresh, summery, and tart berries! Beneath this vibrant, mouth-watering display is French bread soaked in luscious custard, just waiting to be coated in maple syrup or powdered sugar, like all the best French toast. Fruity French Toast Bake is the very best from beginning to end; while it takes a little time to prepare, it’ll all be worth it in the morning when you see it cheering from your plate!
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups fat-free milk
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 (1-pound) loaf French bread, cubed
- 1 (12-ounce) package, frozen unsweetened mixed berries
- 2 tablespoons butter, cold
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- confectioners’ sugar, optional, to taste, for topping
- maple syrup, optional, to taste, for topping
Directions
Step 1 –Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish or a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
Step 2 –Whisk together the eggs, the milk, the sugar, the ground cinnamon, the vanilla, and the salt.
Step 3 –Place the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish.
Step 4 –Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes.
Step 5 –Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
Step 6 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 7 –Transfer the French toast from the fridge and the berries from the freezer and let stand while the oven preheats.
Step 8 –Cut the butter into the brown sugar until crumbly.
Step 9 –Top the French toast with the berries.
Step 10 –Sprinkle the top of the French toast with the brown sugar-butter mixture.
Step 11 –Bake, uncovered, until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 12 –Dust with the confectioners’ sugar or drizzle with the maple syrup and serve.