Healthy French Toast Casserole is an easy dump-and-bake recipe with sprouted whole grain bread, cinnamon, maple syrup, almond milk, and topped with fresh berries.
Our other brunch favorite for special occasions is this healthy blueberry breakfast cake.
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Why We Love This Recipe for Healthy French Toast Casserole
As far as healthy sweet breakfast goes, this healthy french toast casserole is going to become your new favorite!
It’s highly requested at my house and it couldn’t be easier to make.
You get all of the flavors and textures of classic French toast including that gooey center, the caramelized crispy edges, and the infusion of cinnamon and vanilla without all the dipping, flipping, and waiting.
We love ours topped with fresh berries and a sprinkling of icing sugar.
Turning french toast into a baked breakfast casserole is the best thing since sliced bread!
It is the perfect way to share and serve a dish for Mother’s Day, Christmas morning, or special birthdays. You can easily prepare it the night before for an overnight french toast bake recipe and pop it in the oven in the morning.
Ingredients for Baked French Toast Recipe
All you need are your classic french toast recipe ingredients. I’m giving you tips on how to make healthier swaps.
Bread
Really you can use any bread for baked french toast! For this healthy version, though, I opted to use sprouted whole grain bread, cut into 1″ cubes. It’s easy to digest, plus higher in fiber and other nutrients compared to your average white bread or even whole wheat bread.
Sourdough is another great healthier option.
Milk
Unsweetened almond milk is my preference and perfect for those with a dairy sensitivity. You can use any dairy or nondairy milk you have on hand.
Butter
Measure the butter first, then melt it. Using butter keeps the bread nice and moist.
Eggs
The protein in eggs allows the bread cubes to bind together making it easy to serve slices. Plus, it adds a dose of healthy omega 3’s!
Pure Maple Syrup
While french toast is most often drizzled with maple syrup, I include it as the healthier unrefined sweetener instead of brown sugar for the liquid custard mixture. It adds sweet maple flavor throughout the baked easy french toast!
Mixed Berries and Icing Sugar
I used mixed berries, but feel free to use whatever is in season! Icing sugar gives it that classic french toast finish. I use Swerve as a sugar replacer. Optional and flexible!
Additional Ingredients
- Pure vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Cooking spray
How to Make This Healthy French Toast Casserole with Berries
Make this in under 1 hour and only a few easy steps. It’s the perfect thing to serve your brunch crowd!
Step 1: Prep, place bread and melt butter.
Place a single layer of bread cubes into a sprayed 9×13 baking dish. Drizzle with melted butter making sure to get it on top and all around the bread.
Step 2: Whisk liquid mixture together and soak bread.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and cinnamon together. Pour it all over the bread cubes. Press down with a spoon to make sure all the cubes are soaked.
Step 3: Cover and bake.
Cover the dish with foil and bake in a preheated 425 F degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes.
Step 4: Top with fresh berries and icing sugar then serve.
Remove it from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. You can either add the berries and powdered sugar over the entire thing or wait until you slice it up. Serve warm and enjoy!
FAQs and Pro Tips
This is usually because the bread slices are too thin or your oven bakes at lower temperature. Since we do not use stale bread in this recipe, it can be fresh and soft.
If casserole is soggy in the middle, uncover and bake it on middle rack (to prevent burning) for extra 10 minutes or so.
I love using sprouted whole grain bread because grains that have begun to sprout make it higher in nutrients and easier to digest. The starches have been broken down and the gluten has basically been predigested. This is thanks to the enzymes that get released once sprouting starts to take place.
Sourdough bread is another great option in terms of healthier choices.
A tip about any bread you use! Keep the crusts. When cutting the bread, always leave the crusts on. They’re what give you the crispy edges!
Yes! This is definitely part of the appeal and what makes it doable on a weekday morning! Assemble the casserole up until the point where you’ve soaked your cubes in the eggs milk mixture.
Place it in the fridge overnight, preferably no more than 12 hours, and bake in the morning.
If you have any leftovers, make sure to cover it so that it doesn’t dry out. Keep it stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.
If you’re just reheating one or two servings, pop it in the microwave. You can also warm larger amounts in the oven at 350 degrees F until it’s warmed through.
Freeze it for up to 3 months without the berry topping. Reheat from frozen for about 30-40 minutes in the oven. Super simple!
Additions and Variations
Use just one variety of fresh berry if preferred to top french toast casserole recipe! Blueberry french toast is delicious or use sliced peaches, diced apples, raisins, or cranberries instead. Frozen berries are an option, but must be thawed 30 minutes prior.
You could also add additional toppings! Drizzle it with more maple syrup, warm honey, Instant pot applesauce, or nut butter. Sprinkle it with pumpkin seeds, a cup of pecans or slivered almonds for extra crunch.
Play around with the flavors for seasonal variations. In the fall, use some nutmeg with the cinnamon. Add some pumpkin purée to the egg mixture for a fun twist with pumpkin pie spice. In the spring, sprinkle with a little lemon or orange zest before serving.
What to Serve It With?
This breakfast casserole is written for serving 6. If you’re serving a crowd for breakfast or brunch, you might be able to get away with 8 slices if you have other yummy items to go along with it.
This healthy fruit salad and crustless zucchini quiche are perfect pairings with a cinnamon french toast casserole. Wash it down with healthy iced coffee and your guests may never leave!
Save some for dessert later on and have it all over again. A scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream or a dollop of homemade yogurt in Instant Pot and you’re in for a treat. You may also love this berry trifle!
More Favorite Breakfast Casseroles
Healthy French Toast Casserole with Berries
Ingredients
- 13 oz sprouted whole grain bread cut into 1” cubes
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups almond milk unsweetened
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 cup mixed berries for topping
- 1 tbsp icing sugar for topping (optional)
- Cooking spray I use Misto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray 9 by 13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Add bread cubes to a casserole dish in a single layer and pour melted butter on top all around.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Pour over the bread cubes and press with a spoon to make sure each cube is soaked in a mixture.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Can quickly broil after for a golden brown top.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Then add berries and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired. Cut into 6 slices and serve warm.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees F until warmed through, or microwave individual servings.
- Freeze: Freeze without the berries. Reheat from frozen in the oven for 30-40 minutes.
- Sourdough bread is another great healthier bread choice.
- Use only one variety of berry if desired, or use peaches, apples, cranberries or your favorite fruit.
- Meal prep this for an overnight casserole. Store in the refrigerator for no more than 12 hours and proceed with baking in the morning.
I had made this recipe several times before and always enjoyed it. When I was looking for a bread pudding recipe similar to the one my mom used to make, and couldn’t find one. I decided to use this recipe and doubled it and used a 9 x 13 pan. I soaked the bread in the milk/egg mixture for 30 minutes, then baked at 350° for 50 minutes in a water bath. After it cooled, I drizzled a thin maple glaze over the top. It turned out great. I will be making it also in the future.
I’m so happy to read this! Thanks for your positive feedback!
This recipe was absolutely delicious and so easy to make. Followed directions exactly. And the aroma when it was cooking was delightful.
So glad you enjoyed it Victoria!
I made this the other day and I loved it. I lessened the cinnamon and put fresh ground nutmeg. 😊
Yum! So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the review!
Loved how convenient this was! Tastes so delicious, too, kept going back for just a bit more!
So happy to hear this and totally understand how addictingly delicious it is!