Think of this simple make-ahead Easy Blueberry French Toast Casserole as a blueberry pie covered in French toast. It has all the goodness of fresh French toast but with all the ease of a make-ahead breakfast. So much buttery, breakfast-y goodness. Originally published April 22, 2015.
Table of Contents
- Blueberry Pie and French Toast: A Match Made in Heaven
- Key ingredients
- How to make overnight blueberry French toast casserole
- How to store leftover French toast casserole
- Can I reheat leftover French toast casserole?
- Can I freeze blueberry French toast casserole?
- Easy Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe
- More sweet breakfast recipes
The other day Eric says to me, “Karen, I have something very important to show you.” He hooks the computer to the TV and pulls a trailer up from YouTube. “Are you ready for this?” Uh…I guess?
STAR WARS. We watch it. We watch it one more time. Then we watch it again, but this time we pause it on every scene (yes, really) so that we can analyze the characters and try to figure out exactly who BB-8 might be (R2-D2’s droid-baby??)
I ask Eric who he thought the girl was, Luke’s daughter or Han and Leia’s.
“What girl?”
“The girl, the clear main character, the girl whose face they did a close-up on like 3 times in a 2-minute trailer. What do you mean, what girl?”
“I didn’t see a girl.”
I think he was distracted by all the X-wings.
Are you guys into Star Wars? My family was totally into it growing up. In high school, I had a 10×10 foot painting of the Millennium Falcon fleeing the Death Star, complete with glow-in-the-dark paint, stapled to the ceiling over my bed. (My sister’s friend painted it as the backdrop of a skit they performed at a summer camp.)
The night before my other sister’s wedding was the day that Episode I came out. We ALL went to see it together, bride and groom included. What better way to celebrate eternal matrimony than with epic galactic tales of good versus evil?
Even though I love Star Wars, I don’t consider myself a True Fan. There are no Stormtrooper costumes hidden in my closet, thankyouverymuch. I have SOME dignity.
Blueberry Pie and French Toast: A Match Made in Heaven
So Mother’s Day is coming up! May 10, in case you were about to Google. Since many of you ARE the mom, I have a recipe for you to print out and tape to someone’s forehead. Hey, no shame here ladies, sometimes you just gotta get ‘er done. Even your own pampering.
My sister-in-law’s kids made her this blueberry French toast casserole last year for Mother’s Day, and I’ve been meaning to make it ever since, because even the leftovers I tried were so good. This is not French Toast with some blueberries, this is basically blueberry pie with some French Toast on top. It’s AMAZING.
It’s also the perfect make-ahead dish. You can make it the night before and throw it in the oven in the morning. If you are in a rush, you don’t have to let the bread soak ALL night–3 hours worked fine for me!
Don’t be shy with the butter now.
Featured Comment
“I made this this morning for Mother’s Day; it was delicious! Thanks!” – Kim S.
Key ingredients
- Frozen blueberries work great here! I used them straight from the freezer without thawing first.
- While the recipe calls for the French bread to be cut into half- or three-quarter-inch thick slices, I slice mine a little thicker, so each piece soaks up more sweet, gooey goodness.
- Don’t skip the cornstarch. It helps the blueberries turn into that thick, jammy layer as the casserole bakes.
- A little cinnamon goes a long way here, don’t skip it!
How to make overnight blueberry French toast casserole
Slice the French bread diagonally into 10–14 slices, about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick (again, I go a little thicker). Arrange the slices in a single layer in a baking dish.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, baking powder, and vanilla, then slowly pour it over the bread, making sure to fully soak every slice. Then flip the slices over and let them soak up all that custard. Cover and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours or, preferably, overnight.
When you’re ready to bake, combine the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in the dish and spread them into an even layer.
Place the soaked bread wettest-side-down over the blueberries in a single layer, and brush the top layer generously with melted butter. Bake until the bread is golden brown and the berries are bubbling.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately!
How to store leftover French toast casserole
Let the casserole cool completely, then cover the baking dish tightly or transfer leftovers to an airtight container. They should keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days (not that they’ll last that long…). The blueberry topping may get a little softer, but the casserole will still be delicious.
Can I reheat leftover French toast casserole?
Absolutely! For the best texture, reheat individual servings in the microwave for about 30–60 seconds, or warm in the oven until heated through. If you want to crisp the top back up, the oven is definitely the way to go.
Can I freeze blueberry French toast casserole?
Yes. To freeze your leftovers, let the casserole cool completely, then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. To serve them later, thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat in the oven until everything is warmed through. For the best texture, I recommend freezing without the powdered sugar and adding that fresh as you’re serving.
Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram
Easy Blueberry French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 8 ounces French bread, I used half of a 1-pound loaf
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 & 1/2 cups blueberries, *
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted (I recommend Land O’Lakes )
- powdered sugar, to garnish
Instructions
- Slice the French bread diagonally into 10-14 slices, each one about 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick.** Arrange in a single layer in a 9×13 inch dish.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, baking powder, and vanilla. Pour slowly over the bread, making sure to get all the bread wet. Turn the slices over and saturate them. Cover completely and chill overnight, or at least a couple hours.
- When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Grease a new 9×13 inch pan.
- Combine blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, and cinnamon in the greased pan. Stir until combined, then spread it out evenly.
- Place the bread wettest side down on top of the blueberries in a single layer. Brush with the melted butter.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 24-26 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve immediately!
I just made this for Mother’s Day brunch for my family (6 adults 4 children) and doubled the recipe. It was fantastic and such a nice way to do brunch for a larger group of people. I have celiac disease so I used udi’s gluten free French bread/baguettes. I cut the bread in one to one and a half inch slices. I was a bit worried about the bread but it really was great. Thank you for the recipe and I hope other people suffering from celiac disease will find this recipe and adapt it.
Melissa, that’s so great that you were able to adapt this to be gluten free! I’m glad it worked out. Thanks for the review! Happy Mother’s Day!
I made this-this morning for mothers day it was delicious! Thanks!
I’m so glad you liked it Kim! Happy mother’s day to you!
French toast is a favorite around here, but I have never tried overnight french toast! I am going to change that this weekend…. Thanks so much for the recipe it looks amazing!
Thanks Julie! Overnight french toast is kind of life changing. I hope you love it as much as we do!
I made this for a special family brunch this morning…..so delicious! I spooned a few dollops of lemon curd over the blueberries before baking and served with fresh lemon slices. Yum!!
WHAT! Lemon curd! That sounds outrageously good! I’m so trying that next time! Thanks for the tip Brynne :)
Thanks for this recipe Karen! I’m not a big French toast girl, but my husband is, and I’m excited to try this this weekend! And, uh, yes, I DO love Star Wars, and I’m just like you, a fan, but not exactly going to dress up as Yoda for the next premier or anything haha! LOVED those movies as a kid though and once upon a time had a fully Star Wars themed bedroom.
I’m going blueberry crazy lately! But any time I mention the idea of French Toast Casserole to Ben I get an eye roll and a “casserole”? You are soooo tempting me though! I’m just gonna make it one day and I’m sure he’ll like it!!!!
I’m a mid-level Star Wars fan at best. It’s good, but I don’t go nuts. And definitely no storm trooper costumes for me either. I am a GIANT fan of this French Toast though. Any ways if which we can kind of eat pie for breakfast is okay in my book!
I’ve only seen Star Wars a couple of times, but I LOVE the Star Tours ride! Does that count? And this French Toast! Gah, so killer! I need this in my life.
If my husband offers to make a Mother’s Day breakfast, I’m going to show him this recipe. It looks delicious!! I saw every Star Wars Movie when they first came out. Can’t wait to see the new one!
This overnight casserole sounds completely amazing! Definitely perfect for Mother’s Day!
I’m not really a Star Wars fan per se … but my husband has gotten me to watch a few things here and there! haha Clearly I barely know anything about it :)
This is so gorgeous I can’t even stand it!
This looks positively scrumptious!! I love the idea of having a whole layer of blueberries rather than just tossing them on top of the finished product. I also noticed your savory parmesan french toast as I scrolled down…YUM! I’ve never made a savory fresh toast – that looks perfect! Thanks, Karen! :)
Such a great idea for Mother’s Day! I know my mom would love it!
Can I just say how delicious and drool-worthy these french toasts look? And that syrup shot is just divine! I’m not a mom, so I guess I will have to make it myself. Haha
Just GAH. I really cannot even handle how amazing this french toast is looking to me right now. All that blueberry goodness! *swoon* This is so going on the brunch menu this weekend. I may or may not be sharing, though. ;)