Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole is a beautiful, festive make-ahead breakfast. It is made with homemade fresh-milled challah, cream cheese, and juicy blueberries. Refrigerate it overnight, then bake it in the morning. Serve it with a warm blueberry sauce for the perfect finishing touch.
Equipment
- 1 9x13 baking dish
Ingredients
Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
- 10-12 oz challah or brioche bread cut into cubes
- 1 8 oz package cream cheese
- 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
- 12 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp salt
Blueberry Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- 1 1/2 cups blueberries fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp butter
Instructions
Prep
- First, place cream cheese in freezer for easier cutting later.
- Next spray a 9×13 glass baking dish
Making the French Toast
- Using a challah or brioche loaf, cut into cubes or tear into pieces. Arrange on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
- Next, sprinkle the blueberries on top.
- Cut up cream cheese into 1/2 inch cubes and spread over the top of the bread and blueberries. This is a messy process, but having the cream cheese VERY cold or partially frozen helps so much! And biting into a gooey warm bite of cream cheese is well worth the messy hands.
- In a mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, maple syrup and salt. Slowly and evenly pour the mixture over the bread, letting it soak in as you pour.
- Cover with a lid or foil, and refrigerate overnight. Alternatively, you can bake right away once the liquid is soaked into the bread.
Baking the Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
- The next morning, preheat the oven to 350°. Remove the blueberry cream cheese french toast casserole from the refrigerator. Cover with foil.
- Once the oven is pre-heated, place the french toast casserole in the oven and bake for 30 minutes covered. Uncover and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set.
Making the Blueberry Sauce
- While the blueberry cream cheese french toast casserole is baking, prepare the blueberry sauce. Alternatively, you can make the sauce the day before and simply warm it up in the morning.
- Begin by mixing the cold water and corn starch in a medium sized saucepan. Once well combined, heat over medium heat. Stir well and allow to boil 2-3 minutes until thickened.
- Lower heat and add the blueberries and maple syrup. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until some blueberries start to burst.
- Remove from heat and stir in the butter.
- Once the casserole is done baking, pour the sauce over the top and serve.