Go Back

Overnight Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Overnight blueberry French toast casserole with custardy bread pieces and plump blueberries, finished with a cinnamon streusel topping. Make-ahead breakfast for brunch that bakes up golden-brown and serves with warm blueberry maple syrup.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Overnight chilling 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 470
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

French toast base
  • 1 French bread Cubed before assembling.
  • 4 cup whole milk
  • 6 eggs
  • 0.25 cup honey
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon Used in the custard base.
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 2 cup fresh blueberries Scatter over bread before chilling; also used in syrup.
Cinnamon streusel topping
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar
  • 0.25 cup flour
  • 0.25 cup oats
  • 0.25 cup cold butter Cubed; keep cold for crumbly texture.
  • 1 tsp cinnamon Sprinkled in streusel.
Blueberry maple syrup
  • 1 cup maple syrup
  • 0.5 cup blueberries Use fresh or thawed blueberries for syrup.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 9x13 baking dish

Method
 

Assemble and chill
  1. Grease a 9x13 baking dish, then spread the French bread cubes evenly in the dish so they form an even layer.
  2. Whisk together whole milk, eggs, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg until smooth, then pour evenly over the bread.
  3. Scatter fresh blueberries over the top so they’re visible throughout the casserole.
  4. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or at least 8 hours) until the bread is soaked and looks custardy.
Make streusel and bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. For the streusel, mix brown sugar, flour, oats, and cinnamon, then cut in cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with no big butter lumps.
  3. Sprinkle the streusel over the chilled casserole for a crumbly, cinnamon-speckled top.
  4. Bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes until the center is set and the top is golden-brown.
Warm syrup and serve
  1. Warm maple syrup, then stir in blueberries until glossy and heated through.
  2. Serve the casserole warm with blueberry maple syrup, making sure each portion has both custardy bread and blueberries.

Notes

For the most custard-y texture, refrigerate the casserole long enough that the bread looks fully soaked (at least 8 hours, overnight ideal). Store covered in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat individual portions in the microwave or warm in a 325°F oven until heated through. Freeze baked casserole up to 2 months (syrup best made fresh). For a dairy-free swap, use plant-based milk and a plant-based butter substitute, keeping the same chilling and baking times.