Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe (2024)

ByTiffany McCauley

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This blueberry french toast casserole recipe is a perfect breakfast for a special occasion or just a lovely brunch. It’s light and scrumptious while still being filling.

I mean, who doesn’t like french toast? And good breakfast casseroles are nothing to sneeze at either. Put them together, and it’s incredible stuff! Add to that some superpower berries (yes, I said superpower), and you’ve got yourself an amazing breakfast for a special occasion, or just a normal day of the week. Either way, you’re going to love this. And if you don’t think you can handle 12 servings, make it anyway. You can nosh on it all week and stick the leftovers in the freezer!

Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe (1)

And don’t worry, if blueberries are out of season for you, frozen blueberries will work too! Of course, fresh berries are always best. But in a pinch, you can still have your blueberry french toast and eat it too!

Can You Make This Blueberry French Toast Casserole Ahead Of Time?

You can! And there are two ways.

  1. Prep now, bake later – You can easily prep this a day or two ahead of time by doing everything but actually baking it. (Just don’t prep more than 2 days ahead.) Then just bake it in the morning and serve as usual.
  2. Prep and bake now, serve later – You can fully make this entire recipe and keep it in the fridge for up to three days. However, you will want to time it so that you eat it no later than the third day. 3 days in the fridge is the limit on this one.

French Toast Casserole Variations

There are many variations for French toast casserole. Most of them revolve around fruit. But there are other options as well. Here are some ideas:

  • Change the berries – Try strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries. Even cranberries will work here!
  • Change the fruit completely – Try peaches, apples, or even mangos.
  • Change the extracts – There are so many extracts available! Everything from mint (mint chocolate chip french toast, anyone?) to maple, almond, lemon, and orange. Get creative!
  • Change the spices – While cinnamon is a standard spice in french toast, it doesn’t have to be. Try cardamom, nutmeg, or allspice.

What To Serve With Blueberry French Toast Casserole

This dish does pretty well on its own. But if you want to serve something with it, you could try:

  • healthy bacon or sausage
  • a side of scrambled eggs
  • a separate bowl of fruit or fruit salad
  • a smoothie

For garnish, try a pat of butter while the casserole is still hot, sprinkle some desiccated coconut over the top, or even sprinkle a bit of fresh lemon juice over the top, or enjoy this with a dollop of cream cheese or homemade blueberry sauce.

Recipe Extras

  1. Try sprinkling a bit of fresh lemon zest over this at serving.
  2. You can play around with the bread for different flavors. Try whole wheat sourdough bread or french bread for example. Some people enjoy using Challah, but I haven’t found one that’s made with whole wheat, so I’ve never tried it.
  3. One thing to remember is that this is best made with day-old bread. Don’t use fresh-baked bread for this. It won’t turn out as well.
Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe (2)

Dietary Options

This is pretty adjustable to most dietary needs. Here’s how to make adjustments.

Dairy-Free

This recipe uses almond milk, or you can use any non-dairy milk you prefer.

Gluten-Free

Use good quality, gluten-free bread.

Egg-Free

While I haven’t tried these, you could use either a vegan egg substitute or try a flax egg.

Sugar-Free

While there are naturally occurring sugars in the recipe ingredients here, you do not have to add excess if you prefer not to. Simply omit the honey, and serve this with mashed bananas as a “sauce” to sweeten things up, or enjoy as is with just the blueberries for sweetness.

Low-Carb Or Keto

While this wouldn’t be considered “clean eating”, you could make a low-carb bread to use here, and then use a low-carb sweetener. Everything else would be perfectly fine on a low-carb eating plan.

Vegan

Use maple syrup instead of honey and use a vegan egg substitute or flax egg.

About The Ingredients

(Print recipe from recipe card below.)

Whole grain bread – Use a clean, whole grain bread with no added sugar. If you can find an unsliced loaf, that’s best. But in a pinch, a sliced loaf will work too. Your bread cubes will just be smaller.

Egg whites (or whole eggs) – Use egg whites to cut down on fat content, or whole eggs to cut down on sodium content.

Unsweetened almond milk – You can use regular dairy milk or other non-dairy milk as well. Use the milk you usually drink.

Honey – You can also use maple syrup, but the finished dish won’t taste as sweet.

Pure vanilla extract – Use real vanilla extract, not vanilla flavoring. Vanilla extract is made with real ingredients while vanilla flavoring is made with synthetic ingredients.

Almond extract – Here again, use real extract. Not flavoring.

Ground cinnamon – Make sure there is no sugar mixed in. You just want cinnamon.

Blueberries – fresh or frozen. But if you use frozen, make sure there is no sugar added.

How To Make Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe (3)

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, almond milk, honey, extracts, and cinnamon. Whisk well.

Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe (4)

Oil a baking dish (about 9 x 13), and fill it with the bread.

Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe (5)

Mix in the blueberries., then pour the egg mixture over the bread and allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes, mixing once or twice to be sure all parts of the bread are moistened.

Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe (6)

Bake the casserole for about 45 minutes or until there is no longer any liquid between the bread. Cool a bit and serve.

Can You Freeze French Toast Casserole?

Absolutely! It freezes quite well! Make sure you pack it up in an air-tight, freezer-safe container though. If packaged properly, you can freeze french toast casserole for up to two months.

Can French Toast Soak Overnight?

Absolutely! This is an easy-prep breakfast you can make the night before. Let it soak overnight and bake it first thing in the morning!

Recipe Supplies

More Healthy French Toast Recipes

  • Coconut French Toast
  • French Toast Strips
  • Apple French Toast Casserole
  • Pumpkin Spice French Toast Casserole
  • Eggnog French Toast Casserole

Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe Card + Video


Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe (10)

Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe

This delicious french toast casserole is sure to become a family favorite. And if you have leftovers, it freezes well too!

3.95 from 17 votes

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Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings, approximate

Calories: 150kcal

CLICK TO WATCH THIS RECIPE IN ACTION!

Equipment

  • Casserole pan

Ingredients

  • 6 cups cubed, whole grain bread
  • 8 large egg whites (or 4 whole eggs)
  • 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
  • ¼ cup honey (or maple syrup, though it won’t be as sweet)
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tsp. almond extract
  • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen works too as do other berries)

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350° F.

    In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, almond milk, honey, extracts and cinnamon. Whisk well.

    Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe (11)

  • Oil a baking dish (about 9 x 13), and fill it with the bread.

    Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe (12)

  • Mix in the blueberries., then pour the liquid mixture over the bread and allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes, mixing once or twice to be sure all parts of the bread are moistened.

    Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe (13)

  • Bake the casserole for about 45 minutes or until there is no longer any liquid between the bread. Cool a bit and serve.

    Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe (14)

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data below is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 133mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 2.4mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 0.5mg

Recipe from the Gracious Pantry® archives, originally posted 9/18/12.

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Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you keep French toast casserole from getting soggy? ›

It could be because of the bread you used. If the bread you start with is too soft (such as white sandwich bread), it won't absorb all of the wonderful custard that it should, and it might end up soggy. If you find yourself with a soggy casserole, for whatever reason, try baking it a bit longer until it firms up some.

What makes French toast unhealthy? ›

French Toast is a delicious breakfast entree that is loved by many. With this in mind, french toast can be very calorie dense with high amounts of added sugar and fat. But, it can be tweaked to reduce the sugar and fat content while adding some fiber to your breakfast - yay!

Is it better to use milk or heavy cream for French toast? ›

A creamy custard is the key to incredible French toast, so skip the watery skim milk and go for whole milk or half-and-half. Straight heavy cream turns French toast into dessert, so lean that way if you're looking for decadence.

Should I leave bread out overnight for French toast? ›

Ideally, the bread should be slightly stale. A drier bread will soak up all the custard. Bread can be left out with the wrapper open the day before cooking. If you find yourself in a pinch, dry your bread slices in a 275°F oven for 10 minutes before soaking them in the custard.

Can you make French toast ahead of time and reheat? ›

Freezer and Make-Ahead Tips

Freeze cooked French Toast Casserole for up to three months. Remove it from the freezer the day before you want to serve it and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Cover the pan with foil, then reheat at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until warmed through.

What is the best bread for French toast? ›

For a solid French toast, aim for sturdy bread with a uniform texture and a soft crust. Hearty sandwich bread, brioche, challah, and shokupan (Japanese milk bread) are all great choices. Avoid rustic loaves with thick crusts or large holes in the interior.

What is the secret to good French toast? ›

The secret ingredient in this fluffy French toast recipe: all-purpose flour! Flour binds the liquids together, which creates a more traditional “batter” and helps prevent soggy results. This extra ingredient ensures the French toast is crispy on the outside, but soft and fluffy on the inside.

Should I cook French toast in butter or oil? ›

Butter gives French toast a deep richness and comforting quality, which are what we crave on mornings we sizzle this breakfast staple. To prevent burning or smoking, use a combination of butter and oil in the pan to cook the toast.

Are you supposed to toast French toast before cooking? ›

Use stale bread or toast the bread until it's golden-brown. It needs to be sturdy to hold up to the egg mixture. If the bread is fresh from the bag or you toast it too lightly, the finished dish will be soggy. Soak the toasted or untoasted bread for about 10 seconds per side to achieve the optimal texture.

Can you soak French toast too long? ›

There are several possible reasons for soggy French toast. The first is using fresh bread, which soaks up too much of the egg mixture and doesn't cook through, remaining eggy and soggy in the middle. Leaving the bread in the egg mixture for too long is another route to soggy French toast.

Is vanilla extract necessary for French toast? ›

Strictly technically speaking, these are optional, but French toast without vanilla and cinnamon just isn't nearly as good! A splash of almond extract or a pinch of nutmeg would also work here, if you have a more adventurous palate.

How to tell if French toast is done? ›

Griddle or bake it

This allows you to sear the French toast without burning it, while ensuring it's fully cooked in the center. "You know when your French toast is done when the center is set and doesn't have a runny consistency once cut," Oliveira says.

What is the most common fault when making French toast? ›

The 7 Most Common French Toast Cooking Mistakes
  • Adding too much dairy and sugar to the custard. Don't go overboard with the dairy. ...
  • Not mixing the custard thoroughly. ...
  • Not choosing the right bread. ...
  • Under-soaking the bread. ...
  • Using too much heat or not enough. ...
  • Not preheating the pan. ...
  • Only using butter.
Mar 29, 2013

How can you tell if French toast is undercooked? ›

"You know when your French toast is done when the center is set and doesn't have a runny consistency once cut," Oliveira says. If you're cooking a thinner French toast or omitted eggs from your soaking liquid, a quick pan-fry will do the trick, with 3 to 6 minutes on each side.

What are the disadvantages of French toast? ›

If you are watching your weight and health then you should know that French toast contains quite a high amount of saturated fat. This could be attributed to the eggs and milk that are among the ingredients of French toast. Saturated fat is one of the types of fats that you should avoid on a regular basis.

What happens if French toast is undercooked? ›

Especially in the US, raw eggs can carry salmonella. So to reduce the risk of getting salmonella from French toast, just make sure that each piece is cooked thoroughly so that the egg in it is no longer raw before you eat it.

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