Mothers Day Blueberry French Toast (Print out)

A luscious baked French toast with juicy blueberries and vanilla, ideal for a special brunch gathering.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread Base

01 - 1 loaf brioche or challah bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (approximately 1 pound)
02 - 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

→ Custard Mixture

03 - 6 large eggs
04 - 2 cups whole milk
05 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Topping

10 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
11 - 1/4 cup brown sugar
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 cup chopped pecans or almonds, optional
14 - Powdered sugar for dusting, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Arrange half of the bread cubes evenly in the prepared dish. Scatter half of the blueberries over the bread layer. Repeat with remaining bread and blueberries.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until smooth and fully combined.
04 - Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread and blueberries, pressing gently to ensure all bread cubes are thoroughly saturated.
05 - Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for optimal flavor and texture development.
06 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
07 - In a small bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts if using. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the chilled casserole.
08 - Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes until puffed and golden brown. If browning excessively, tent loosely with aluminum foil.
09 - Remove from oven and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You can prep it the night before, which means Mother's Day (or any brunch) feels effortless instead of stressful.
  • It looks like you spent hours in the kitchen when you really just mixed eggs and cream together.
  • Blueberries burst as it bakes, creating little pockets of jammy sweetness throughout.
  • Eight generous servings mean you're actually feeding a crowd instead of scrambling with individual pans.
02 -
  • The overnight soak is not optional if you want the bread to be custardy rather than just damp—I learned this by impatience and regretted it.
  • If your blueberries are thawed, they'll bleed color into the custard, which looks less pristine but tastes exactly the same; frozen berries stay more intact.
  • Tenting with foil in the last 10-15 minutes prevents a burnt top while the center finishes cooking.
03 -
  • Letting the assembled casserole sit overnight in the fridge genuinely changes the texture from good to exceptional—the bread becomes custardy rather than just soaked.
  • If you find your top is browning too fast, a tent of foil in the last 15 minutes protects it perfectly while the center finishes cooking.
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