Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole is a make-ahead brunch bake: cubes of French bread layered with little pieces of cream cheese and fresh blueberries, soaked in a cinnamon-vanilla custard of eggs and half and half, chilled, then baked until the middle is set and the top is lightly browned. A quick homemade blueberry sauce goes on top. It serves 8.
How to make it: Layer half the bread cubes, cream cheese and blueberries in a buttered 9×13 dish, then repeat. Whisk the eggs, half and half, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt, pour it over and press the bread down. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight, then bake covered at 375°F for 30 minutes and uncovered 20 to 30 more, until the center reads 160°F. Serve with blueberry sauce.
Why You’ll Love It
- Make it ahead: assemble it the night before and bake in the morning.
- Pockets of cream cheese: creamy bites all through the custardy bread.
- Blueberries twice: in the layers and in the warm sauce on top.
- Feeds a crowd: one 9×13 dish serves 8.
Ingredient Notes
Bread: One large loaf of French bread, about 8 cups, cut into 2-inch cubes. Day-old bread is best.
Custard: Eight eggs, 2 1/2 cups of half and half, 1/3 cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons each of cinnamon and vanilla, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Cream cheese: One 8-ounce package, light or regular, cut into cubes. Pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes first and it cuts much more easily.
Blueberries: One cup of fresh blueberries for the layers. Frozen berries work too; toss them in a tablespoon of flour so they don’t bleed.
Raw sugar: A quarter cup to sprinkle on top before baking, if you like.
Blueberry sauce: A cup of water, 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 2 cups of blueberries.
Ingredients
For the casserole
- Butter, for the dish
- 1 large loaf French bread (about 8 cups), cut into 2-inch cubes
- 8 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups half and half
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 1/4 cup raw sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
For the blueberry sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 cups blueberries
How to Make Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
1. Prepare the dish and bread. Butter a 9×13-inch casserole dish. Cut the French bread into 2-inch cubes.
2. Mix the egg mixture. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, half and half, 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt until completely mixed.
3. Layer half. Put half of the bread cubes in the dish. Top with half of the cream cheese cubes and 1/2 cup of the blueberries.
4. Layer the rest. Add the remaining bread cubes, then the remaining cream cheese and the other 1/2 cup blueberries.
5. Pour and press. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes, pressing down so the bread is completely soaked.
6. Chill. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
7. Heat the oven and add the sugar. Heat the oven to 375°F. Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the casserole with the raw sugar.
8. Bake covered. Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
9. Uncover and bake until set. Remove the foil and bake 20 to 30 minutes more, until the center is firm, the bread is slightly brown on top and a food thermometer in the center reads 160°F.
10. Make the blueberry sauce. In a small saucepan, whisk the water, 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch together until it simmers. Add the 2 cups blueberries and simmer for 10 minutes. Slightly break up the blueberries with a fork or whisk to the texture you like.
11. Cool and serve. Let the casserole cool slightly, then serve it with the blueberry sauce.
Does It Have to Soak Overnight?
No, but it does need time. Here are the options:
| Soak time | How it works |
|---|---|
| At least 2 hours | The minimum for this recipe; the bread soaks up the custard in the fridge |
| Overnight | The easiest plan: assemble after dinner and bake in the morning |
| Up to 48 hours | The longest it can wait, covered in the fridge, before baking |
| No soak | Only with a crumb-topped bake: toss the bread in the custard and bake right away |
Soaked, not soggy. Press the bread down so it’s fully soaked, but don’t drown it: bread that’s soggy before baking will be soggy after.
Keep it cold. The soaked casserole is raw egg and dairy, so keep it in the refrigerator until it goes in the oven.
How to tell it’s done: the center is firm and no longer jiggly, the top is lightly browned, and a food thermometer in the middle reads 160°F, the USDA FSIS temperature for egg dishes.
Tips for the Best French Toast Casserole
Use day-old bread. A large French loaf, cut into big 2-inch cubes, holds its shape in the custard.
Cold cream cheese cuts cleanly. Freeze it for 15 minutes, then cube it.
Bake covered first. Foil for the first 30 minutes, then uncovered so the top browns.
Variations
- Maple syrup custard: sweeten the custard with maple syrup instead of sugar.
- Extra creamy: use two packages of cream cheese.
- Frozen berries: toss them in a tablespoon of flour before layering.
- Whipped cream: top each serving with a dab of whipped cream or our cream cheese whipped cream.
Storage & Reheating
Make ahead: Assemble it, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 48 hours before baking.
Blueberry sauce: Refrigerate leftover sauce up to 3 days and warm it on the stove or in the microwave.
Leftovers: Refrigerate within 2 hours in shallow covered containers. USDA FSIS says to eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months.
Reheat: Reheat covered until it reaches 165°F.
What to Serve With It
For a brunch spread, add a savory bake like bacon egg and hash brown casserole. More French toast favorites: overnight crème brûlée French toast, cinnamon roll French toast rolls and cinnamon sugar French toast muffins. Love blueberries and cream cheese together? Try 5-ingredient blueberry cheesecake rolls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does French toast casserole have to soak overnight?
This one needs at least 2 hours in the fridge. Overnight is easiest, and it can wait up to 48 hours.
What is the best bread for French toast casserole?
A large loaf of day-old French bread, cut into 2-inch cubes.
Do French toast and cream cheese go together?
Yes. Cubes of cream cheese melt into creamy pockets between the custardy bread and the blueberries.
Can I use frozen blueberries?
Yes. Toss them in a tablespoon of flour first so they don’t bleed into the custard.
How do I know when it’s done?
The center is firm, the top is lightly browned and a thermometer in the middle reads 160°F.
Final Notes
Put it together the night before and all that’s left in the morning is heating the oven and stirring up the sauce. If you make it, tell me in the comments whether you used fresh or frozen berries.
Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
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Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread large loaf, about 8 cups, day-old is best; cut into 2-inch cubes
- 8 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups half and half
- 1/3 cup sugar for the egg mixture
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup fresh blueberries for the layers; frozen blueberries tossed in 1 tablespoon flour also work, so they do not bleed
- 8 ounces cream cheese one package, light or regular, cubed; freeze it 15 minutes for easier cutting
- 1/4 cup raw sugar for sprinkling on top; optional
- 1 cup water for the blueberry sauce
- 1/2 cup sugar for the blueberry sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch for the blueberry sauce
- 2 cups blueberries for the blueberry sauce
Instructions
- Butter a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Cut the French bread into 2-inch cubes.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, half and half, 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and salt until completely mixed.
- Put half of the bread cubes in the dish. Top with half of the cream cheese cubes and 1/2 cup of the blueberries.
- Add the remaining bread cubes, then the remaining cream cheese and the other 1/2 cup blueberries.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes, pressing down so the bread is completely soaked.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the casserole with the raw sugar.
- Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake 20 to 30 minutes more, until the center is firm, the bread is slightly brown on top and a food thermometer in the center reads 160°F.
- In a small saucepan, whisk the water, 1/2 cup sugar and cornstarch together until it simmers. Add the 2 cups blueberries and simmer for 10 minutes. Slightly break up the blueberries with a fork or whisk to the texture you like.
- Let the casserole cool slightly, then serve it with the blueberry sauce.
