Strawberries and Cream French Toast Casserole Recipe

Course: Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 55

Chill Time: 8

Total Time: 9 15

Servings: people

Calories: 401kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

There is so much flavor in this Strawberries and Cream French Toast Casserole! There's nothing better than waking up to a warm casserole topped with juicy strawberries and syrup on a cold morning!

Print Recipe

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Cream Cheese Mixture

8 ounces cream cheese 227 grams, room temperature (1 brick) - see note
¼ cup powdered sugar 28 grams
2 tablespoons heavy cream 28 grams
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams

For the French Toast Mixture

10 cups cubed bread 500 grams (1 loaf) - see note
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries 500 grams, divided
8 large eggs 400 grams
1½ cups milk 341 grams
½ cup heavy cream 114 grams
½ cup granulated sugar 100 grams
¼ cup pancake syrup 78 grams (see note)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 grams

For the Crumble Topping

¼ cup brown sugar 50 grams
¼ cup all-purpose flour 35 grams
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 30 grams, melted (¼ stick)

Instructions

Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan well with nonstick spray.
Place half of the bread cubes into the prepared baking pan. Set aside.
10 cups cubed bread
In a medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract and beat until well mixed.
8 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the bread in the prepared baking pan.
Sprinkle 2 cups of strawberries evenly over the cream cheese layer. Save the remaining 1 cup of strawberries for topping after baking.
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
Evenly place the remaining half of the bread cubes over the strawberry layer.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs well, then add the milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whisk until well mixed.
8 large eggs, 1½ cups milk, ½ cup heavy cream, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup pancake syrup, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pour the wet mixture evenly over the top bread layer. Use a spatula to lightly push all bread down into the wet mixture.
Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and let chill in the refrigerator overnight (or at least 8 hours). This step is required so the bread has time to soak up all the liquid.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator while the oven preheats.
For the crumble mixture, combine the brown sugar, flour, and melted butter with a fork. Use hands to evenly sprinkle this mixture over the cream cheese french toast casserole right before baking.
¼ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 35 minutes. After a total of 55 minutes of baking, the top should look lightly toasted and the middle of the casserole will no longer look wet. If the middle still looks wet, bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Sprinkle remaining strawberries over baked casserole before serving warm with pancake syrup, if desired.

Video

Notes

Cream Cheese: Use the block-style cream cheese, not the spreadable kind packaged in a small round tub.
Bread: To prevent this casserole from becoming too soggy, use a crusty bread like French bread or sourdough bread. To dry it even further, cube it and leave it out on the counter overnight or bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes, stirring halfway.
Syrup: Any type of pancake syrup would work here – original pancake syrup, butter flavor, maple, etc. Whatever your family prefers to use on pancakes.
Try this French toast casserole with other fruits, such as diced apples or pears, sliced bananas, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, or cranberries.
Add chopped nuts to the crumble topping, such as walnuts or pecans.
While I don’t recommend replacing the eggs, you can make this recipe dairy-free by using a non-dairy milk/cream and dairy-free cream cheese and butter.
To make this recipe gluten-free, use gluten-free bread and gluten-free 1:1 flour.
Don't skip the overnight rest in the refrigerator. This allows the egg mixture to be better absorbed and improves the flavor.
Remove the casserole from the refrigerator about 45 minutes before baking (while the oven preheats) to help it bake more evenly.
The crumble topping is optional but delicious!
You can easily halve this recipe and bake in an 8x8 or 9x9-inch baking pan. Baking time may be slightly less than for a larger casserole.

Storage: Store strawberries and cream French toast casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition