Strawberry French Toast Bake is all the rage in our household right now. Grab the recipe here and prepare to fall in love!
Few things make me happier than sitting down to a warm breakfast. Admittedly, it’s not something I elect to do every morning, but when Saturday and Sunday roll around, I like to break out the frying pans and casserole dishes and crank up the music while I summon up a little culinary magic in the kitchen. Making a French toast dish with fresh strawberries had been on my mind for days, and I was ready to get the breakfast party started!
My husband has never been a fan of French toast. He says the concept of “soggy” bread is pretty unappealing, and he’s really not into cinnamon. When I hear statements like that, I just interpret it as a challenge. I knew I could convert him to a member of the French-toast fan club, so set out on a quest to make the best batch of French toast he’s ever had! Mission accomplished.
I certainly agree with him that soggy bread is a little unappealing. However, when cooked correctly, French toast isn’t soggy at all. Many factors come into play to ensure the structure of the bread maintains its integrity. While it’s true that you can pretty much use any form of stale bread to make French toast, I prefer to use day-old Italian bread from the bakery. I simply cut the bread into cubes, spread them out on a lined baking sheet and crisp them up for 15 minutes at 300 F. Baking as opposed to pan frying is my preferred method of making French toast as I find that the bread gets an all-around better crisp. I knew this would be key in getting my husband to eat it.
I poured the freshly toasted bread cubes into a greased pan, whipped up an egg-y batter, added a little cinnamon and nutmeg and tossed in some fresh strawberries. I popped it in the oven for about 40 minutes, and out came the most beautifully delicious batch of golden French toast my eyes had ever seen. I grabbed my spatula and scooped out a slice to do my official taste test. I don’t want to toot my own horn here, but I must give credit where credit is due. I nailed it.
And so I anxiously awaited the moment where my husband gave it a try. I chopped up some extra fresh strawberries to add on top, plus a little syrup and powdered sugar to make it fancy. Turn down for what, am I right?
The man loved it. He loved it so much, he took leftovers for lunch to work. He ate it multiple times! He gave his compliments to the chef, and I did my little victory dance for converting him into a french toast fan. Oh happy day!
Strawberry French Toast Bake
Ingredients
- 1 loaf french bread cubed and lightly toasted
- 1 lb strawberries sliced
- 8 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla
Topping
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 stick salted butter cold and cubed
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
Instructions
- Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray
- Toss sliced strawberries into bread cubes and pour into baking dish
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, yogurt, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla
- Pour over bread cubes and cover. Set in refrigerator overnight for best results, or for a minimum of 2 hours
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- Bake for 20 minutes
- While baking, combine all topping ingredients in a bowl until crumbly
- Remove french toast from oven and sprinkle crumble topping over it
- Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes
- Serve immediately with fresh strawberries, syrup or powdered sugar
- Enjoy!
Tried this recipe?
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This Strawberry French Toast Bake is big enough to feed a crowd, and it’s perfect with a little syrup and powdered sugar drizzled on top. This recipe is definitely going to be a breakfast staple throughout the summer while strawberries are in season and easily accessible. Nothing screams summer like a batch of fresh berries! Having a slice of this French toast is truly an incredible and delicious way to start any day.
Have more strawberries leftover? Whip up this Strawberry Jalapeno Salsa for lunch!
have you ever made this in a crock pot for a larger group?
the recipe sounds Delicious
Hi Laurie!
I have actually never made this in the crockpot, but I think it could be easily done! I would just be sure to check frequently for scorching of the bread along the edges. Let me know if you give it a try that way!
Don’t forget to add the sugar into the pour mixture. I did not and I am not sure what I would do so I put it into the crumble mix we will see how it turns out in the morning. Sugar was left out of the Instructions.
Hi Laura,
I’m SO sorry about that! Sometimes my fingers get ahead of me. I’ve gone in and corrected the mistake. Hopefully your french toast was sweet enough with a little syrup added!
Hi-in your blog you say you threw it together & then popped it into the oven. Yet in the actual recipe, you say to let it set overnite in fridge or for at least 2 hrs. in there. Which is best? If you cook it right after assembly, will it still be moist, not dry & not mushy? Or , better yet, if you let it set overnite, will it be too mushy after cooking? (Oh, and how many mouths do you guess this feeds? Inquiring minds wanna know…??) Just curious 🙂 Hoping to make this for Father’s Day!
Hi Sarah,
I’m so glad you’ll be giving it a try for Father’s Day weekend! I make this pretty regularly, and I frequently make it and bake it right away. I will always recommend letting it set for at least a couple of hours over just popping it in the oven as I feel that the overall texture is better as it absorbs more of the flavors and is a little more dense, but either way – it’s delicious! Sometimes I just can’t wait. I want my french toast now! Lol
Just prepared it and I’m going to cook it in the morning/ do I cook it covered or uncovered?
Uncovered. Enjoy!
Hi! I am making this for a small gathering, about how many servings will this recipe give me? Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Hi Ellen,
I would say six comfortably, but possibly 8. Hope that helps!
Can’t find that soft cubed stuffing anywhere. Can I just cube my own bread?
Absolutely! When I don’t have pre-cubed on hand, I’ll throw a pack of hot dog buns in the freezer for a bit and then cube those while they’re hard. Easier to cut that way. Works great!
Do you use plain Greek yogurt or vanilla?
I typically use plain, but vanilla would work great as well!
Do you mix it up or just pour it over? Thank you!
No need to mix, just pour over and bake!
Has anyone made this using frozen strawberries (that have been thawed)?
Hi Sarah Beth,
I’ve not made this recipe using frozen strawberries. Since frozen strawberries retain a lot more moisture, I think the french toast might come out a bit soggy. I could be wrong, though. It may be worth a shot! Let me know if you decide to use them how it turns out.
I haven’t tried bthis yet, but plan too. I plan on adding some cubed cream cheese for a cheesecake french toast vide. Thought I’d comment in case anyone else wants to try it.
Anyone try to make this as a freezer meal? I have a sister in law due with twins in Sept. and everyone is making freezer meals to bring over. Thought it would be nice to have a freezer breakfast!
Just made this. Delicious!