If you’re looking for an overnight French toast recipe, you’ve got to try this one! All the prep is done the night before, and with blueberries, cinnamon, and vanilla in tender baked cubes of golden French toast, it is so delicious.
After about an hour in the oven, this Blueberry French Toast Bake comes out smelling like sweet cinnamon. Cut individual squares, scatter with more blueberries and drizzle with maple syrup, then sink a fork in. The golden-brown crunch of the top gives way to a soft, vanilla-scented, custard-y center punctuated with bursts of tart berries. Yum!
Whenever I’m hosting a brunch-time gathering or a big holiday is upon us, I turn to overnight breakfast dishes – those for which all the preparation happens the night before. And then the next morning, all I have to do is pop it in the oven.
Recipes like this cinnamon blueberry overnight french toast allow me that quality time I might miss out on otherwise – and – bonus! – it’s a people-pleaser, too.
This recipe packs a double-bonus of quality time. Because I’m not rushing around in the morning, my always-underfoot toddler isn’t in the way – instead, she pulls up a chair and helps (okay, “helps”) me prep it the day before.
We wash and pick over blueberries. I measure; she pours. She whisks; I stand by with a kitchen towel to catch errant spills. We both transfer cubes of bread to the casserole dish and pat them down. We high five, and then we smile.
But I’d be remiss if I didn’t confess to another quality-time-themed angle when it comes to this recipe: it allows me a little quiet time to myself, too.
First thing in the morning, before the family wakes up, I can creep downstairs and, instead of chopping and prepping, I can sit down with a cup of coffee – and actually drink the whole thing while it’s still warm! I can thumb through my favorite gardening book. I can daydream a little. Breakfast prep?! That’s for chumps. 😉
Cut your bread into cubes and add half to a baking dish. Scatter on the blueberries, then add the rest of the bread.
Whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Pour it over the bread and blueberries and pat gently to help submerge the bread.
Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 6 hours)
When it’s about an hour before breakfast, remove the blueberry French toast bake from the fridge and sprinkle it with the cinnamon sugar mix. Bake until golden and set.
Cut into squares, drizzle with maple syrup, add a few more blueberries, and enjoy!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will last up to 3 days. Reheat individual squares in the microwave or in the oven at 350 degrees for 5-10 minutes.
This post was originally sponsored by McCormick, who asked bloggers like me to share stories about recipes that are an important part of our family lives. Do you have a favorite family recipe? Share your own American Homemade story in the comments below. And if you’re looking for new recipes to incorporate into your life, be sure to check out McCormick’s new FlavorPrint tool. Select your preferred flavors, and McCormick will match you up with a set of recipes to your specific liking. Pretty spiffy!