Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
Blueberry cream cheese french toast casserole is an easy overnight breakfast made with fluffy challah bread, fresh blueberries, cream cheese, and a rich vanilla custard. This easy, family-friendly breakfast can be prepared ahead of time making your busy morning, holiday, or weekend brunch so much more relaced.
Bread pudding is one of my husband’s very favorite desserts so I’m always on the look-out for new ways to prepare it.
This easy blueberry cream cheese french toast casserole is the perfect breakfast casserole version of bread pudding but it is decadent enough to work as a warm and fruity dessert if you prefer to save it for after dinner and serve it with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
For the kids and me, we prefer it on a lazy weekend morning with some breakfast sausages on the side. Don’t miss the homemade blueberry maple syrup that goes with it!
Why This is the Best Recipe
- Perfect for Holidays: This prep-ahead breakfast casserole is perfect for mixing together the night before Easter or Christmas for a pop-it-in-the-oven treat without all the work.
- Fluffy Cream Cheese Filling: I just loved those pockets of cream cheese scattered among the buttery bread cubes.
- Potluck Party Friendly: Need a dish to bring to share? This travels so well in the baking dish and is delicious served warm or even at room temperature.
Ingredients
This easy shopping list uses pantry basics for a rich and decadent dish:
- Challah Bread: You can use a braided loaf from the bakery or bake your own with my easy bread machine challah loaf.
- Fresh Blueberries: You could substitute frozen blueberries but do not thaw them before mixing them into the casserole. They will release their juices and turn it purple if you stir them too much.
- Cream Cheese: I used full-fat cream cheese. You could use a reduced fat but I would avoid a fat-free cream cheese.
- Eggs
- Half-and-Half
- Sugar
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Kosher Salt
Assemble the Casserole
Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Cut the challah into large 2-inch cubes and scatter about 2/3 of them across the bottom of the dish.
Set aside some blueberries for sprinkling over the top and then scatter the majority of them over the bread.
Top the blueberries with the remaining bread. Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese along the top and gently nestle them among the bread pieces. Sprinkle the reserved blueberries along the top.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
Add the Custard
Pour the egg mixture gently over the casserole. Then use the back of a spoon to gently nudge the bread chunks into the custard.
You want to be careful to not tightly pack the bread into place or the casserole will bake up heavy. Rather, spoon some of the custard over the top as needed.
I actually found it easiest to use my fingers to gently swish the bread pieces in custard so everything was evenly moistened.
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Chill Overnight
Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap so everything stays nice and moist.
Chill in the fridge for up to 16 hours. This gives the bread enough time to really soak up the custard.
SHORTCUT: Don’t have time to let it rest overnight? Let the casserole soak for at least 30 minutes before baking.
Baking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
While the oven warms up, leave the baking dish on the counter so that it can start to come to room temperature.
Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle some sugar over the top.
Bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and puffed up. The center should be set when you wiggle a piece of bread from the middle.
Make Ahead Tips
This dish was developed specifically as an overnight breakfast casserole, it is the perfect make-ahead dish as is.
Leftovers should be refrigerated but then can be reheated in individual portions for an easy breakfast the next day. I prefer to just spoon some up and then reheat it right in the microwave but if that crispy texture is important, it would reheat well in an air fryer or oven, too.
Serving Suggestions
You could serve the baked blueberry cream cheese french toast casserole with powdered sugar dusted over the top for a very simple dish but I love to take a few extra minutes and make homemade blueberry maple syrup for drizzling over the top.
You could also pair it with my easy bourbon sauce or amaretto sauce for a special holiday brunch.
Want a more fruity flair? Try adding dollops of my make-ahead lemon curd or grab a jar of blueberry preserves from the freezer.
More Breakfast Casserole Recipes
Looking for more easy breakfast casseroles for your weekend brunch? Here are a few of my favorites:
Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound loaf of challah sliced into 2-inch cubes
- 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 (8 oz) brick of cream cheese room temperature
- 8 eggs
- 2 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1/2 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons for the top
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions Start Cooking
Up to 16 Hours Before Baking:
- Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Scatter about 2/3 of the bread cubes in the dish. Reserve 1/4 cup of the blueberries and sprinkle the rest over the bread. Top with the remaining bread.1 pound loaf of challah, 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
- Scatter rounded spoonfuls of cream cheese over the top of the bread, tucking them in as you go. Scatter the reserved blueberries over the top.1 (8 oz) brick of cream cheese
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, half-and-half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together until smooth. Save that last 2 tablespoons of sugar for sprinkling over the top just before baking.8 eggs, 2 1/2 cup half-and-half, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and then place in the refrigerator overnight. If you prefer to bake it right away, you'll still want to let the dish set for 30 minutes before baking to allow the bread to soak up the custard.
Baking Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Let the casserole sit on the counter while the oven preheats.
- Remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle the reserved 2 tablespoons of sugar over the top.1 pound loaf of challah
- Bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until the bread has puffed up and is golden brown. Serve with maple syrup, blueberry syrup, or just a dusting of powdered sugar.
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