Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
This easy blueberry cream cheese french toast casserole is filled with buttery challah, juicy fresh blueberries, and pockets of creamy cream cheese in a sweet cinnamon-vanilla custard. Prep it the night before and simply pop it in the oven in the morning for an easy brunch.
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
Up to 16 Hours Before Baking:
- Spray a 9x13-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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
