Blueberry French Toast Casserole

Here’s a brunch recipe that pulls out all the stops: Blueberry French Toast Casserole! This one is a total stunner that will impress anyone. Sprinkle custardy cinnamon-spiced bread with a glittering streusel topping and fresh berries, then bake it up. Top it with a homemade blueberry syrup that infuses tangy berry flavor into the entire dish! This one is ideal for entertaining house guests or a special brunch on holidays. Our 6-year old kept asking for more of this one (naturally!).

Ingredients in blueberry French toast casserole

This blueberry-version of our French toast casserole stars berries in two ways: fresh berries in the casserole and some cooked into a tangy blueberry syrup. The syrup is what makes the magic here: it infuses intense blueberry flavor into the entire dish. Here’s what you’ll need for blueberry French toast casserole:

BlueberriesSourdough or French breadEggsMilkCreamBrown sugarTurbinado or demerara sugarVanillaCinnamon and nutmegOatsPecansFlourButter

Notes on the blueberry syrup

A few notes on the syrup for this blueberry French toast casserole:

Don’t be tempted to skip it: it’s a required component! The syrup is what carries the flavor here. The fresh blueberries are a nice secondary flavor, but don’t carry as much concentrated berry flavor as the syrup. Make a half recipe if you prefer. The blueberry syrup recipe makes 1 ½ cups total. The casserole requires 1 cup fresh berries, so if you prefer using only 2 cups berries total you can half the syrup. Simmer the syrup while the casserole bakes, or make it in advance. It takes just 15 minutes to whip up!

The best bread for French toast casserole

You can use a few different types of bread for blueberry French toast casserole. Here’s a breakdown of what we prefer and why we like it!

Sourdough bread: This is our top pick for French toast, both regular and in casserole form! The sturdy texture of the bread makes it chewy instead of mushy, and the flavor adds intriguing tangy and savory notes. The hard crust adds a nice variation to the texture.French bread: French bread also works here: the hard crust also helps to add interesting texture like with sourdough.

What bread to avoid? Don’t use purchased white bread or whole wheat bread here. The texture comes out much too soft since the bread essentially dissolves into the custard. Whole wheat bread in particular doesn’t work well with the flavor profile. We also prefer this casserole with a textured sourdough vs a brioche or challah bread, which are softer.

Make ahead info: try it overnight!

This recipe also works as an overnight blueberry French toast casserole! Simply assemble the bread and custard base layer, placing the custard in the pan with the bread and allowing it to soak overnight. If you like, you can assemble the streusel topping and refrigerate it overnight as well. You can also make the blueberry syrup in advance. In the morning, simply let the pan stand for 30 minutes at room temperature before baking. If you like, you could assemble the streusel or syrup during this time as well. Top with the streusel and throw it in the oven!

More blueberry recipes

This blueberry French toast casserole recipe is a favorite of ours: we love it for impressing guests or even a Mother’s Day brunch idea. Here are a few more breakfast ideas with blueberries:

Mix up Blueberry Oatmeal or bake a pan of Easy Blueberry Baked OatmealGo for Classic Blueberry Pancakes or Lemon Blueberry PancakesTry the Best Blueberry WafflesGrab Classic Blueberry MuffinsBake up fluffy Lemon Blueberry Bread, or make Blueberry Ice Cream