Mothers Day Blueberry French Toast (Printable)

Tender baked French toast layered with fresh blueberries and a hint of vanilla for memorable brunches.

# What You Need:

→ Bread Base

01 - 1 loaf brioche or challah bread (about 1 pound), cut into 1 inch cubes
02 - 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

→ Custard Mixture

03 - 6 large eggs
04 - 2 cups whole milk
05 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Topping

10 - 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
11 - 1/4 cup brown sugar
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 cup chopped pecans or almonds, optional
14 - Powdered sugar for dusting, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Arrange half the bread cubes evenly in the prepared dish. Scatter half the blueberries over the bread layer. Repeat with remaining bread and blueberries.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until smooth and well combined.
04 - Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread and blueberries, pressing gently to ensure all bread cubes absorb the custard.
05 - Cover the baking dish and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or preferably overnight for optimal flavor development and texture.
06 - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
07 - In a small bowl, mix melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts if using. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the chilled casserole.
08 - Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes until the casserole is puffed and golden brown. If browning too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil.
09 - Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar before serving if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when you actually prepped it while sipping your morning coffee the day before.
  • The blueberries burst with warmth and sweetness, creating little pockets of joy in every forkful that make people close their eyes mid-bite.
  • Eight servings means you're covered whether it's your immediate family or a full table of hungry guests.
02 -
  • If you skip the overnight refrigeration and bake it right away, the bread stays too firm and won't absorb enough custard—I learned this the hard way by watching someone saw through their slice instead of fork it.
  • Frozen blueberries actually work better than fresh because they don't leak their juice into the custard during the resting period, so stop feeling like you're cutting corners if that's what you have.
03 -
  • Use day-old bread if you can find it, because fresh bread soaks up too much liquid and turns into mush instead of staying tender—this was a game-changer once I figured it out.
  • If your blueberries are very juicy and you're worried about a soggy casserole, toss them lightly with a tablespoon of cornstarch before layering, which sounds fussy but actually works.
Go Back