Strawberry Cream Cheese French Toast Bake
This Strawberry Cream Cheese French Toast Bake is easily prepared the night before. It's the perfect treat for holiday breakfasts or weekend brunch.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups freshly sliced strawberries, the sweeter the better
- 1 ½ loaves French bread, sliced into 1-inch thick slices, 20 slices total
- 16 oz regular cream cheese, softened to room temp
- 1 cup sugar
- 11 large eggs
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup half-and-half , OR heavy cream
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside. Using a stand mixer or electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium high until light and fluffy. Whisk in sugar to fully incorporate. Mix in 1 of the eggs and the lemon juice; set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until well combined and set aside.
- Layer 10 slices of the French bread on bottom of baking dish. Spread two-thirds of the cream cheese mixture evenly over the bread. Place half of the sliced strawberries on top evenly. Repeat layering with remaining slices of bread, cream cheese mixture, and strawberries.
- Slowly and evenly pour the egg mixture over the top of all the layers, pressing down a bit so that all the bread gets coated with some of the egg mixture. Cover tightly with foil and chill overnight.
- Remove from fridge and let sit at room temperature while you preheat oven to 350F. Bake 30 minutes, covered. Bake for another 30 minute uncovered, until top is nicely golden brown and puffy throughout - center should be puffy and feel set, rather than jiggly.
- Let rest at room temp 15 minutes before serving. Serve with maple syrup or as-is.
Notes
- Actual bake time varies depending on individual ovens.
- This French Toast Bake is delicious as leftovers, straight from the fridge, if you're lucky enough to have any leftovers!
- Make sure to cover your French Toast Bake for the first 30 minutes of baking. This will prevent it from getting too crispy on top.
- Top Strawberry French Toast Bake with Stabilized Whipped Cream and a sprinkle of Cinnamon Sugar Candied Pecans.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 322kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 218mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 26g | Vitamin A: 826IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 115mg | Iron: 1mg