French Toast Bake with Berries

Serve a special breakfast for guests, and make this French Toast Bake with Berries, a mascarpone French Toast casserole packed with fresh berries!

Friends, just in time for a Saturday or Sunday brunch, serve this delicious overnight French toast. It’s the best baked berry mascarpone stuffed French toast you’ll try! Make it ahead, or make it the day of serving (just let sit in the fridge for an hour before baking). 

With a warm, creamy filling of mascarpone cheese and a sauce of mixed berries, it’s a very easy-to-make breakfast treat that looks like you spent all morning preparing it.

Susan recently gave this recipe 5 stars: “I have made this 2 or 3 times for friends and family. It is WONDERFUL! All of the recipes I have tried that you have graciously shared have been SO GOOD!”

What is berry stuffed French toast?

This raspberry and blueberry mascarpone French toast casserole is filled with luscious berries and mascarpone cheese. It makes a delightful addition to your Easter or holiday menu (think Christmas or Fourth of July). This would be so good served with my Overnight Monte Cristo Breakfast Casserole. 

Made with the demi baguette bread, this spin on the regular French Toast casserole is unique and tasty!

Why you’ll love this French toast bake with berries

• It only takes a few extra minutes to stuff the bread with raspberries and blueberries. A delightful way to start the morning!
• Prepare this the night before and store in the fridge. Perfect for early risers, and out of town company! And easy to pop in the oven bright and early!
• For special overnight company, whip up some Virgin Mimosas and make it a memorable meal!

Ingredients needed to make baked berry French toast

• Bread: For this recipe, I used 5 French demi (which means small) baguettes. Usually a stale bread will work great, too, especially if the casserole is sitting overnight.
• Mascarpone: Bring to room temperature. Cream cheese or ricotta cheese (like my Strawberry Lemon Ricotta French Toast) are also great options.  
• Extracts: While the vanilla extract is used to flavor both the mascarpone spread and egg custard mixture, I’ve also used almond extract in the creamy filling. Feel free to only use vanilla extract in this recipe, if you prefer. 
• Powdered sugar: Sweetens and thickens the mascarpone filling. 
• Lemon zest: Cuts through the sweetness and rich flavor of the mascarpone filling. 
• Berries: It’s all about the fresh berries (blueberries and raspberries)! You can also try frozen (defrosted and drained) berries!
• Egg custard: Combine the eggs, milk, granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and vanilla extract to make the custard. 
• Maple syrup: For serving. Honey can also be used. 

How do you make this berry baked French toast? 

Stuff the bread:

1. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. 
2. Take the 5 small French baguettes and make slices, about one inch apart.
3. Don’t cut all the way through.
4. Make the mascarpone filling, then stuff the bread with the mixture, and push together. 
5. Place the baguettes side by side in the baking dish. 

Make the custard and chill

1. Whisk the egg custard ingredients in a large bowl. 
2. Pour the custard over the bread. Cover the dish and chill in the fridge overnight (up to 2 days)

Bake and serve:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and remove the French toast from the fridge. 
2. Mix the remaining ¼ cup of sugar and 1 tsp. Cinnamon to sprinkle over the top of the French toast. 
3. Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, or until puffed and golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Cover with foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes if needed. 
5. Cool and serve with maple syrup. 

Serving

Enjoy this French toast bake as the star of your breakfast or brunch! Pair it with a virgin mimosa for those special occasions, alongside a dollop of whipped cream and drizzle of mixed berry compote. For a complete meal, serve it alongside homemade fruit salad or tangy yogurt dip.

Apart from the obvious choice of maple syrup to drizzle over the French toast, some other delicious toppings you may like include a light dusting of powdered sugar, coconut flakes, chopped nuts, lemon curd or lime curd, or extra cinnamon sugar. 

Sandy’s tips and substitutions:

• Storage: This French toast bake with berries can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to maintain freshness.
• Freeze: Freeze individual portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
• Reheat: Warm single servings in the microwave, or reheat the entire dish in a 350°F oven for 10–15 minutes until heated through.
• Make-ahead: This dish is ideal for preparing in advance! Soak overnight in the fridge, then add 10 minutes to the baking time if starting with a cold dish.
• Use day-old bread: Slightly stale bread absorbs the custard better without turning mushy. 
• Uniform bread slices: Make slices in the bread, 1-inch apart, for consistent soaking and baking. Don’t slice all the way through the bread as the custard will seep through. 
• Custard mixture soaking: For richer flavor and custard-like texture, refrigerate the assembled casserole overnight to let the bread fully absorb the mixture.
• Allow for cooling: Let the French toast casserole rest 5–10 minutes after baking to help the custard set for cleaner slices.
• For a golden-brown topping: Bake uncovered for the first 30-40 minutes to crisp the top.

Variations:

• Type of bread: Feel free to use other types of bread for this berry stuffed French bread, such as brioche, challah, sourdough, or Texas toast for a heartier texture.
• Gluten-free: Use GF bread when catering to allergies. 
• Toast the bread: Dry the baguettes overnight or toast at 300°F for 8 minutes to prevent sogginess.
• Berries: I’ve used blueberries and raspberries, but this is equally delicious with strawberries, blackberries, as well as other fruit (bananas, apples, peaches, or mangoes).

For more berry-licious breakfast ideas, check out my Berry Cheesecake Overnight Oats and Blueberry Coconut Baked Oatmeal. 

More French toast recipes you may want to try:

• French Toast Cupcakes
• French Toast Croissant Casserole
• Strawberry Ricotta French Toast
• French Toast with Hawaiian Bread

4.09 stars (197 reviews)

Leave a Review

Get the Recipe:

French Toast Bake with Berries

Sandy Coughlin

French Toast Bake with Berries delivers golden, custardy perfection with juicy berries and a mascarpone filling. Assemble overnight and bake!

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr

Yield: 6

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save RecipeSaved!

Ingredients

 

1x2x3x

• 5 4 oz French demi baguettes, (or larger ones, cut to fit in a 9×13 pan)
• 8 oz mascarpone cheese, or cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract, divided
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
• 2 cups fresh blueberries
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
• Maple syrup, for serving

Equipment

• 9×13 baking dish

Instructions

 

• Prepare a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
• Cut each baguette into 1-inch slices, cutting to, but not through, bottom of loaf. If using a longer baguette, cut to fit in a 9×13 pan.
• Prepare the filling by beating the mascarpone cheese, 1 tsp. vanilla and almond extract until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar and lemon zest; fold in the berries.
• Spoon the filling between the baguette slices; arrange the baguettes side by side in a 9×13 pan.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Pour over the bread; cover and chill overnight (up to 2 days).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Remove French toast from refrigerator while oven heats. With remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon, mix together; sprinkle over the French toast.
• Bake, uncovered, 30-40 minutes, or until puffed and golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cover with foil and bake another 5-10 minutes if needed (and eggs are set).
• Remove; cool. Serve with your favorite maple syrup!

Notes

Sandy’s tips:

• Storage: This French toast bake with berries can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil to maintain freshness.
• Freeze: Freeze individual portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
• Make-ahead: This dish is ideal for preparing in advance! Soak overnight in the fridge, then add 10 minutes to the baking time if starting with a cold dish.
• Use day-old bread: Slightly stale bread absorbs the custard better without turning mushy. 
• Uniform bread slices: Make slices in the bread, 1-inch apart, for consistent soaking and baking. Don’t slice all the way through the bread as the custard will seep through. 
• For a golden-brown topping: Bake uncovered for the first 30-40 minutes to crisp the top.
• Type of bread: Feel free to use other types of bread for this berry stuffed French bread, such as brioche, challah, sourdough, or Texas toast for a heartier texture.
• Gluten-free: Use GF bread when catering to allergies. 
• Berries: I’ve used blueberries and raspberries, but this is equally delicious with strawberries, blackberries, as well as other fruit (bananas, apples, peaches, or mangoes).

Cuisine: American

Course: Breakfast

Calories: 430kcal, Carbohydrates: 83g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 24g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 211mg, Sodium: 121mg, Potassium: 265mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 35g, Vitamin A: 936IU, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 200mg, Iron: 1mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @reluctantentertainer on Instagram and hashtag it #reluctantentertainer!