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Cozy Overnight Strawberry Cream Cheese French Toast Bake

overnight strawberry cream cheese french toast bake - featured image
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A comforting and easy overnight French toast bake layered with cream cheese and fresh strawberries, perfect for a cozy breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 cups cubed sturdy bread (about 10–12 slices) such as French baguette, brioche, or challah (day-old bread works best)
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups (16 fl oz) whole milk or 2% milk (almond or oat milk for dairy-free)
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ⅓ cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
  • Butter for greasing the baking dish

Instructions

  1. Cube about 10-12 slices of day-old bread into roughly 1-inch pieces. Hull and slice 1 ½ cups of fresh strawberries.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together 6 large eggs, 2 cups milk, ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt until fully combined and sugar dissolves.
  3. Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish generously. Layer half of the bread cubes evenly in the dish.
  4. Dollop half of the softened cream cheese in small spoonfuls over the bread, then scatter half the sliced strawberries on top.
  5. Repeat layering with the remaining bread, cream cheese, and strawberries.
  6. Slowly pour the custard mixture evenly over the layered bread, cream cheese, and strawberries. Press down gently to help the bread soak up the custard.
  7. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight for 8-12 hours.
  8. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove cover and bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until the top is golden brown and custard is set.
  9. If edges brown too quickly, tent with foil halfway through baking.
  10. Let the bake cool for about 10 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar and slicing. Serve warm.

Notes

Use day-old or slightly stale bread to avoid sogginess. If cream cheese is too cold to dollop, soften in microwave for 15-20 seconds. Tent with foil if top browns too quickly. Can substitute gluten-free bread and dairy-free cream cheese and milk for dietary needs. Frozen strawberries can be used if thawed and drained well. Overnight soak is essential for custardy texture.

Nutrition

Keywords: French toast bake, overnight French toast, strawberry French toast, cream cheese breakfast, easy brunch recipe, cozy breakfast, strawberry cream cheese bake

Find it online: https://magnetmeal.com/cozy-overnight-strawberry-cream-cheese-french-toast-bake-recipe-for-easy-breakfast-bliss/