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This overnight french toast casserole has tart raspberries and a smooth cream cheese filling in each bite. The crispy top and custard-like bottom will have you going back for seconds….and thirds!
Some days, a bowl of cereal just ain’t gonna cut it. Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good bowl of cereal, but on special occasions and holidays, I’d prefer to kick the day off with something a little more special.
Growing up, my mom would always have the most delicious breakfast ready on Christmas morning. Whether it was a meaty egg bake, a fruit-filled braid or cinnamon rolls, it was something that was saved for special occasions.
My favorite breakfast to wake up to was those fruit-filled braids – raspberry in particular. They had the light and crispy puff pastry, the tart berry filling and a line of cream cheese down the center. This is exactly what inspired me to create a recipe for Raspberry Cheesecake French Toast Casserole!
Ingredients Needed
How to Make Raspberry Cheesecake French Toast Casserole
Start by cubing the loaf of bread and adding half of it to a greased baking dish. Then, you’ll make the simple cream cheese filling with cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Once smooth, dollop that mixture over the bread.
Next, you’ll sprinkle the raspberries into the casserole dish and finally the remaining bread cubes. Spread to an even layer.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and sugar. Pour slowly over the casserole, trying to get some on each piece of bread.
Bake until golden brown. The center will still have a little jiggle to it and that’s fine. It’ll set up as it cools a bit!
Lastly, top with a dusting of powdered sugar and enjoy warm!!
What kind of bread works best for an overnight french toast casserole?
If you have tons of options at your grocery store or local bakery, I’d recommend either brioche or challah bread. If the options are more limited (which is typically my case!), a French bread will work great, too! No matter which kind you decide on, make sure to get an unsliced loaf so you can make nice large cubes for the casserole.
- Brioche would be my first choice. It’s sturdy, so it’ll hold its shape when soaking overnight. Brioche is a little more rich in flavor (due to extra butter and eggs in the dough) than your average white bread, making it extra special and so delicious.
- Challah has some of the same qualities as brioche. It’s sturdy and has similar flavor. You’ll know it’s a challah bread by its signature shiny and braided look.
- French bread is also a good option. It tends to be a chewier bread, but there’s plenty of time for the egg mixture to soften it up in this overnight egg bake!
What other kinds of fruit can I put in this casserole?
I love the combination of tart raspberries and cream cheese – yum!!! However, it’s also super delicious with blueberries, blackberries or even a mixture of all different kinds of berries!
If you’re looking for a super decadent breakfast casserole, swap out the 2 cups for berries out for 1 cup of chocolate chips! Mmmmm!
Can I use frozen berries for the french toast casserole?
You bet!! You can use either fresh or frozen berries. If you do choose to use frozen berries, just make sure they don’t have much ice on them (as it’ll melt into the egg mixture and not cook up as nicely).
If they do have some ice crystals on them, put the berries into a strainer and run some water over them. Then, let the excess water drain for a few minutes and add into the recipe!
Some other breakfast recipes you might like…
- Hawaiian Breakfast Roll Sliders
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Baked Oatmeal
- Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
- Hawaiian Roll French Toast Casserole
- Breakfast Braid
Raspberry Cheesecake French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 cup cubed french bread (about 1 large loaf)
- 2 cup raspberries fresh or frozen
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 10 eggs
- 1 2/3 cups milk
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- powdered sugar optional
Instructions
- Use cooking spray to grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13 pan; set aside.
- Cut the bread into 1 1/2 inch cubes until you have about 12 cups. Add about 2/3 of the bread cubes into the bottom of the dish.
- In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese and 1/3 c sugar and stir until smooth.
- Spoon the cream cheese mixture over the first layer of bread cubes. No need to spread it out – keeping it in dollops will be perfect!
- Sprinkle the berries on next followed by the remainder of the bread cubes. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Then whisk in the milk, 1/2 c sugar and vanilla.
- Pour the egg mixture into the pan. Press the bread cubes down to help each cube soak up some of the liquid. Cover the casserole with a lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning (or when you're ready to bake it), preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake the casserole (uncovered) for 45-50 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 and the top is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and let rest a few minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve with maple syrup.
Nutrition
Recipe added to the Weekend Potluck.
Absolutely delicious…the tartness of the raspberries mixed along with the cream cheese definitely makes this a winning combination!
I do wonder if you make this ahead of time and reheat it how it would turn out…any experience with this?
I used challah so not sure if that impacted the results but even after an hour in the oven and letting it set on the counter it was really mushy in the middle. I’ve added an extra 15 minutes and it’s still mushy. The cream cheese hasn’t set. I used regular cream cheese, whole milk and fresh raspberries.
Amazing! I used blackberries and raspberries and it was absolutely delicious! So easy! I’m glad to have found the first French toast bake I’ve liked!
Awww I’m SO happy to hear that!!! It’s such a yummy treat – glad you enjoyed it!! ~Kelsey
Please send me the raspberry French toast recipe. Thank you!
Has anyone tried cutting this recipe in half? 8×8? Any changes on baking time?
This is the very best recipe I’ve ever tried. My husband absolutely loved it.
Soooo happy to hear, Cynthia!!! ~Kelsey
This has been a spectacular hit with everyone I’ve made it for. I use challah bread, which I can find in whole unsliced loaves. I first made it for Christmas morning and it will be on the table again for many Christmas mornings to come. I just made another two batches tonight – one for a hostess gift for an overnight stay, and the other will go into my freezer for my son’s upcoming visit.
Delicious!! Will definitely make again. We made this recipe the morning of, not the night before, and it turned out great!! Thanks for a delicious recipe!
Amazing!! Absolutely delicious. Made it the morning of, didn’t let it sit overnight, and it turned out great too!
Love this recipe so much! I cut back on the sugar but I serve it all the time when we have company or on holidays. It’s a hit everytime!
I only put the 1/3 cup of sugar mixed with the cream cheese and not 1/2 cup that goes in the egg mixture. My kids will drizzle the French toast with honey or maple syrup and just becomes overkill.
Can you use heavy whipping cream in place of milk?
Maybe try half and half before jumping right to the heavy cream….the texture will be different but it’ll be nice and rich and creamy. If you give it a try, let me know! ~Kelsey
Has anyone tried making this ahead and freezing it?
I made this to have for Christmas morning. I used King’s Hawaiian rolls and put blueberries, strawberries and raspberries on top. It was so delicious! Thank you for the recipe! This will be a new tradition at our house!
I made this for Christmas this year, too! And I love that you tried it with Hawaiian rolls….YUM! ~Kelsey
This was one of the easier french toast casseroles I’ve made and it was delicious. The kids absolutely love it. I didn’t have raspberries on hand, so used 1.5 cups of blueberries and a half cup of strawberries. I think you could get really creative with the filling. Definitely a keeper.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the rating and review! ~Kelsey
So delicious! A new family favorite!
I made a few tweaks. I was wanting to make a copycat of a blueberry French toast casserole I had last week and found this recipe. I do love raspberries and what do you know, my local store had the most delicious looking raspberries on sale. So stuck with those. I’m a huge cottage cheese lover and substituted the cream cheese for blended cottage cheese. I also cut the sugar to about 1/3 total between the cheese and the egg mixture. Only let it sit for an hour. Turned out delicious even with modifications.
Can’t wait to use this recipe for blueberry French toast casserole next.
I think it would be delicious with blueberries!!! Glad you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂 ~Kelsey
Anyone try with strawberries?
Delish!!
I thought it was delicious!
Usually when I make French toast, I put a little Cinnamon in with the egg, milk, and sugar so I did the same thing here.
I’m SO happy to hear that, Dianne!! ~Kelsey