Strawberry French Toast

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Filled with juicy strawberries and flavored cream cheese, this overnight strawberry french toast casserole is a wonderful make-ahead option for brunch or holiday breakfasts.

I am not a morning person, but I am a breakfast-foods person.

That means fighting my desire to lounge in bed against my desire for all the best breakfast foods like waffles, breakfast tacos, muffins, or hash.

It’s not that these take a lot of time to make, it’s just that they take longer than toast, and when tummies are grumbling, other kinds of grumbling is sure to follow.

That’s why this overnight strawberry French toast is such a winner. All the grunt work is done the night before when you’re still brimming with thoughts from the day — I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m at my most optimistic right before bed — and then is popped into the oven when you wake up.

I actually like casserole French toast better than the standard French toast. Every bit of bread gets coated while it sleeps in the fridge, and the crisp edges of the cubes on top give way to tender pieces underneath. 

If you enjoy stuffed French toast, this casserole is ideal because it’s studded with fresh strawberries as well as luscious dollops of flavored cream cheese for decadence in each bite.

Serve with powdered sugar, maple syrup, or even whipped cream, and you’re in for a treat of a breakfast!

Ingredients for strawberry french toast

You’ll need:

Challah or brioche – While you can use other kinds of bread to make french toast, enriched breads like challah and brioche are perfect for this dish. You’ll need a 1-pound loaf for this recipe.

Eggs – Use standard large eggs. If you have a different size of egg, you might need to increase or decrease the amount, because so many eggs are used in the custard.

To substitute, swap the 8 large eggs for 6 extra-large eggs, 10 medium eggs, or 11 small eggs.

Milk and cream – I use both milk and cream in this recipe add just a touch of extra creaminess to the custard. You can use all whole milk, or all half-and-half (half milk and half cream) for a richer custard.

Strawberries – You’ll need 1 pound of strawberries. Some will be sliced for the filling, while a few are used to flavor the cream cheese.

The rest will be used for topping the french toast before serving. When washing the berries, make sure to only wash the ones you’ll be using immediately, and wash the others when you need them, to help prevent them from getting mushy or moldy in the fridge.

Cream cheese – You’ll need 4 ounces of cream cheese. You can also use the lower fat variety, sometimes labeled as neufchâtel cheese.

Make sure the cream cheese is softened to room temperature before starting the recipe.

Sugar – A bit of granulated sugar is added to the custard as well as the cream cheese.

Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract if you can!

Cinnamon – I like to add a bit of ground cinnamon to my french toast no matter the flavor. You can also use nutmeg or ground cardamom.

Salt – Just a pinch to bring out the flavors.

How to make this recipe

Lightly coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter.

Wash and pat dry half the strawberries. Cut 3-4 berries into a small dice to yield ½ cup, and slice the rest of the washed berries.

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth, then beat in 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and the diced strawberries until blended.

Cut the challah into cubes. Add a layer of half the cubes to the baking dish. 

Dollop the strawberry cream cheese onto the bread layer and scatter on the sliced strawberries. Top with the remaining bread cubes.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs until lightly foamy, then whisk in the milk, cream, remaining sugar, vanilla, and salt. 

Pour custard on top of the bread cubes in the casserole dish.

Wrap the dish tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.

When ready to bake, remove pan from the refrigerator and remove plastic wrap. Let it warm up while preheating the oven to 350°F.

Bake the french toast for 30-40 minutes, until cooked through and top layer of bread is toasty.

Let cool slightly before serving. Top the french toast bake with more sliced strawberries and powdered sugar to serve.

Recipe suggestions

Swap the strawberries for blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries. Or, combine the fruits for a wonderful blend of flavors.

Add slivered almonds, chopped pecans, or chopped walnuts.

Sprinkle the top with a buttery streusel before baking.

Drizzle the baked french toast with an easy icing made from powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk.

Storage tips

Because this is a french toast casserole, it keeps really well in the fridge.

Store any leftovers, covered in plastic wrap or in a container with a tight-fitting lid, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Reheat any leftovers in the microwave.

If desired, you can also freeze french toast casserole. Keep in mind that due to the cream cheese and fruit, it might be a little watery when thawing, but should reheat well in the oven. 

To freeze, bake in a freezer-safe pan and let cool completely. Do not add any berry garnish. Wrap tightly with a layer of plastic wrap, then a layer of foil.

Label and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Remove from the refrigerator while preheating the oven to 350°F and remove layers of foil and plastic wrap. 

Heat for 30 minutes, or until warmed through.

For more french toast casseroles, try my overnight apple cinnamon french toast or slow cooker pumpkin french toast.

I love making this strawberry french toast all through strawberry season, from Mother’s Day to the Fourth of July. It’s a fabulous weekend breakfast!