Spring Brunch Strawberry French Toast (Print Version)

Baked French toast layered with fresh strawberries, creamy custard, and a crumbly cinnamon topping.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread & Dairy

01 - 1 loaf brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
02 - 6 large eggs
03 - 2 cups whole milk
04 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
06 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
07 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Fruit

09 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

→ Topping

10 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
11 - 1/4 cup brown sugar
12 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
13 - 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

→ Finish

14 - Powdered sugar for dusting
15 - Maple syrup for serving

# How To Make:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Arrange bread cubes evenly in the prepared baking dish. Scatter sliced strawberries over the bread layer.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
04 - Pour custard mixture evenly over the bread and strawberries. Gently press down to ensure all bread pieces absorb the custard thoroughly.
05 - In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add cold butter cubes and use a pastry cutter or fingertips to work butter into mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over casserole.
06 - Bake for 40-45 minutes until custard is set and top is golden brown.
07 - Cool for 10 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm with maple syrup.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You can assemble it the night before, which means sleeping in and still impressing people.
  • It feeds a crowd without requiring you to stand over a stove flipping things one by one.
  • Fresh strawberries in spring make this feel celebratory without being fussy.
02 -
  • The custard will look loose when you pour it, but it sets as it bakes—don't overbake trying to make it firmer or the edges will dry out.
  • If you assemble this the night before and refrigerate it, add five extra minutes to your baking time since it starts cold.
03 -
  • Use day-old bread if you have it; fresh bread soaks up too much custard too quickly and becomes mushy instead of custardy.
  • Don't skip the resting period after baking—those 10 minutes let the custard set enough to slice cleanly instead of falling apart.
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