Baked French Toast with Raspberries

The perfect breakfast any time of the year.

There is nothing more satisfying than a batch of French toast on a Saturday or Sunday breakfast. We have them often and sometimes I catch my family eating them as I go along.

Sweet, warm, golden on the outside, soft, and super delicious on the inside, thanks to the egg-heavy cream mixture. Delightful!

But what if you could prepare the French toast in a large baked pan the night before, bake it in the morning, and serve it with warm maple syrup? Trust me, that is a gift to all moms.

Today’s recipe can be served as a breakfast dish or as a dessert.

I know the title can be deceiving. We always associate French toast with breakfast, but if you skip the maple syrup and make yourself a warm cup of tea or coffee, voila, you have dessert ready to be enjoyed.

Another excellent French toast to try is this decadent chocolate chip French toast which will make you return for seconds.

In this Article

Is French Toast French?

In France, French toast, or Pain Perdu, is a slice of day-old bread that is soaked in milk or cream, then dipped in beaten eggs, and then pan-fried.

It is more of an afternoon snack for the children coming home from school, around four or five o’clock in the afternoon, and as we have dinner late, around eight in the evening, the French toast is a great way to carry their empty tummies.

It was the perfect treat, and I have grown up with it and always looked forward to that piece of leftover bread.

I was so happily surprised when I moved to the USA to have one of my fondest food memories while growing up served for breakfast.

Cooking tips and step-by-step instructions to create this excellent raspberry-baked French toast recipe

This dish takes no time to prepare, even better if the bread is a day only.

• You will start by slicing the bread into cubes.

• In a large bowl, you will whisk the eggs, heavy cream, sugar, orange zest, salt, vanilla, and brown sugar.

• Butter an ovenproof baking dish.
• Add half of the bread cubes in the baking dish. Add the raspberries and cover with the remaining bread.

While assembling the dish, make sure the fruits are evenly distributed on top of the bread, which makes for even cooking, and the middle will not be soggier, and the outer part of the dish will be a bit dry.

• Pour the egg mixture over it by pressing down to ensure that every piece of bread is covered with the mixture.

• Sprinkle the granulated sugar over it. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight to allow the mixture to be absorbed by the bread.

When ready to enjoy:

• Bring your dish back to room temperature.

• Place in a hot oven and bake for one hour.

• With the help of a small sieve, lightly dust with powdered sugar and serve.

What I love the most of this dish is its simplicity of it.

It is an old recipe that will withstand time and the most demanding palates.

Substitutions and variations

• You can substitute the Hawaiian bread with Challah loaf. No variations are needed with this recipe since they are the same type of bread absorbing the egg cream mixture.

• Blackberries and strawberries are a suitable replacement for the raspberries.

What to serve with your raspberry-baked French toast?

Bacon, of course and a generous dose of maple syrup are the perfect compagnions to your baked French toast.

If you choose to serve it as a dessert, then a wonderful cup of coffee or tea alongside will be amazing.

Storage and reheating options

Store it overnight in the original baking dish or transfer it to a smaller one before placing it in the refrigerator. 

Allow it to return to room temperature before reheating it in the oven at 325F for about 15 minutes.

Before placing it in the oven, dab a few drops of butter over it, then place a sheet of aluminum foil over it before inserting it in the warm oven.

I will not recommend freezing it.