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Creamy Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast Bake

creamy blueberry cream cheese french toast bake - featured image
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A rich and creamy French toast bake featuring cream cheese and blueberries, perfect for a comforting breakfast or brunch. This easy recipe uses simple ingredients and yields a custardy, fruity dish with slightly crispy edges.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 cups cubed day-old bread (sourdough, challah, or French bread)
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 6 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups whole milk or 2% milk
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • Powdered sugar (optional, for dusting before serving)

Instructions

  1. Cube about 8 cups (roughly 10 ounces or 280 grams) of day-old bread into 1-inch pieces. Toss the blueberries (1 cup/150 grams) with a teaspoon of sugar and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat 8 ounces (225 grams) of softened cream cheese until smooth. If cold, microwave in 10-second bursts to soften but not melt.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together 6 large eggs, 2 cups (480 ml) milk, 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and lemon zest until well combined. Slowly add the cream cheese, whisking continuously until smooth and creamy. Use an immersion blender for extra smoothness if desired.
  4. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Spread half of the bread cubes evenly in the dish. Spoon half of the cream cheese custard over the bread, then scatter half of the blueberries across. Repeat with remaining bread, custard, and blueberries, pressing lightly to soak the bread well.
  5. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight, to let the bread soak up the custard.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove foil and bake for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown and custard is set but slightly jiggly in the center. A toothpick inserted should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
  7. Let the bake cool for 10 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Notes

Let the bread soak overnight for best custard texture. Use an immersion blender to avoid lumps in cream cheese custard. Tent with foil if top browns too quickly. Increase milk by 1/4 cup if bread is very dry. Variations include using different berries, dairy-free milk and cream cheese, or adding protein powder.

Nutrition

Keywords: French toast bake, blueberry, cream cheese, breakfast, brunch, easy recipe, custard, baked French toast

Find it online: https://dahliadishes.com/creamy-blueberry-cream-cheese-french-toast-bake-easy-recipe-for-perfect-breakfast/