Spring Brunch Strawberry French Toast (Printable)

Baked brioche with strawberries and custard, topped with a cinnamon crumb, ideal for a bright spring morning.

# Ingredient list:

→ Bread & Dairy

01 - 1 loaf brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 pound)
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 unsalted butter, cold and cubed

→ Finish

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

# Cooking steps:

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, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
04 - Pour custard mixture evenly over bread and strawberries. Gently press down to ensure all bread pieces soak up 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 the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
06 - Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until custard is set and top is golden brown.
07 - Let cool for 10 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar. Serve warm with maple syrup.

# Expert advice:

01 -
  • You can assemble it the night before and just pop it in the oven, making your morning feel almost stress-free.
  • The custard soaks into every corner while the streusel topping gets wonderfully crispy, giving you that textural contrast that keeps you coming back.
  • It feeds eight people generously without making you feel like you spent hours cooking.
02 -
  • If you assemble this the night before, the bread will absorb even more custard and become almost custard-like in texture, which is actually the dream for this dish.
  • The difference between a soggy casserole and a properly baked one is watching the center carefully in those final minutes, so don't trust the timer completely.
03 -
  • Cut your bread into uniform cubes and let them sit out for a few hours before assembling so they're slightly stale and absorb custard better than fresh bread would.
  • If your strawberries are particularly watery, pat them dry before slicing so excess moisture doesn't make the casserole soggy.
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