Baked French Toast Casserole with Cherries

Baked French Toast Casserole with Cherries is a decadent dairy-free brunch dish with layers of sourdough bread, eggs, fresh cherries, almonds and chocolate chips. You only need 8 ingredients, and it’s prepped in advance for an easy morning meal!

This post was originally published in June 2018 and has been updated to reflect changes to the recipe. It also includes new photos and helpful tips for readers.

If you’re a longtime reader, you may already know that brunch is my all-time favourite meal. I love to prepare it and I love to eat it. And when it comes to entertaining, I love to host a relaxing weekend or holiday brunch.

I think I enjoy it so much because it’s probably the only meal where you can get away with an equal amount of sweet main dishes to savoury. I mean, a rich and decadent baked french toast is really like dessert for breakfast, right?!

Ingredients to make this french toast casserole recipe

Sourdough bread – Day old sourdough works best, cut into 1-inch cubes.

Cherries –  Fresh cherries are pitted and halved, and baked right into the casserole.

Eggs – Six large eggs help bring the custard mixture together.

Nut milk – Adds creaminess to the custard mixture. While I used unsweetened cashew milk here, almond milk works too.

Almond extract – I love the way almond extract pairs with fresh cherries, but if you don’t have any, or you’re not a fan of the flavour, you can just use vanilla extract.

Coconut sugar – For added sweetness to the custard mixture and a sprinkle on top of the casserole before baking.

Slivered almonds – For a little added crunch and texture. 

Chocolate chips – Dark chocolate chips add a rich, sweet taste and pair well with the cherries. I used dairy-free but you can use any kind of chocolate chips you like.

Best bread to use for an overnight french toast bake

Some recipes say that brioche or challah make the best french toast bake. While I’m sure they’re quite tasty, I usually go for a bread that is more readily available at my local grocery store.

I like the heartiness and flavour of sourdough bread. It’s sturdy enough that you just need it to be a day old to work perfectly in this recipe. I buy unsliced, so I can cut it into 1-inch cubes for this casserole.

If you can’t find sourdough, or simply don’t care for it, you can also use an Italian or French loaf or a rustic white loaf.

I buy a large loaf as it usually gets me the 12 cups of cubed bread needed for this recipe.

Whatever bread you choose, you’ll want it to be stale or at least a day old. If the bread you’re using is too fresh, you can always try lightly toasting the cubes in the oven first.

How to get the best texture for a baked french toast

The magic happens with the custard mixture – or the egg/milk mixture. You want just the right combination of eggs, milk and bread. 

For this particular recipe, I find 12 cups of cubed bread, 6 eggs and 1.5 cups of nut milk is the perfect combination.

French toast casseroles have the best texture when they’re soft and custardy on the bottom, and have a crunchy bread layer on top.

If there is too much custard mixture, the bread will not absorb it all, and the french toast bake will turn out soggy. If there isn’t enough, the bread on top will be too dry.

You also don’t want to use too much milk because it will also lead to mushy french toast. Eggs bind the bread together, so you want plenty of those in the mixture. But be sure not to use too many as it will give your french toast an eggy taste.

How to make french toast casserole with cherries

• Cut your bread into roughly 1-inch cubes (it doesn’t need to be exact). Arrange half of them in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch greased baking dish.

• Pit and cut your cherries in half. Layer half of them on top of the bread. 

• Next, layer on half of your almonds and chocolate chips.

• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar and almond extract. Pour half of the mixture over the bread, making sure to cover all the cubes.

• Layer on the remaining bread, cherries, almonds and chocolate chips, and pour on the remaining custard mixture. Again, making sure all of the bread is covered. Sprinkle some coconut sugar over the top of the bread.

• Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 5-6 hours.

• Bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes, or until the topping is browned and crispy.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to let french toast casserole sit overnight? You don’t need to, but it does give the bread time to fully absorb the egg mixture, which results in a soft and custardy texture for the french toast. If you don’t have time to let it sit overnight, just let the casserole rest for about 20 minutes before baking it. This will give the bread some time to absorb the egg mixture. 

How do you reheat a french toast casserole? You can reheat leftover pieces in the microwave until heated through. But to get the top crispy again, I suggest reheating it in the oven on 300F for about 10 minutes, or until heated through and the top is crunchy.

Can you use frozen cherries in this cherry french toast bake? Yes, just make sure they’re defrosted first and patted dry. Adding frozen cherries to the french toast may make it wet and soggy.

Can you use berries in place of the cherries? Of course! While this recipe is made with cherries, you can try making it with fresh blueberries, blackberries, strawberries or raspberries. 

​​Additional recipe tips and substitutions

• If you don’t need this casserole to be dairy-free, you can use cow’s milk, or even half and half, in place of the nut milk.

• To keep this recipe dairy-free, just make sure the bread you’re using doesn’t contain dairy.

• The custard mixture is only lightly sweetened with coconut sugar as the chocolate chips add extra sweetness, and french toast is typically topped with maple syrup. However, if you like it sweeter, just add more sugar to the mixture.

• To reduce the sweetness, you can omit or cut down on the amount of chocolate chips you add to the recipe and forego the sprinkle of coconut sugar on top.

• If you’re not letting this french toast sit overnight, it will bake quicker, so be sure to check on it after 40-45 minutes. 

Other brunch recipes you might enjoy

• Sausage Frittata with Peppers and Onions

• Instant Pot Egg Strata with Ham and Brie

• Pulled Pork Breakfast Nachos

If you make this overnight french toast casserole, I would love to know what you think in the comments below.

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