Raspberry Cream Cheese French Toast Bake
Layers of fluffy bread soaked in a creamy custard, dotted with juicy raspberries, and filled with a decadent cream cheese mixture then topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel topper. Whether you're hosting a gathering or simply treating yourself to a cozy morning in, this Raspberry Cream Cheese French Toast Bake is sure to become a beloved favourite. NOTES: This makes a 9x13 pan.Created by Meg Tucker for From Yolk to Table: Cook With Meg presented by Egg Farmers of New Brunswick
Ingredients
FOR THE FRENCH TOAST
- 1 loaf of French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 large eggs
- ½ cup milk, whole milk or 2% works best (you can also use whipping cream)
- 1 can evaporated milk
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 cup fresh raspberries (½ of the cup, we will mash) - you can swap for any berries
- Maple syrup - to top the bake with
CREAM CHEESE LAYER
- 1 brick of cream cheese, softened (1 cup) - You can also use fruit flavoured cream cheese, or add a little jam to plain cream cheese for added bursts of flavour and colour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
STREUSEL TOPPER
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, grated with a cheese grater
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
- Grate your ¼ butter on a cheese grater/box grater and pop back into the fridge to keep it super cold until we need it.
- Cut your loaf of French bread into 1 inch cubes. Add the cubes to a sprayed/greased 9x13 baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk + evaporated milk, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon until well combined.
- Slowly pour the eggy custard over the bread cubes until everything is evenly coated. Get in with clean hands and give everything a little toss, then let it hang out while we prep our berries.
- Take half of the raspberries and add them to the bowl that held your egg custard and give them a quick mash with a fork. Option to add a little granulated sugar to the berries for extra flavour and a touch of sweetness. Set the rest of the whole berries aside.
- Now let’s add the “jammy” berries to the bread/egg cubes, tucking little dollops in throughout the dish.
- In another bowl, using an electric mixer, whip together the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and pinch of salt until smooth and creamy.
- Drop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the bread cubes, and gently spread it out and tuck it in, so that every “piece” gets some of the creamy goodness.
- Now we want to tuck in a few more berries, then we’ll make our streusel topper.
- In a small bowl, combine the cold butter, flour, brown sugar, ground cinnamon and pinch of salt for the streusel topping. Cut in the cold butter using a pastry cutter or fork until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. We always finish by really getting in with our fingers to really blend it all together. We’re looking for crumbly chunks that are not overly powdery.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top of the French toast bake and tuck the rest of the berries in and around. Be sure to submerge them so they don’t darken during baking.
- Bake in the preheated oven, uncovered for 45-50 minutes, or until the French toast is golden brown and set in the center.
- Allow the Raspberry Cream Cheese French Toast Bake to cool for a few minutes before serving.
- Serve warm, optionally with a dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of maple syrup. ENJOY!
Notes
Grab your ingredients and watch the From Yolk to Table: Cook With Meg guide video here!
