About
Croissant French Toast Bake seems like your favorite French toast bake at first glance; delicious bread soaked in a creamy, sweet custard with refreshing, bright berries woven in between and scattered on top, baked until golden and tender and served with a sugary, smoky rum syrup! But with just one small change, it becomes a new dish entirely! Buttery, flaky croissants as the bread element add a new dimension to the already dessert-like breakfast! Croissant French Toast Bake is an oldie but a goodie, kicked up a couple notches!
Ingredients
- For the French toast:
- butter, to taste, for greasing the baking dish
- 2 cups half-and-half or whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8 large croissants, cut in half lengthwise
- 1 cup strawberries, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup blueberries
- For the topping:
- powdered sugar, to taste, for topping
- 1 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- lightly sweetened whipped cream, optional, to taste, store-bought or homemade, for serving
Directions
Step 1 -Grease a 4-5-quart rectangular or oval baking dish with the butter.
Step 2 -In a large bowl, add the half-and-half, the vanilla, the eggs, the brown sugar, the cinnamon, the nutmeg, and the salt and whisk to combine.
Step 3 -Dip the croissant halves into the egg mixture until fully coated.
Step 4 -Arrange the croissants into the prepared casserole dish, overlapping them as needed so all of them are partially exposed.
Step 5 -Pour the remaining egg mixture over the casserole, gently pressing the croissants down to absorb.
Step 6 -Tuck about 3/4 cup of the strawberries and 3/4 cup of the blueberries between the croissant layers.
Step 7 -Sprinkle the remaining strawberries and the remaining blueberries over the top of the casserole.
Step 8 -Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 2 and up to 8 hours.
Step 9 -Transfer the casserole from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking and let it stand at room temperature. Discard the plastic wrap.
Step 10 -Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 11 -Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake for about 30 minutes.
Step 12 -Uncover the dish and bake until puffed and golden, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 13 -Let the casserole stand for 10 minutes.
Step 14 -Dust the casserole with the powdered sugar.
Step 15 -In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the maple syrup.
Step 16 -Add the rum to the syrup and stir to combine.
Step 17 -Serve topped with the rum-maple syrup and the whipped cream.
