Blueberry Coconut French Toast Bake
I motion that we drop the classic pancake breakfast in bed in favor of Blueberry Coconut French Toast Bake in a hammock.
While the thoughtful, doting expression of love that’s behind breakfast in bed appeals to me, its logistics and execution do not. Crumbs on my nightgown (and by “nightgown” I mean the scrubby but well-loved college t-shirts I still wear to bed) and coffee drips on my pillow? No thanks. I’ll take a slice of this summery baked French toast casserole on my porch, in a hammock if possible. Any maple syrup drips are for the birds. And the deer.
Overnight French toast bakes are one of my all-time favorite breakfast and brunch dishes, because all of the work is completed the night before. This is a one-bowl, single-pan operation, and the only step required the morning-of is to pop it into the oven. Whenever I make overnight French toast, I almost feel as if I have my own personal chef. My typical French toast bake routine is to assemble it while I’m half asleep on Friday around midnight. By the time I wake up and have it in the oven on Saturday, I can easily trick myself into believing that someone else did the work. Ignoring the dishes in the sink enhances the experience.
Blueberry Coconut French Toast has all of the usual suspects—the crusty baguette, the warm cinnamon, the custardy eggs—with a few summery additions. In place of regular milk, I used light coconut milk, which gives the French toast bake an extra decadent, creamy texture and subtle coconut flavor. Shredded coconut is on scene for double duty: first, it’s folded into the custard, adding lovely sweetness and tropical flare, then it’s sprinkled over the top, where it becomes toasty and golden in the oven. Finally, a shower of plump blueberries (either fresh or frozen will do nicely) give every bite of this coconut French Toast the flavor of a sunny summer morning.
Mother’s Day is this Sunday, so don’t forget to pick up a card, make your bed (because if your mom is anything like mine, she said so), and call one woman in your life who you look up to and admire, whether that’s your mom, grandma, great aunt, or a close friend. To be extra sweet, you could even make her a pan of this overnight Blueberry Coconut French Toast Bake.
Where you serve it to her (bed, hammock, an actual kitchen table), I’ll leave up to your discretion.
Blueberry Coconut French Toast Bake
Ingredients
- 1 baguette — (10 ounces) or sourdough, challah, or similar bread
- 3/4 cup blueberries — fresh or frozen
- 6 large eggs
- 1 can light coconut milk — (14 ounces)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup light brown
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut — divided
Did you try this recipe? I want to see! Follow Well Plated on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag it #wellplated. I love to know what you are making!
More breakfast in bed (er, hammock) worthy recipes:
- Overnight Cinnamon Swirl French Toast
- Overnight Marmalade French Toast Casserole from The Wanderlust Kitchen
- Grandma’s Butter Bundt Coffee Cake
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Bake from Recipe Girl
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About Erin Clarke
I’m fearlessly dedicated to making healthy food taste incredible. Wearer of plaid, travel enthusiast, and firmly convinced that sweets and veggies both deserve a place at the table. MORE ABOUT ERIN…
Is it wrong that I want to make this and eat it in a hammock, ALL BY MYSELF?
In my defense, my Mom lives in a different country, so I don’t think it would get to her in one piece. I’m just looking out for her :)
Love the blueberry coconut combo! Pinned!
So yummy! I love fancy weekend breakfasts, but usually hate waking up early to prep them. Breakfast dishes that can be prepared the night before and finished off in the oven in the morning are the perfect solution!
Is it terrible of me to want to make this STUNNER french toast and not share it with anyone even my dear mom? I mean, I for REALS could just faceplant into that pan and never come out. No shame. ;)
this sounds lovely! i have to admit, i’m not a big fan of eating in bed either…though i do it sometimes like at night when i’m reading. :) we just bought a house and i am so excited to set up my hammock in the backyard! sounds like a great place for a breakfast like this :)
My mom’s been wanting me to make a french toast bake for this weekend and I think I just found the perfect one :)
I’m with you, Erin. Breakfast does not belong in bed. I know that makes me sound like a total loser, but I really like to keep the bed for sleeping and reading, and the kitchen for eating, since the plates are easier to balance there and I don’t want maple syrup in my lap.
This would probably talk me into changing my mind, though. I love overnight French toast, and this is such a great flavor idea!
Yummy!! This looks good!!
I want to make this french toast right this second! And eat it at the table of course, or else I’ll have just have to wash the bedding when I’m done. Not a fan of sleeping on sticky, crumby sheets.
I will most definitely try this! And I’m pretty sure I’ll not only have it for Sunday breakfast/brunch but also for lunch/dinner!
French toast is totally acceptable for lunch/dinner :-)
I’ve never actually made overnight French toast, I always go the traditional route with it. But I’m pretty sure I need to change that up and try this, it looks delicious. And all the work done the night before is pretty appealing!
Stacey, you’ve got to try overnight French toast! It’s so simple, I don’t think I’m ever going back.
Oh yum!! I’m not sure if I’ve ever had the blueberry + coconut combo, but they’re two of my favorite things, so I bet this is incredible.
I’d be happy to eat this anywhere! It looks unbelievable! I love that you used coconut milk for a creamier texture. Sounds so good!
Love love love that you used coconut milk! I had blueberry and coconut muffins the other day and loved ’em! This sounds even better :)
Oh yes – this is dairy free! Oh – and my mom is diabetic – so that means seconds …and thirds…and fourths…ALL for ME!
I agree – breakfast in bed just seems like a messy nuisance. I’m all about breakfast on the patio – especially if it involves this french toast casserole!
I agree, Erin. No eating in bed. Mine is so high it would likely get spilled on the way up. And who wants crumbs and sticky syrup on the sheets? Because once I eat a whole pan of this bluberry coconut french toast buiness by myself, I’m going to want to crawl back under the covers for a while!
I still wear big oversized t-shirts to bed too. I love them.
This french toast looks bomb! I want a piece right now! Pinned!
This looks amazing Erin! I will be making it this weekend! Can’t wait to try!
Love overnight french toasts! This one looks incredible! The blueberry coconut combo sounds perfect!
I want to make this ASAP, Looks so good. Pinning:) coconut and blueberries is perfect combination!
This looks so yummy! I’m a fan of any breakfast that I can assemble the night before, especially when we have visitors! Can’t wait to make this one- pinning for later.
Yummy! Would be perfect thing for breakfast!
We have a no food in the bedroom rule…so I suspect that breakfast in bed will not be happening any time soon. THE MESS. Who needs it.
I’ll take this French toast bake anyday…but preferably tonight for dinner.
Love the easy, simple, and fresh ingredient breakdown! I’ve always wanted to get on the overnight french toast trend, especially since it means less effort on a saturday morning…
Oh my gosh, do you see all those deer often? I make such a huge mess when I eat that breakfast in bed will NOT be a good idea! LOVE this french toast casserole!
That blueberry coconut French toast looks absolutely scrumptious!!!
I’m on such a French toast kick at the moment, I haven’t tried it baked yet, but this looks so fabulous! I just bought some blueberries actually, so may have to try this at the weekend!
Just discovered your food blog and I absolutely love it! Mouth watering pictures…yumm
http://www.ontherye.com
WELCOME Amy! So so happy to have you here :)
This looks delicious, pinned for later!!!
Thanks for the inspiration Erin, I am SO making an overnight french toast bake for Mothers Day morning!
That french toast bake looks amazing! I love the blueberry and coconut flavors you chose!! Pinned :)
LOVED making this but I am wondering what the trick is to get the middle baked more thoroughly. Any tips!? Thanks for a great recipe!!
Hi Kate! The middle does stay fairly moist, but it should not be super wet. If that happens again, I would suggest just baking the French toast for a longer period, and if the edges start to get dry, you can cover it with foil in the oven. I’m glad you enjoyed it, and I hope that helps!
uhmmm! will make this tonight. ? can it be frozen, do you think??
Hi Maude! You absolutely can—I actually did myself just a week or so ago and had great results. To reheat, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then cover with foil and rewarm in the oven. Reheating in the microwave will do in a pinch too, though I think the texture is better if you use the oven.
Any idea about how many cups of bread you used? I’m gonna use some homemade whole wheat French bread, but I’m not sure how much to out in
Hi Marci! I apologize but I didn’t measure it this way. If your bread is the size of a standard French baguette, you should be good to go. Just make sure that your casserole dish is about as full as the dish looks in the photos, and you’ll be just fine!
is it important to use a crusty bread? Do you think this would work with brioche?
Brioche would be great! I’d suggest slicing it then leaving it out to dry for a while if you have time. It absorbs the custard a bit better that way. Hope you enjoy!
Has anyone tried this with an egg substitute that worked? I love breakfast food so I’m hoping to try it without eggs
Hi Kristin! Honestly, I think this would be really tricky to do without eggs, because they are such a big part of the recipe and are what makes the French toast bake set and hold together. If you love breakfast food, I’d suggest checking out some of the other options in my recipe index: http://www.wellplated.com/category/recipes-by-type/breakfastbrunch/. There are some yummy options without eggs there!