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.
About Healthy Blueberry French Toast with Coconut
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.
What to Serve with Blueberry Coconut French Toast
- Bacon. A side of Oven Baked Bacon will please everyone at your table.
- Hash Browns. Pair this French toast with Sweet Potato Hash Browns for a hearty breakfast.
- Breakfast Potatoes. Serve Crockpot Breakfast Potatoes with blueberry french toast for a crowd-pleasing meal.
More Delightful French Toast Recipes
- Overnight French Toast
- Bostock with Lemon and Almonds
- Pumpkin French Toast
- Blueberry French Toast with Lemon
- Overnight Cinnamon Swirl French Toast
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 (see notes if your bread is fresh)
- 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
Notes
- If your bread is fresh or not very dry, toast it in the oven first to ensure it soaks up the egg mixture. Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven, and preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Spread your bread cubes in a single layer on two baking sheets. Bake for about 15 minutes, until toasty and brown. Add them to the recipe as directed.
Nutrition
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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: https://www.wellplated.com/category/recipes-by-type/breakfastbrunch/. There are some yummy options without eggs there!
This is the best French toast bake I’ve ever had (and I’ve had a lot!). Perfectly moist and the flavor of the blueberry and coconut makes it really special.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Laura! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
What is the best way to double the recipe? Mix all ingredients and just split into 8×8 dish?
Hi Deeana! You can double all the ingredients, then split everything evenly between two 8×8-inch baking dishes. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Made this last night and find myself at the hospital this morning. Is this a throwaway or could I bake or freeze it when I get home this evening? So curious how it tastes! Total déjà vu as a prior hospital visit interrupted one of your recipes just 4 months ago! Crazy life!
Hi Lisa! I haven’t tried freezing this, but I think you can definitely bake it. I hope you are able to enjoy it!
Happy to report that I did get a chance to bake this French toast and it was wonderful! I used a ceramic 8×8 and it added 10 minutes to the total bake time. Yet another winning recipe! Thanks Erin!
I’m SO happy that you enjoyed it, Lisa! Thank you for reporting back!