High Protein French Toast Bake with Blackberries

April 18, 2022

High Protein French Toast Bake with Blackberries is a delicious make-ahead brunch that your entire family will love! Repurpose stale bread to cut down waste and create a french toast casserole with a crunchy top and perfectly tender middle so you’ll enjoy every bite!

Nut Free, Soy Free, Dairy Free option

As soon as spring is in the air for a few days I get brunch on my mind. There’s something about warmer temperatures outside that make me think of my Sundays strolling around New York City looking for the perfect outdoor brunch. Oh, my twenties!

Well, now I have a family to feed and brunch definitely looks a bit more chaotic, HOWEVER, just as delicious!

Instead of leisurely ordering whatever dish I fancy at the moment, a large dish that requires mostly hands-off time is where this mama’s head is at.

And did I mention this is SO easy to make so it’s perfect for other people to make you for Mother’s Day? (psst – it’s on May 8, 2022!)

This High Protein French Toast Bake is delicious and won’t leave you with a sugar crash. Dotted with blackberries and low in sugar, you’re going to love this combo. Plus, it’s seriously easy to make and mostly hands-off time.

This High Protein French Toast Bake with Blackberries is…

Great to feed a crowd
Easy to prepare in advance
Low in sugar
High in protein
Customizable (but blackberries are recommended!)
DELICIOUS!

I LOVE french toast, but it’s time consuming to make AND takes a lot of dishes. French Toast Bakes are my favorite because I think they’re a cross between a delicious bread pudding and single serve french toast.

Plus, they cut down on food waste, if you happen to have a loaf of stale bread laying around. Bookmark this one for after your summer BBQs when you have too many burger buns – they make a perfect bread for this high protein french toast bake too!

Speaking of bread…

Ingredients to Make this High Protein French Toast Bake with Blackberries

You’ll need just 8 ingredients to prepare this easy brunch dish, including:

Stale bread (I used challah bread)
Milk (or other milk alternative)
Eggs
Orange juice
Pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon
Vanilla protein powder
Blackberries

As you can see, the ingredient list is fairly straight forward for a simple french toast bake, but let’s chat about some of these ingredients..

What type of bread should you use?

Any stale bread will work for this recipe. Cube it into uniform size pieces. Personally, I love using challah bread. The sweetness of challah bread is my favorite. Plus, that’s how I was introduced to french toast as a young girl, so it’s nostalgic for me.

Other options that would work really well:

Brioche
Burger buns
Potato bread

The key to choosing the best bread is that it’s STALE. Yes, STALE BREAD. You can even use bagels, as long as they’re stale!

Orange juice?

YES! Just a little bit of orange juice goes a loooong way! It imparts just a hint of orange flavor without overpowering the dish. Plus, the acid complements the sweetness of the vanilla flavorings and blackberries.

Protein powder?

Honestly, this is the simplest way to boost the protein of your french toast. I love using a vanilla protein powder without any added sugar so it adds flavor. And don’t worry, it won’t be chalky at all! In fact, aside from an extra punch of vanilla flavor you won’t notice it at all.

Do I have to use blackberries?

Of course not! But I would suggest adding some fruit for a bright burst of flavor. In the spring I love blackberries because they’re big and juicy and taste absolutely delicious. If you came across this recipe in the fall, bananas, apples, or pears would work well too. You could even use frozen fruit if that’s easiest for you.

How to Make a High Protein French Toast Bake with Blackberries

Like I mentioned earlier, my favorite part about this recipe is that it’s mostly hands free!

First, cube the bread. Uniform-size pieces are preferred.

For a more rustic appearance you can rip the bread (this is a great way to get small kids involved). For a neater look, use a knife.

Transfer the cubed bread to a large pan sprayed with nonstick spray.

Next, combine all of the remaining ingredients – except for the blackberries – in a large bowl.

To make this recipe as easy as possible, pour the batter directly on top of the cubed bread in the baking dish. Using a spoon, press down the bread so it’s all covered with the batter.

Add the blackberries throughout the dish.

Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.

If you’re rushing you could just leave it in the fridge for a few hours, but I would really suggest overnight for optimal results.

In the morning, BAKE!

Yes, it’s that easy! After 50-60 minutes you’ll have a beautifully browned french toast bake that’s higher in protein than average, delicious, and so easy to make (but your guests will never know)!

How should you serve this high protein baked french toast?

Personally, I prefer a drizzle of maple syrup, but here are some fun options to consider…

With a dollop of…

Greek yogurt
Creme fraiche
Ricotta cheese
Powdered sugar

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need to Make This Recipe:

This recipe requires some basic kitchen tools, including…

Mixing bowl
Glass baking dish
Sturdy mixing spoon