Baked Strawberry Banana French Toast Casserole

When it comes to breakfast, this Baked Strawberry Banana French Toast Casserole is the epitome of an evolutionary dish. Not only is it a kick start to your day, but this comfort dish will surely make your morning that much brighter, even on the most gloomiest of days. 

Happy April, ya’ll! I can’t believe that we are already in the 2nd quarter of the year. Oh my gosh, where is the time going?

Although Spring has begun for a few short weeks now, it still is pretty “Blahh” here in NYC. Unfortunately, snow is making it’s rounds again this weekend, hopefully it doesn’t (**crosses fingers**), so we’re not getting the light jacket weather like some of our other counterparts yet. Hopefully that changes soon.

While it hasn’t been the best of weather here, I decided to make this french toast casserole as a great start to my day! Haha.

Seriously, it’s SO Delicious, ya’ll. This was my first time having french toast in this form and I must admit that I’m hooked! I definitely will be making it this way from now on.

I mean, who wouldn’t love putting together all of the ingredients into one baking dish and letting it bake and work it’s magic, right? It’s that simple.

While the prep time takes the most work and time, it definitely is a fairly easy recipe nonetheless.

Plus, you don’t need a reason to make french toast casserole, especially when it’s stuffed with strawberries + bananas and covered in maple syrup. Yum, indeed!

Looking for other great breakfast ideas? If so, I’d recommend taking a peek at our latest breakfast recipe–Blueberry Whole Wheat Pancakes or maybe you need something a bit more savory like this Cajun Shrimp Breakfast Bowl. And yes, you can have shrimp for breakfast. At least I do. Who makes the rules anyway? Haha.

Need something vegan? Try this Raspberry Pecan Vegan Waffles recipe. Can you tell that we love pecans yet? Haha.

For this recipe, you simply need: loaf of challah bread or sourdough bread, 2 Tbsps vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups milk (I used coconut milk), 1/2 cup organic heavy cream, 1/4 cup pure cane sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 tsps cinnamon,1/4 tsp ground ginger, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, 3 ripe bananas (peeled + sliced; 1 banana should be mashed), 1 (21 oz.) can of strawberry pie filling, 1 cup of fresh strawberries. For the crumble, you’ll need: 1/2 cup of organic all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1/2 cup of unsalted butter (room temp), and 2 cups pecan halves.

To be honest, I wouldn’t recommend skimping on the bread type that you use for this casserole.

Using plain white bread or thinly sliced bread just won’t work! This recipe definitely calls for something with a bit of thickness so that all of the liquids are soaked up well without being too soggy, etc.

This is why using sourdough bread or challah bread is the best option. Anything else may not give you the best texture for this dish. Trust me, I’ve tested this!

While most french toast casseroles are plain cinnamon or the classic recipe, I wanted to add an extra hint of sweetness so I chose strawberries and bananas.

I remember loving the strawberry banana flavor growing up, especially when it came to yogurts. I just think that these two fruit combinations are genius! They work so perfectly together! Is it just me?

Let’s dig right into this recipe, shall we?

To start, simply lightly grease a medium baking dish (9 x 13″) with butter or cooking spray and pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Next, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, pure cane sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, mashed banana, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg until well combined. Set aside.

Now, chop your bread into medium cube-like chunks in a large bowl and add strawberry filling and remaining banana slices, tossing to ensure that ingredients are well combined. Set aside.

In a food processor, add the crumble ingredients and pulse for 1 minute or so until all ingredients are well incorporated and in medium crumbles.

Add the cubed bread mixture to the baking pan, then pour whisked egg-milk mixture atop bread and then top everything with pecan-brown sugar crumble.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until top is golden brown and sides are bubbly. **NOTE: french toast casserole may be SLIGHTLY wet in the center due to berries and banana, however, it shouldn’t be too wet. If still too wet, increase temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for an additional 5-10 minutes.** Top with fresh banana and strawberries, if desired and maple syrup.

Enjoy!

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If you choose to make this Baked Strawberry Banana French Toast Casserole recipe or any other recipe from us, be sure to tag us on Instagram at #Orchidsandsweettea so that we can share the love!

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Baked Strawberry Banana French Toast Casserole

When it comes to breakfast, this Baked Strawberry Banana French Toast Casserole is the epitome of an evolutionary dish. Not only is it a kick start to your day, but this comfort dish will surely make your morning that much brighter, even on the most gloomiest of days. 

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Keyword baked, banana, bread, breakfast, brioche, brunch, cinnamon, classic, easy, eggs, french toast, healthy, homemade, plant-based, recipe, strawberry, sweet, vegetarian

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Creator Shanika | Orchids + Sweet Tea

Must-Haves:

• 1 loaf challah, brioche, or sourdough bread; cubed
• 8 large organic eggs, room temp.
• 2 Tbsps vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups Almond milk (You can use your fave plant-based milk!)
• 1/2 cup organic heavy cream (I use Organic Valley)
• 1/4 cup organic pure cane sugar (I use Wholesome Sweets)
• 1/2 cup organic brown sugar (I use Sugar in the Raw)
• 2 tsps cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 3 ripe bananas, sliced (1 of the bananas should be mashed instead!)
• 1 (21 oz.) can strawberry pie filling or compote (See Notes!)
• 1 cup fresh strawberries

Pecan-Brown Sugar Crumble:

• 1/2 cup organic all-purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/2 cup organic brown sugar (I use Sugar in the Raw)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp. (I use Land O'Lakes)
• 2 cups pecan, chopped + toasted (See Notes!)

Instructions:

1. To start, simply lightly grease a medium baking dish (9 x 13") with butter or cooking spray and pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2. Next, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, pure cane sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, mashed banana, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg until well combined. Set aside.

3. In a food processor, add the crumble ingredients and pulse for 1 minute or so until all ingredients are well incorporated and in medium crumbles. 

4. Add the cubed bread mixture to the baking pan, then pour whisked egg-milk mixture atop bread and then top everything with pecan-brown sugar crumble. 

5. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until top is golden brown and sides are bubbly. 

6.  Top with fresh banana and strawberries, if desired and maple syrup. Bon Appetite!

Tips | Notes:

MAKE AHEAD | OVERNIGHT: If you want to prep this recipe for the next day, simply pour all the ingredients in your baking dish (following the steps), covering it tightly, and keeping it refrigerated for 24 hours. Bake when ready to eat.

TOASTED PECANS: Add chopped pecans to a baking sheet and toasting them in the oven (400 degrees Fahrenheit) for 5-10 minutes, tossing them halfway to avoid browning on one side.

HOMEMADE STRAWBERRY COMPOTE: Combine 3 cups diced strawberries, 1 cup pure cane sugar, 2 Tbsps lemon juice, 1/4 cup water, and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower heat to simmer until the strawberries are soft. Now mix 1 Tbsp corn starch in a small bowl with 2 Tbsps warm water until well combined and lump-free. Add mixture to saucepan with strawberries and stir until syrup thickens and reduced slightly, approximately 8-10 minutes, Continue to stir occasionally.

STORAGE: Leftovers can be stored in an air-tight container and refrigerated for 1-2 days for best taste. Reheat when to eat again.

Baked Strawberry Banana French Toast Casserole.