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.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 565kcal
Ingredients
- 1 loaf challah, brioche, or sourdough bread; cubed
- 8 large organic eggs, room temp.
- 2 Tbsps vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups Almond milk (You can use your fave plant-based milk!)
- ½ cup organic heavy cream (I use Organic Valley)
- ¼ cup organic pure cane sugar (I use Wholesome Sweets)
- ½ cup organic brown sugar (I use Sugar in the Raw)
- 2 tsps cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon 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:
- ½ cup organic all-purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill)
- ½ cup organic brown sugar (I use Sugar in the Raw)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temp. (I use Land O'Lakes)
- 2 cups pecan, chopped + toasted (See Notes!)
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- Top with fresh banana and strawberries, if desired and maple syrup. Bon Appetite!
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, ¼ cup water, and ¼ teaspoon 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 262mg | Sodium: 434mg | Potassium: 237mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 968IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 185mg | Iron: 3mg