Raspberry Baked French Toast

Hi guys!  It's been a while since I shared a recipe around here, but do I have a winner for y'all today!  We've made a couple of variations of this Baked French Toast recipe for events around here lately and it is ALWAYS a hit.  Not necessarily a traditional "french toast", the result is somewhere between a breakfast dish and a bread pudding that will knock your socks off with yumminess.

Normally we make a plain version of this recipe {sans raspberries} served with homemade buttermilk syrup and my family INHALES it.  We served it that way at our daughter's graduation brunch a few weeks ago and it was the star of the buffet table.  The plain version is also delicious with fresh strawberries and whipped cream on top.  

For Father's Day yesterday, I tried something just a little bit different.  My husband is a huge fan of the raspberry bread pudding at Kneader's, so I thought it might be fun to try baking the berries into the french toast and topping it with ice cream to mimic the vanilla sauce they drizzle on top.  It did not disappoint!  The end result was very similar to the Kneader's version and would be equally suited for brunch or dessert.

It just takes a few minutes to prepare.  Begin by cutting a loaf of french bread into bite-sized cubes.  Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar together in a bowl.  Then gently toss the raspberries with  a little flour.  

Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Place the bread cubes in the bottom of the pan.  Top with raspberries and douse the whole thing with the egg mixture.  Gently stir to make sure all the bread gets coated in liquid. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before baking so the bread can soak up all the liquid.

Yesterday we tried baking it in the crock pot for the first time and it turned out perfectly.  By cooking it in a slow cooker I was able to prepare it when I woke up and have it ready and waiting for us when we got home from church at noon.  No waiting!  See the slow cooker variation on the recipe below.

Bake french toast at 350* for about 30 minutes {or in slow cooker on LOW for 3-4 hours}.

Serve warm french toast with a scoop of ice cream and enjoy!!

Raspberry Baked French Toast

1 loaf french bread, cubed {approx. 8 cups}
2 C. raspberries
1 Tbsp. flour
6 eggs
1 1/2 C. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 C. sugar
vanilla ice cream {optional}

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut french bread into bite-size cubes and set aside.

Place raspberries in a bowl with flour and gently toss to coat.

In a mixing bowl whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar.

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Place bread in bottom of pan.  Top with raspberries.  Pour egg mixture over bread and berries.  Gently stir to coat bread evenly.  Allow to sit at least 30 minutes before baking.

Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown and center is set. Serve while warm with a scoop of ice cream on top.

** Plain French Toast Variation:  Omit berries and flour.

** Slow Cooker Variation:  Spray crock of slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Layer bread and berries in four layers {1/2 of bread, 1/2 of berries, remainder of bread, remainder of berries}.  Pour egg mixture on top and stir gently to coat.  Cook on LOW 3-4 hours.

Enjoy!!

Amy