This EASY Berry Walnut French Toast Casserole recipe is made with Brioche Bread and topped with a sugared walnut and berry mixture for extra flavor! Bake it immediately, or make it ahead and refrigerate overnight. Treat your family to a delicious weekend breakfast!
Table of Contents
Why this Recipe Works
Nothing gives me more joy than waking up on Christmas morning with all my children home for the holidays!
And while several are grown and have homes of their own, I love having this easy breakfast casserole recipe to serve when we’re all together.
I love that this French Toast Casserole has berries and nuts, which gives it delicious sweetness and crunch! But also, this casserole can be made ahead of time, which is quite a lifesaver during the holidays.
I used my favorite French Toast Casserole recipe as a base, but of course wanted to find a way to add even more flavor!
In the past, I made a couple of other “nutty” breakfast recipes, including this Healthy Banana Nut Pancake and this Caramel Bread Pudding (I suppose SOME people enjoy bread pudding as dessert…but I love it for breakfast!). Both were delicious hits for the holidays!
Today’s Berry Walnut French Toast recipe ranks as one of my favorite breakfast recipes, for any time of year!
Walnuts (and Pecans) are the perfect addition to any holiday treat. They bring flavor and texture to all your holiday recipes!
- Chocolate Chip Walnut Shortbread Cookies
- Pumpkin Walnut Hand Pies
- Turtle Fudge
- Maple Brown Sugar Pecans – also great with walnuts and almonds too!
How to Make Berry French Toast Casserole
If baking immediately, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
STEP 1. In a small saucepan, melt butter with brown sugar. Heat over medium high heat and whisk until fully combined and sugar is dissolved. Pour into the bottom of the baking dish.
STEP 2. Cut the brioche bread into 1-inch cubes. Lay bread cubes over the brown sugar mixture. Do not stir.
STEP 3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, maple extract, and salt. Pour over bread cubes.
STEP 4. In a small bowl, combine walnuts with softened butter and brown sugar. Use your hands to combine completely. Sprinkle frozen berry blend and sugared walnuts over the top of the casserole.
STEP 5. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes. Serve warm with maple syrup!
Can Berry French Toast Casserole be made ahead of time?
Yes!
Assemble the french toast casserole and cover with foil. Refrigerate overnight and bake as directed.
You may need to add an additional 10 minutes to the cook time to adjust for the cold bread mixture.
You can also freeze french toast casserole after assembling.
Cover with foil completely and freeze for up to 30 days.
Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Bake as directed, adding 10-15 minutes to the cook time as needed.
Tips and Tricks for Christmas Breakfast Casserole
- Use a good quality sweet bread as your base. I found a soft brioche bread, that I cubed for today’s casserole. Cinnamon Swirl (Raisin) bread would also make a great option, as would a Hawaiian bread.
- I topped the casserole with frozen mixed berries. No need to thaw them. You can also use 2 cups of fresh berries, and variety.
- It’s easiest to use your hands when combining the sugared walnut mixture. You want to make sure there are no loose crumbs as it all comes together to coat the walnuts completely.
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar instead of maple syrup. The sugar makes a beautiful presentation as well!
Why Fisher Nuts?
I don’t do very many sponsored posts around here, but when I do, it’s always with products that I use and love already.
I have always used Fisher Nuts in my baking for years, even before I became an ambassador with them over 7 years ago!
I love the flavor and texture of Fisher Nuts. They are fresh right out of the bag, for snacking or baking. And the resealable bags keep them even fresher, longer.
Fisher Nuts are fresh right out of their shells, are preservative free, non-GMO, and gluten free. Clearly a great choice for sharing with family and friends!
More Recipes
- Coconut Almond Bars
- Pecan Pie Bundt Cake
- Strawberry Almond Bars
- Monkey Bread
- Healthy Chicken Salad
- Mandarin Orange Pretzel Bars
- Nutty Caramel Snack Mix
- Strawberry Cheesecake Napoleons
- Almond Pesto Salmon
- Blueberry Cheesecake
Berry French Toast Casserole
This EASY Berry Walnut French Toast Casserole recipe is made with Brioche Bread and topped with a sugared walnut and berry mixture for extra flavor! Bake it immediately, or make it ahead and refrigerate overnight. Treat your family to a delicious weekend breakfast!
Ingredients
For the french toast:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 16 oz loaf Brioche bread, cubed
- 6 large eggs
- 1 ¾ cup milk
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp maple extract
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
- 2 cups frozen triple berry blend
For the topping
- ¾ cup Fisher Nuts Walnut pieces
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 Tbsp butter, softened
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13x9 baking dish with non-stick baking spray. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients. Mix together the walnut pieces with the softened butter and brown sugar until combined. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter with brown sugar. Whisk until fully combined and the sugar has dissolved.
- Pour into the bottom of the greased baking dish.
- Lay bread cubes over the butter mixture.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, maple extract, and salt. Pour over bread.
- Top with berries and the walnut mixture.
- Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 20 minutes.
- Serve warm with maple syrup. ENJOY.
Notes
If you can't find brioche bread, you can substitute Hawaiian bread or cinnamon swirl bread instead.
Recommended Products
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 316Total Fat: 18gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 216mgCarbohydrates: 33gFiber: 2gSugar: 20gProtein: 7g
*Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.
This EASY Berry Walnut French Toast Casserole recipe is made with Brioche Bread and topped with a sugared walnut and berry mixture for extra flavor! Bake it immediately, or make it ahead and refrigerate overnight. Treat your family to a delicious weekend breakfast!
What a great way to start my day! This looks worthy of a bakery, indeed! Delish!
I followed your recommendation to make this ahead of time and boy, was it so easy to wake up and pop it right into the oven with no work. Such an great way to get breakfast on the table. Everyone loved it!