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I had a blast photographing this French toast casserole. Some recipes are just so much more photogenic than others. So you’ll have to just enjoy or excuse all the pictures in this post because I couldn’t decide which ones to include and which ones to leave out. Hopefully they’ll convince you to actually make the recipe. It’s very easy, and letting it soak in the refrigerator overnight gives it the traditional French toast casserole texture that’s moist on the bottom and slightly crunchy on top. I love to serve mine with some sugar-free syrup for the ultimate experience.
To make this casserole, I used some old leftover bread that’s been in the freezer since I was working to perfect my Homemade Bread recipe a few years ago. You can use any bread that’s on plan in a THM E setting for Trim Healthy Mamas. Sprouted or sourdough bread would probably be closest in texture and fuel type to the bread I used. Fuel Pull breads made with something like THM Baking Blend may not soak up as much liquid and may not hold up as well.
If you don’t want to top this casserole with syrup, I recommend adding a little extra THM Super Sweet Blend to the recipe.
This recipe makes 4-6 servings, and the low-fat cream cheese I used stays within THM:E guidelines even if you cut 4 huge servings out of this pan of French toast casserole. The recipe already includes some protein in the form of egg whites, but if that’s not enough to hold you over for 3 hours you could always add some low-fat Greek yogurt or cottage cheese on the side or stir a scoop of collagen into your coffee.
Feel free to use any berries you like in this recipe. You could add fruit (like peaches or pears) instead if you prefer, but go easy on that because you already have a carb source in the form of the bread used in this casserole.
As always, check out the Notes section of the recipe for answers to FAQs. Check out the Suggested Products section below the recipe for links to products that I use and recommend.
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Starting THM
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my recipe index
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my recipes grouped by fuel type, allergy info, and theme
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my Homemade Bread recipe
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Click here for my Homemade Bread recipe.
- 4 c. cubed bread (such as my Homemade Bread recipe)
- 1 c. blueberries
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- ¾ c. unsweetened almond milk
- ¾ c. egg whites
- 1 tsp. THM Super Sweet Blend (or more, to taste)
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- ½ tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp. salt
- ⅛ tsp. THM Pure Stevia Extract Powder
- ¼ tsp. xanthan gum
- -
- 3 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese
- Spread the cubed bread in a greased 8x8" baking dish. Top with the blueberries.
- Blend (or beat) the second set of ingredients together and pour over the top of the casserole.
- Soften the cream cheese and whisk in a dash of water to thin it down enough to dollop and spread over the top of the dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- In the morning, bake the casserole (uncovered) at 375* for 45-50 minutes or until the desired crunchiness on top is achieved. Let the casserole cool for 5-10 minutes before serving, then serve with sugar-free syrup.
-If you don't plan to top this casserole with sugar-free syrup, you may wish to add more THM Super Sweet Blend.
-The fat from the cream cheese falls within THM:E guidelines (it comes to 4.5g per serving if the casserole is cut into 4 large servings).
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Could you make this with other fruits like apples etc?
You’re welcome to try whatever you like! That would be fine from a THM fuel type standpoint. I’ve only tested it with blueberries.
This looks delicious, would this work with your gluten free basic bread recipe and would it change it from an E?
“You can use any bread that’s on plan in a THM E setting for Trim Healthy Mamas. Sprouted or sourdough bread would probably be closest in texture and fuel type to the bread I used. Fuel Pull breads made with something like THM Baking Blend may not soak up as much liquid.”
I haven’t tried it with that recipe so I’m not sure if it would hold up or not. I’d love to hear how it works if you try it! It would either be a FP or a light S – you’d have to run the numbers to see if the small amount of fat in the bread combined with the cream cheese in this recipe would throw you over into S territory.
Hi there! Could I use the thm wwbb? I also have a few Ezekiel bread leftovers. Appreciate all your recipes ♥️
I’ve never tried the blender bread so I’m not sure if you’d need to adjust the liquids in the recipe or not (since that bread may not soak up as much liquid as the bread I used). Worth a try, though! I’d love to hear how it turns out! The Ezekiel bread would probably be closer in texture to the bread I used.
This is a family favorite! I always need to double the recipe and put it in a 9×13 pan…and our family of 5 devours it all! It is a good way to use up the ends of the bread loaves.
Made this for brunch today. Oh my, YUM!! Truly delicious and decadent. Thank you for a fabulous recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it, Lynette!
Did you ever make the Pumpkin french toast casserole?
I tried but it wasn’t very good so I abandoned the idea for other projects. Maybe I’ll give it another try sometime!
I want to try this but need to be dairy free. Do you think it will taste good without the added cream cheese on top??
I’m sure it would still be good…just not quite AS good. 🙂
I have a feeling this recipe is going to be a winner. I made your “Homemade Bread” a few weeks ago and came out pretty dense and flat because I lost count while adding the cups of water to the flour mix before the cold-fermentation step, and I added an extra cup or so of water. Whoops. It tastes fine, but I just want to use it up so I can bake another batch and actually keep track of things this time. Enter this fabulous casserole…. <3
Does anyone know if this can be frozen? I am thinking it would be good frozen in individual portions to take camping.
How big is a serving? I’m looking at making this and putting single portions into containers so I can really plan for the week. Otherwise any other way I don’t stay on plan
This recipe serves 4-6. 🙂
Will this recipe turn out ok if you didn’t prep the night before?
I’ve never made it that way, but you’re welcome to try! Usually French toast casseroles are soaked overnight so the casserole is more of a casserole (with everything mixed together) and doesn’t just resemble bread in a custard. 🙂
Yes you can, I’ve made it a couple times without soaking all night. It still came out very well.
I’m gluten free. Are there any THM friendly options for me?
Do you mean in general or specifically for this recipe? If you’re talking in general terms, yes, there are tons of gluten-free THM recipes! Here’s an index of mine: https://www.briana-thomas.com/indexes/fuel-type-allergy-info-theme/gluten-free
If you’re speaking specifically of this French toast casserole recipe, then I would try it with this bread recipe instead (just make sure to use gluten-free ingredients, specifically gluten-free oat fiber): https://www.briana-thomas.com/brianas-basic-bread/
However, that would change this to a Fuel Pull since the bread recipe is Fuel Pull and there would be no carb sources in this French toast casserole recipe. 🙂
Yes, specifically this recipe since I cant have most breads. Thank you for the basic bread recipe!
Your pictures are gorgeous! Where did you learn photography? Or are you those people that are just stupid talented that just say on my own ??
https://avigailife.wordpress.com/
Um…on my own. 😛 Haha…lots of practice + whatever info I can glean by picking people’s brains and/or reading/watching tutorials. Thank you!
Looks delish! What roles does the xanthum gum play? Can it be excluded?
It’s a thickener. 🙂 You can try leaving it out, but the casserole may be more soupy. With all the bread to help soak up the moisture, chances are it would probably be fine without it, though.
Do you have nutritional breakdowns on your recipes?
Your time is SO much appreciated!!
No, I’m afraid I don’t. I follow a healthy eating plan called Trim Healthy Mama, and it focuses on not having to count. 🙂 Ingredients are more important than numbers, in most cases. It’s so nice!
Looks like this will be one of my new favorite E breakfasts. ? Thanks Briana! Can’t wait for your cookbook. ?
Can’t wait for the cookbook! It will be such a luxury to have all your recipes in my kitchen as well as your gorgeous photos!
Yeah, it’ll be a luxury for ME to have all my recipes in one book. 😛 I’m so excited!!!
Can we use Ezekiel bread?
I don’t see why not. 😉
Looks delicious! I’ve had some failed attempts at bread the past few days and thought a french toast casserole would be a.good way to use it, so it’s funny this was in my inbox this morning!
I can’t wait to try this one! I am also looking forward to the pumpkin version and your cookbook! 🙂