Mothers Day Strawberry French Toast (Print)

Layers of brioche, sweet strawberries, custard, and almonds baked to golden perfection for a festive brunch.

# Ingredients:

→ Bread & Fruit

01 - 1 loaf brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 16 oz)
02 - 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced

→ Custard

03 - 6 large eggs
04 - 2 cups whole milk
05 - 1 cup heavy cream
06 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Topping

10 - 1/3 cup sliced almonds
11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
12 - 2 tablespoons turbinado or coarse sugar

→ To Serve

13 - Powdered sugar for dusting
14 - Maple syrup

# Directions:

01 - Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Arrange half of the bread cubes in the prepared dish. Evenly scatter half of the sliced strawberries over the bread layer. Top with remaining bread cubes and finish with the remaining strawberries.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and salt until well combined and smooth.
04 - Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread and strawberries, gently pressing down to ensure the bread absorbs the liquid throughout.
05 - Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for optimal flavor and texture absorption.
06 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
07 - Remove plastic wrap and sprinkle the top with sliced almonds and turbinado sugar. Drizzle evenly with melted butter.
08 - Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and set in the center. If the top browns too quickly, loosely tent with aluminum foil.
09 - Let the bake cool for 10 minutes before serving. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You can prep everything the night before, which means your morning stays calm and your guests get hot, perfectly cooked French toast without the chaos.
  • It feeds a crowd with minimal fuss—eight servings bake together in one dish, so you're not juggling multiple pans or timing issues.
  • The strawberries stay bright and juicy rather than turning mushy, and the brioche absorbs just enough custard to feel decadent without getting soggy.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting period, especially overnight—bread that hasn't properly absorbed the custard will be dry on the outside and custardy inside, and it's a texture clash that teaches you quickly why patience matters here.
  • If your custard looks thin when you're whisking, that's actually correct; it thickens as it bakes and as the bread absorbs it, so trust the process and don't be tempted to add cornstarch or flour.
03 -
  • Room-temperature eggs whisk into custard more smoothly than cold ones, and whisking by hand for two minutes ensures no streaks of raw egg remain.
  • The magic happens during the resting period—don't rush this, because bread that's had time to absorb the custard evenly bakes into something tender rather than tough or watery.
Back