Light Blueberry French Toast Casserole

bursting with big blueberries and flavor

My sis-in law aunt Cici and I have been making French toast casserole at our family brunch gatherings for years.  The French toast casserole of yesteryear was loaded with fluffy white challah bread, heavy cream or whole milk, something like 12 eggs (!), and ‘hints of healthy’ with blueberries.  Today’s version has more than ‘hints of healthy’ –  it is healthy!  We use whole-grain bread and non-fat milk/unsweetened almond milk.  The cinnamon taste and burst of juicy blueberries will not disappoint.  We’ve weaned ourselves off sugar as a family.  For us a little sweetness goes a long way…if you’re not quite there yet go ahead and dollop a couple of spoons of honey.  I love making this dish on Christmas Eve and popping it in the oven early Christmas morning.  The whole house smells cinnamon-y delicious and we have a hearty, healthy breakfast waiting after opening gifts before the rest of the family heads over.  Light Blueberry French Toast Casserole saves well and heats up nicely for a mid-day snack or for leftovers the next day.

Blueberries are easily my berry of choice – especially the biggies

What makes this version ‘light’?

It’s light because we’ve stripped out the fat using non-fat milk and unsweetened almond milk.  We’ve also reduced sugar quite a bit.  No need for heaps of maple syrup – just a touch will do.  This ‘healthified’ recipe was inspired by The Gracious Pantry’s Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole.

Clean Eating Blueberry French Toast Casserole (photo from The Gracious Pantry)

I like how Tiffany of The Gracious Pantry thought of using egg whites for the French toast.  The egg whites give it a light and fluffy feel.  Whole grain bread is a must to put this breakfast on the healthy meter.  I take it a step further and cut down on sweetness even more than in Gracious Pantry’s recipe.  I do love how Tiffany adds almond extract in her version.  The almond extract gives it that gourmet touch!  Great idea.  I didn’t have any on hand tonight when I made my batch so I subbed in a couple spoons of almond meal flour.  Actual nuts of any kind would be delicious in this casserole if your family is not averse to nuts.

For a modern vegan variation, be sure to check out my recipe for Vegan French Toast Casserole.  I took it to a family event and no one guessed it was vegan – it was a hit!

[mv_create key=”65″ thumbnail=”https://ovenhug.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/IMG_0003-2-680×510.jpg” title=”Light Blueberry French Toast Casserole” type=”recipe”]Light Blueberry French Toast Casserole tastes like a wholesome, healthy bread pudding, bursting with juicy blueberries.  The girls and Bob Love it.  This dish pairs well with turkey bacon or turkey sausage for a well-rounded holiday brunch.  Bon Appetite!