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This Healthy French Toast Casserole recipe is made with whole grain bread, eggs, and almond milk. I really like classic french toast, but this casserole has become my new favorite.
If this recipe looks delicious, I think you’ll also love my Peanut Butter Oat Bars or this Gluten Free Apple Crumble with Oats.
This French toast casserole is one of my favorite breakfast recipes to make for meal prep. It keeps well in the fridge overnight or even in the freezer for a couple months. Just microwave it when you’re ready to eat and top with fresh berries or fresh fruit for a healthy meal.
Ingredients in Healthy French Toast Casserole
- Bread: choose your favorite whole grain bread for this french toast casserole. Whole grains are a great source of fiber and can have positive health effects. Stale bread is preferred to fresh bread when making baked french toast casserole. You can use other bread options like sourdough bread, french bread, gluten free bread, brioche bread, or challah bread. Just be sure to adjust your points and nutrition serving calculations if you make any changes.
- Eggs: eggs are loaded with vitamins, minerals, high-quality protein, good fats and other nutrients that are good for us.
- Almond milk: I substitute almond milk for a lot of recipes that call for milk. It’s a healthy plant-based alternative to cow’s milk and is naturally high in vitamin E. You can use regular milk, or another dairy substitute like oat milk or soy milk.
- Cinnamon: Is it even french toast if there isn’t any cinnamon? I think not. Cinnamon adds the perfect spice to this healthy french toast casserole.
- Nutmeg: I like to add nutmeg to this french toast casserole because it adds a warm, nutty flavor to the dish. This baked french toast casserole is the breakfast I make on Christmas morning, and the nutmeg in it is the perfect spice to really say Christmas breakfast.
- Vanilla extract: vanilla extract is another non negotiable ingredient in french toast. Make sure to use pure vanilla extract.
- Coconut sugar: coconut sugar is very similar to regular white sugar, although it is less processed and contains trace amounts of nutrients. While it is still sugar, it may have a lower glycemic index than white sugar.
- Maple syrup: use pure maple syrup – it contains small amounts of minerals like manganese and zinc.
How to Make French Toast Casserole in the Instant Pot
Step 1: We need to start by getting the bread slices or cubes really dry and crusty, so preheat your oven to 200ºF. (If your bread slices are already sufficiently dry, you can skip this step.)
Scatter the bread cubes or chunks in a single layer on top of a large baking dish or sheet. Place in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until your bread cubes are dry.
Step 2: In a large bowl add the eggs and use a fork to whisk. Then add the almond milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, coconut sugar, and maple syrup and stir to combine.
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Step 3: Add the bread cubes to the bowl and, using a large spoon, stir gently to coat the cubed bread with the egg mixture.
Next, place your trivet into the inner pot of your Instant Pot, and add 1 1/2 cups of water to the pot. Then coat a 7-inch round baking pan or oven-safe dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
Step 4: Transfer the egg mixture soaked bread cubes to the prepared 7-inch round baking dish, lightly pressing the bread cubes down into the pan so that they are well packed.
Step 5: Cover the pan with foil and place it on the trivet. Using the trivet handles, lower the trivet – holding the baking dish – into the Instant Pot.
Close and lock the lid, then turn the steam release valve to sealing. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook on high pressure and set the cooking time for 65 minutes.
Step 6: When the cook time is complete, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then the remaining pressure and remove the lid.
Using oven mitts, carefully remove the baking dish using the trivet handles. Take the foil off and let the french toast casserole cool for 5 minutes before serving.
How to Make Baked French Toast Casserole
Same delicious taste without a pressure cooker.
- Get the bread slices ready as you would in the Instant Pot directions above. Preheat your oven to 350º.
- Coat your casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. I prefer to use a more shallow pan that is larger rather than a smaller deep pan, as it takes less time to cook and the more shallow pan won’t make your french toast casserole soggy.
- In a large bowl, make the french toast batter by combining the eggs, almond milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, coconut sugar, and maple syrup. Use a fork to whisk.
- Add bread cubes to the bowl and using a large spoon, stir gently to coat the cubed bread with the egg mixture.
- Next, transfer the soaked bread cubes to the prepared casserole dish. Cover the pan with foil and place it in the preheated oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the foil so the casserole can get that golden brown topping we all love so much.
- After another 15-25 minutes, test for doneness with a butter knife poked into the center of the dish – if your knife comes out clean (or mostly clean), the French Toast Casserole is finished!
- This recipe typically takes about 40 minutes to cook for me, but your timing might be a little different based on the pan you used and how your oven cooks.
Recipe Tips
- This French toast casserole is perfect for meal prepping. I cook the french toast and then let it cool before I cut it up into 8 equal-sized servings. Then I place the French toast into meal prepping containers and refrigerator overnight or for up to 6 days. It can also be frozen in individual serving sized containers for 2 months. When you’re ready to eat, just thaw and microwave for 30 to 60 seconds.
Healthy Eating Plans
21 Day Fix Container Counts
Entire recipe of French toast casserole (serves 8): 2 red containers, 12 yellow containers, 2 teaspoons
Per serving: 1/4 red container, 1 1/2 yellow containers, and 1/4 teaspoon
Weight Watchers Points
8 2025 Points
Healthy French Toast Casserole
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Equipment
- Instant Pot 6 qt
- Round Instant Pot Pan
- Instant Pot Trivet
Ingredients
- 20 oz loaf whole-grain bread (preferably stale), torn into small chunks
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups almond milk plain, unsweetened
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp vanilla
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven on the lowest setting to 200ºF (95ºC). Place the trivet in the inner pot and add 1 1/2 cups of water. Coat a 7-inch round baking pan or oven safe dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Scatter the bread chunks in a single layer across a large baking sheet. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the bread becomes dry and crusty. 20 oz loaf whole-grain bread
- Whisk the eggs with the almond milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, coconut sugar, and maple syrup. 4 eggs 2 cups almond milk 2 tbsp ground cinnamon 2 tsp ground nutmeg 2 tbsp vanilla 2 tbsp coconut sugar 1/4 cup maple syrup
- Add the bread pieces to the egg mixture and stir to coat the bread evenly.
- Transfer the bread pieces to your prepared baking pan, lightly pressing them so they're well packed. Cover the pan with foil, place it on the trivet, and then lower it into the Instant Pot.
- Close and lock the lid, and then turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select pressure cook (high) and cook for 65 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, and then quick release the remaining pressure.
- Using oven mitts, carefully remove the trivet holding the pan. Let sit for 5 minutes and serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for meal prep.
Nutrition
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