Baked french toast casserole

This French Toast Casserole recipe has become one of the most requested in my home. It’s simple enough for a regular weekend, a weeknight dinner, but special enough to make on holidays. The best part? You can prep it the night before and wake up to something that already feels halfway done, or prep in the morning and have it ready to bake by dinner time. Easy as that. Because it is served as a casserole, there’s minimal prep and easy clean up.

Ingredients

For the casserole:

• 1 loaf brioche or French bread, cut into cubes

• 5 large eggs

• 1 1/2 cups milk

• 1/2 cup maple syrup

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

For the topping:

• 1/3 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup melted butter

• Optional: chopped pecans

Kitchen Tools I Love for This Recipe

• A simple ceramic baking dish that goes straight from the oven to table. This is the one i always reach for, it bakes everything so evenly, and cleans up beautifully.

• A sturdy set of measuring cups and spoons. Plus, using beautiful cups and spoons just make your time in the kitchen feel easier and a lot more fun!

Lets get baking!

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

2. Prepare your dish. Grease a 9X13 baking dish and spread the cubed bread evenly inside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.

4. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread, pressing gently so all of the pieces soak it up.

5. Add the topping. In a small bowl, mix melted butter and brown sugar (& pecans if using). Sprinkle over the top.

6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until golden brown and set in the center.

7. Serve warm & enjoy!

Make ahead option (Highly recommend)

• Assemble everything the night before, cover and refrigerate.

• In the morning, just pop it in the oven and bake. No mess, no stress, just a warm, delicious breakfast waiting for you!
  
  

How i serve it at home

My family loves this served warm with:

• A drizzle of maple syrup

• Fresh berries on top or on the side

• A drizzle of warm caramel on top (PERFECT combo if you add the pecans)

• Homemade whipped cream, depending on how ambitious and sweet you wanna go!

  “This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only share what I truly use and love.”

Lemon Blueberry Sweet rolls

If cinnamon rolls and blueberry muffins had a sunshine filled baby, this would be it. These Lemon Blueberry sweet rolls are soft, fluffy, and swirled with a vibrant blueberry filling, then finished with a buttery streusel crumble and a drizzle of tangy lemon glaze. Yes, you read that right. Did your mouth water like mine did? These are bright without being too sweet, indulgent without being heavy and perfect for spring, summer, winter or any time you want something a little extra special.

Each bite is layered with flavor. Fresh lemon zest baked right into the dough, juicy blueberries tucked into every swirl, and the best crumble that adds just the right amount of crunch.

ingredients For Dough

• 3/4 C warm milk (about 110 Degrees F)

• 2 1/4 Tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)

• 1/4 C granulated sugar

• 1 Egg + egg yolk (room temp)

• 1/4 C butter, melted

• 3-3 1/2 C All-purpose flour

• 3/4 Tsp Salt

Instructions

1. Stir yeast + warm milk + 1 Tbsp sugar. Let bloom 5-10 minutes.

2. Add remaining sugar, eggs, melted butter, salt, and 3 cups flour.

3. Knead until soft and slightly tacky (5-7 minutes).

4. Cover and rise 1-1 1/2 hours until doubled.

Blueberry lemon filling

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 C blueberries (Fresh or Frozen)

• 1/3 C sugar

• 1 Tbsp cornstarch

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1 Tbsp Lemon juice

• 1 Tsp Vanilla

Instructions:

1. Cook all ingredients over medium heat until thick and a Jam consistency (5-7 minutes)

2. Cool completely before spreading (IMPORTANT!)

LEMON SUGAR SPREAD

• 1/4 C softened butter

• 1/3 C Sugar

• Zest of 1 lemon

Mix together until fragrant.

crumble topping

• 1/2 C all purpose flour

• 1/3 C sugar + 1/3 C brown sugar

• Zest of 1/2 lemon

• Pinch of salt

• 4 Tbsp cold butter, cubed

• 1 Tsp cinnamon

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, mix flour, sugar, lemon zest, salt and cinnamon.

2. Cut in cold butter using fingers or a fork until crumbly with pea-sized pieces.

3. Chill until ready to use

assemble

1. Roll dough into a 14X9 rectangle

2. Spread lemon sugar butter evenly

3. Dollop blueberry filling and gently spread

4. Roll tightly and slice into 10-12 rolls

5. Place in greased baking dish, cover and rise 30-45 minutes.

6. Sprinkle crumb topping over rolls, gently pressing in to the tops so it sticks.

bake

• 350 Degrees F for 22-26 minutes until lightly golden and fluffy

lemon glaze

Once rolls have cooled slightly but still warm, make your glaze.

• 1 C powdered sugar

• 2-3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 Tsp vanilla

• Pinch of salt

Whisk until smooth and pourable. Drizzle generously over warm rolls. I put the glaze in a bag, snipped a tiny bit of the corner and drizzled it over the rolls. It gave me more control of where it was going rather than using a spoon. That part is totally up to you and your preference!

Blackberry cinnamon rolls

There are some recipes that feel less like work and more like fun! This cinnamon roll dough is exactly that. This is the recipe my aunt has used for years, the one she’s trusted for countless batches of dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, breads, and sweet treats made with love and patience. When she passed it on to me, it felt like being handed a small piece of family history. Something meant to be cared for and shared, not rushed.

Every time I make these, I think about the hands that made them before mine and the memories tied to a warm kitchen and well worn recipe cards. I imagine standing in my grandmas kitchen together with my mom and her sister watching how things just somehow came to life there. I’m honored to carry this recipe forward and hope to do it justice by sharing it with you.

The blackberry filling really started out as an experiment. In the fall, my small farm town has fruit stands set up everywhere, fully stocked with incredible homemade jams and salsas made out of their fresh fruits and vegetables from the season. For Christmas my family was gifted some local, homemade blackberry jam from one of the stands. I was thrilled! however, my kids stick to the standard Strawberry and Grape. They aren’t exactly risk takers. It’s become a “tradition” of sorts to make a dessert on Sunday. I enjoy doing so for my family but to be honest, I was getting a little worn out from the classic cinnamon roll with the cinnamon filling. Always delicious, but needed something new and exciting! so, because my kids aren’t that into trying new things, I figured the only thing to do was experiment with the blackberry jam. Guess what? They loved it!

I wanted to create a roll that lingered in your memory, something familiar yet unexpected. The tartness of the blackberries tucked into that soft dough adds a depth and brightness that feels elevated, in an easy way. It’s the kind of twist that makes you pause after the first bite and think, this is different in the best way and that’s exactly what I hoped to create.

Let's get baking!

〰️

Let's get baking! 〰️

Ingredients

(Yield 8 Rolls)

• 1 TBSP Yeast

• 1 C warm water

• 1/8 C Sugar

• 1 1/2 TSP salt

• 1 egg

• 1/4 C oil

• 1/4 C dry milk

• 1 1/2- 3 C Flour

  Instructions

• Start by blooming your yeast. Add warm water, yeast and sugar to a bowl, whisk all together and let bloom for 5 minutes.

• While yeast is proofing, combine oil, egg and salt. Whisk together and add to yeast.

• Add your dry milk, mix all together.

• In a stand mixer with dough attachment, combine your mixed ingredients and 1 1/2 C flour. knead for 10 minutes, if it still feels too sticky to touch, add flour 1/2 C at a time. I’ve found that with this particular recipe, there isn’t a set amount of flour that works every time. I’ve done it enough times that almost 3 cups gives you the smoothest and easiest dough to work with. There’s a lot of factors that you have to consider when working off of a recipe that was from generations ago. They probably had better quality flour or overall better ingredients that only required a small amount of flour, temperature of your home, altitude, etc. A lot of things come to play when baking anything so keep that in mind with this recipe as well.

• Once your dough has come together, put it in an oiled bowl, throw a towel over it and let is rise in a warm spot for 20 minutes. *I set my oven to warm while the dough is kneading and once its warm enough, turn it off. By the time the dough is done, the oven will be just right for your dough to rise.

• Once dough has doubled, punch down and roll out into a rectangle.

  Jam filling mixture

• 3/4 C jam total for a standard 9X13 pan

• Too much = bubbling out

• Too little = dry centers

• Thick, seedless or lightly seeded is ideal

• If your jam is loose, Simmer is 5-8 minutes to reduce and cool before spreading

  How to apply it (VERY important)

• Roll dough out as usual

• Brush a light layer of melted butter to create a moisture barrier. (I did not do this the first time and it made my dough soggy. They still baked great, it was a little messy to roll and cut)

• Sprinkle cinnamon + a little brown sugar on top of butter

• Spread jam in a thin, even layer, leaving a 1/2 inch border on the long edge

• Roll tightly

• Cut 2 inches wide to make 8 big rolls.

• Place in a greased pan

• Let rise again for 15 minutes

• Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

• Bake 25-30 minutes until they are golden brown on top

• Let cool until just warm and spread your favorite frosting on top.

  *My brown butter cream cheese frosting recipe is to die for on top of these. The frosting and blackberry flavors combine beautifully and even out the tart and sweetness of both. You can find the recipe in my frosting section. You won’t regret it!

Soft & Chewy cut out sugar cookies

There’s something truly special about a soft, chewy sugar cookie. It may be unpopular opinion but when it comes to sugar cookies, unless they’re soft to bite into, I will not eat them. Especially when it’s rolled out, cut into sweet little shapes and then having your kids color them in homemade frosting. You want them soft, trust me. These are my go-to, tried and true whenever I want a cookie that’s just as fun to decorate as it is to eat. They hold their shape beautifully, stay pillowy soft for days, and have that classic buttery vanilla flavor that feels like home.

Whether you’re baking for holidays, birthdays or just want a treat in the afternoon, this recipe is simple, reliable and made to be shared. Grab your favorite cookie cutters, preheat the oven, and let’s make sugar cookies that are soft, chewy, and absolutely delicious!

Soft & Chewy Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Yield: 24-30 cookies (depending on size)

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 C Unsalted Butter (Softened)

• 2 OZ Cream Cheese (Softened)

• 1 C Powdered Sugar

• 1 Large Egg

• 1 1/2 Tsp Vanilla extract

• 2 3/4 C All-Purpose Flour

• 1 Tsp Baking Powder

• 1/4 Tsp Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cream butter + cream cheese until smooth and fluffy (2-3 Minutes)

2. Add powdered sugar and mix until light

3. Beat in egg and vanilla

4. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt

5. Slowly mid dry ingredients into wet until just combined

6. Chill dough for 1 hour (Important for clean cut outs)

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C)

8. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface

9. Cut shapes and place on parchment lined baking sheets

10. Bake 8-10 minutes until edges are set and centers are pale and soft (do NOT brown) they will look underbaked but trust that they are done. They’ll finish setting as they cool.

11. Cool on pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

12. Cool completely before decorating

If you want a delicious, light and gently sweet homemade frosting, look for my Vanilla Bean Buttercream blog post. I promise you will love it!