Mothers Day Strawberry French Toast

My sister called me three days before Mother's Day in a mild panic—she'd volunteered to host brunch but had zero time to stand over the stove flipping French toast for twelve hungry relatives. I told her about this baked version, and suddenly she was texting me photos of her grocery cart at 11 PM. Turns out, the magic of making French toast ahead means you get to actually enjoy your guests instead of sweating by the griddle. That first year we made it together, the kitchen smelled like vanilla and cinnamon by 7 AM, and nobody had to wait for their plate.

I'll never forget watching my seventy-three-year-old mother take that first bite, close her eyes, and say, "This tastes like you remembered something I made when you were small," even though I'd created the recipe the night before. She meant it as the highest compliment—not nostalgia manufactured, but genuine flavor that felt like love on a plate. Brunch that year became less about impressing people and more about understanding why certain meals stick with us.

Ingredients

• Brioche or challah bread (about 16 oz): The richness of brioche matters here—regular sandwich bread will make it dense and sad, but brioche soaks up custard like a dream and stays tender all the way through.
• Fresh strawberries (2 cups, hulled and sliced): Choose berries that smell sweet even through the plastic—this is your flavor foundation, and mealy ones will disappoint you halfway through eating.
• Large eggs (6): Room temperature eggs incorporate more smoothly into the custard, creating a silkier texture that regular cold eggs never quite achieve.
• Whole milk and heavy cream (2 cups and 1 cup): The combination matters—milk alone tastes thin, but this ratio gives you richness without becoming heavy or cloying.
• Granulated sugar (1/2 cup): Enough to sweeten the custard without making it syrupy; the strawberries and maple syrup at serving time handle the rest.
• Pure vanilla extract (2 tsp): Avoid the imitation stuff in this recipe—when vanilla carries so much of the flavor, the real thing is worth the splurge.
• Ground cinnamon (1/2 tsp): Warm and subtle, it whispers rather than shouts, which is exactly the point.
• Salt (1/4 tsp): A small amount that nobody will taste directly but that makes everything else taste more like itself.
• Sliced almonds (1/3 cup): Toast them lightly in a dry pan before sprinkling if you want extra crunch and nuttiness—the oven does some of the work, but a quick pre-toast elevates them from plain to special.
• Turbinado or coarse sugar (2 tbsp): The large crystals stay crunchy through baking instead of dissolving, giving you texture contrast against the soft interior.
• Unsalted butter (2 tbsp, melted): Drizzled over the almond topping, it turns both golden and adds a subtle richness that makes the whole thing feel more indulgent.
• Powdered sugar and maple syrup for serving: The final dusting and pour transform the bake from homemade to restaurant-worthy in two simple steps.

Instructions

Prepare your baking dish:

Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray, making sure to coat the corners and edges where custard likes to stick. This small step means effortless cleanup later and no broken pieces when you serve.

Layer the bread and strawberries:

Arrange half the bread cubes in a single layer across the dish, then scatter half the sliced strawberries evenly over them. Top with the remaining bread, then finish with the remaining strawberries—this sandwich approach means every bite gets fruit and bread together.

Make the custard:

Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl until completely combined and the sugar dissolves. The mixture should look smooth and pale, with no streaks of egg white visible.

Soak the bread:

Pour the custard evenly over the bread and berries, then use your hands or the back of a spatula to gently press down—you're encouraging the bread to drink up the liquid, not squashing it into submission. This is where patience pays off; give it a minute to settle and absorb.

Chill for absorption:

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, though overnight is genuinely better. The longer it sits, the more the bread absorbs the custard, transforming into something luxurious and tender rather than bread-like.

Toast and top:

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F, then sprinkle the almonds and turbinado sugar over the top. Drizzle the melted butter over everything—the sugar and almonds will toast together and create a crunchy crown.

Bake until golden:

Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the center feels set when you jiggle the dish gently. If the top browns too quickly (this depends on your oven's mood), loosely tent it with foil and keep going.

Rest before serving:

Let it cool for about 10 minutes—this gives the custard a moment to firm up slightly, making serving neater. Dust generously with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup on the side so everyone controls their own sweetness level.

Save

There was a moment at my sister's brunch when my nephew, who usually eats cereal and calls it a day, asked for seconds and asked what was in it. When I told him strawberries and custard and almonds, he looked genuinely shocked, as if deliciousness required complexity. That's when I realized this recipe works because it tastes like care without requiring a culinary degree.

Why This Works as a Make-Ahead Dish

The genius of baked French toast is the timing—you do all the work when it's convenient, cover it, and forget about it until morning. When guests are arriving in two hours and you haven't showered, it's a relief to slide something into the oven instead of juggling a hot griddle. I've made this for brunches where I had actual time to spare, and I've made it on mornings where I set three alarms and still ran late, and it works beautifully either way.

Customizing for Your Crowd

Strawberries are my default, but I've swapped them for raspberries, blueberries, even thin slices of peach with a whisper of nutmeg instead of cinnamon. The custard formula stays exactly the same, so you're really just playing with the fruit depending on the season and what looks good at the market. One spring I used a mix of strawberries and blackberries together, and the tartness of the blackberries against the sweetness of the strawberries created something complex and memorable.

• Dairy-free versions work with almond or oat milk for the milk portion and coconut cream for the heavy cream, plus vegan butter instead of regular.
• For a less sweet version, reduce the granulated sugar by 2 tablespoons and let the fruit and pure vanilla carry more of the flavor.
• Serve with fresh whipped cream, Greek yogurt, or even a drizzle of honey if maple syrup feels too heavy for your morning.

Pairing and Serving Ideas

This is naturally a crowd-pleaser, which means you can be ambitious with what you serve alongside it. A mimosa feels obvious, but I've had better luck with sparkling lemonade or even a light prosecco, which plays well with the vanilla and cinnamon without competing for attention. Fresh fruit on the side, some good coffee, and maybe bacon if you're feeling fancy rounds out a brunch that tastes like you spent all morning cooking when really you spent twenty minutes prepping the night before.

Save

Every time I make this, I'm amazed at how something so simple—bread, eggs, cream, berries, heat—becomes something that tastes like a restaurant made it. That's the whole point of cooking for people who matter.

Recipe FAQs

→ Can I prepare this dish the night before?

Yes, chilling the assembled layers overnight allows the custard to soak into the bread, enhancing texture and flavor before baking.

→ What bread works best for this bake?

Brioche or challah bread cut into cubes works best thanks to their soft yet sturdy texture that absorbs custard without becoming mushy.

→ Are there alternatives to strawberries?

Blueberries or raspberries can be substituted to vary the fruity flavor while maintaining freshness and color.

→ How to prevent the top from browning too fast?

If the topping browns too quickly, loosely tent the dish with foil halfway through baking to ensure even cooking.

→ Can this be adapted for dairy-free diets?

Yes, replace milk and cream with almond milk and coconut cream, and use vegan margarine instead of butter.