Strawberry Shortcake French Toast Casserole

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Updated 08/22/19
Strawberry Shortcake French Toast
Diana Rattray
Prep: 30 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 2 hrs
Servings: 12 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
459 Calories
11g Fat
81g Carbs
10g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 459
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11g 15%
Saturated Fat 6g 28%
Cholesterol 91mg 30%
Sodium 382mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 81g 30%
Dietary Fiber 5g 17%
Protein 10g
Calcium 153mg 12%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The strawberry syrup intensifies the flavor in this strawberry shortcake French toast casserole. This is an excellent summer breakfast treat or cookout dessert. Top it off with a dollop of freshly whipped cream just before serving or use thawed frozen whipped topping.

Brioche bread was used in the pictured French toast bake. Biscuits, croissants, or a good quality French or Italian bread may be used as well. 

You'll need about 3 pints (about 6 cups) of strawberries for this recipe. Fresh is best for the casserole, but feel free to use frozen (unsweetened) strawberries to make the syrup.

Ingredients

  • For the Strawberry Syrup:
  • 4 cups strawberries (cleaned and coarsely chopped or halved)
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon of cornstarch (combined with 1 tablespoon of cold water)
  • For the Bread Mixture:
  • 1 loaf/1 lb. brioche bread
  • 2 cups fresh strawberries (sliced)
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • For the Streusel Topping:
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup cold butter (cut into small pieces)
  • For the Whipped Cream:
  • 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

Note: while there are multiple steps to this recipe, this French toast dish is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and cooking.

Strawberry Syrup

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Put the 4 cups of coarsely chopped strawberries in a deep saucepan. Add the 1 1/2 cups of sugar and 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat. Watch it carefully—the sauce mixture can boil over quickly once it comes to a boil. Immediately turn the heat to low or medium-low and continue cooking for 30 minutes. 

  3. Combine 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir until smooth. Stir into the syrup mixture and continue cooking for about 1 minute longer, until thickened. 

  4. Strain the strawberries through a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl. Discard the solids. Cover the syrup and refrigerate until serving time.

  5. Makes about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of syrup.

French Toast Casserole and Streusel

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

  3. Lightly butter a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan or spray it with nonstick cooking spray.

  4. Slice the bread into 1-inch cubes. Layer half of the bread cubes in the prepared baking pan and top with 1 cup of sliced strawberries. Repeat the layers with the rest of the bread and the remaining 1 cup of sliced strawberries. Set aside.

  5. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, the salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread and strawberry mixture.

  6. In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and the pieces of butter. Work with a pastry blender or fingers until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole.

  7. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until set. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 10 minutes.

Whipped Cream

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Beat the whipping cream to soft peaks; beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue beating until it holds well-formed peaks. 

  3. Cut the strawberry shortcake French toast casserole into squares. Serve with the cold or slightly warmed syrup and whipped cream.

Recipe Variation

  • Add about 1/2 to 1 cup of fresh blueberries to the French toast mixture along with the sliced strawberries for a Fourth of July dessert.