Ina Garten Raspberry Baked French Toast

Ina Garten raspberry baked French toast is an easy make ahead breakfast idea for a weekend brunch. She layers challah bread with raspberries and a vanilla custard with orange zest, so the whole dish soaks overnight and bakes golden in the morning.

The bread has to be day-old or oven-dried first, because fresh bread soaks up too much custard and turns the whole dish soggy. Dry challah holds its shape and gives you that puffed, golden crust on top.

Source: Make It Ahead (2014)

Ina Garten Raspberry Baked French Toast

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

8

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

5

minutes

Calories

480

kcal

A rich bread pudding made with diced challah, brown sugar custard, and fresh raspberries. The top gets crisp while the inside stays soft and soaked through with vanilla and orange zest.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
  

• 10 extra-large eggs
  

• 2 3/4 cups half-and-half
  

• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  

• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
  

• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  

• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus extra for serving
  

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  

• 10 cups (1-inch-diced) day-old challah bread (see note)
  

• 12 ounces fresh raspberries
  

• Confectioners' sugar, for serving
  

• Pure maple syrup, for serving

Directions

• Prep the dish and custard: Grease a 9 x 13 x 2-inch oval baking dish with the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, vanilla, orange zest, and salt.
• Layer the bread and raspberries: Spread half of the diced bread in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle on the raspberries in one layer. Top with the rest of the bread and pour on the egg mixture, pressing down lightly to moisten the bread. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Bake and serve: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake it for 60 to 70 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is puffed and browned. Check after 45 minutes; if the top is getting too browned, cover it lightly with aluminum foil. Cool for 10 minutes, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, dust with extra orange zest, and serve warm with maple syrup.

Tools for this recipe

• Pyrex 9x13 glass baking dish, Nordic Ware half sheet pan, OXO 11-inch balloon whisk, Butternut Mountain Farm pure Vermont maple syrup, 32 oz. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

FAQs

Can I make this the night before?

That’s actually how Ina designed it. Assemble everything in the baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The longer soak gives the custard more time to absorb into the bread, so you get a richer texture. Just pull it out and bake it straight from the fridge in the morning.

What if my bread isn’t day-old?

Slice it 1 inch thick, lay the slices on a sheet pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes per side. This dries it out enough to absorb the custard without turning mushy. Fresh bread has too much moisture and won’t hold up during the overnight soak.

How do I store leftovers?

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes. The texture won’t be quite as puffed as the first day, but it still tastes great.

Can I use a different berry instead of raspberries?

Blueberries and blackberries both work well here. Strawberries release more juice, so if you go that route, slice them thicker so they hold their shape. Frozen berries are fine too, just scatter them in still frozen so they don’t bleed into the custard before baking.

What kind of bread works besides challah?

Brioche is the closest swap because it has the same buttery richness. A thick-cut white bread works in a pinch, though you lose some of that tender crumb. Avoid sourdough or anything too dense, since it won’t soak up the custard the way you need it to.