Will you have overnight guests during the holidays? Do you need to make breakfast for a crowd? This Blueberry Breakfast Casserole can be a great way to go.
Some folks love to cook and entertain. The more activity, noise, and people crammed in their kitchen, the happier they are. Both of my sisters are like this. I’m not. I don’t entertain with ease. I find cooking stressful – especially when people are underfoot. So I look for ways to make it easier.
Last year we had a bunch of family over for a Christmas breakfast. I made a few different kinds of breakfast casseroles. Casseroles are great because you do all the work the night before. In the morning you just pop them in the oven.
My traditional blueberry and cream cheese French toast casserole has always been a family favorite. However, plant-based versions can be tricky. I’ve learned to adjust my expectations.
Blueberry Breakfast Casserole
Note how I refer to this recipe as a Blueberry Breakfast Casserole. I don’t call it French toast. It’s tough to mimic the taste and texture of French toast without eggs. In contrast, this blueberry breakfast casserole features a mildly sweet taste with a pudding-like consistency under a crispy toasted top. It’s not the same as French toast, but it’s a pleasing combination of flavors and textures. Try topping it with a little blueberry walnut syrup for even more yumminess.
Blueberry Breakfast Casserole {vegan & gluten-free}
Ingredients
- 16 slices sprouted or gluten-free whole grain bread sliced into 1-2 inch pieces*
- 3 cups almond milk
- 1/3 cup chia seeds
- 1 banana medium, peeled and broken into chunks
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 cup frozen wild blueberries
- 1/2 Tbsp. coconut oil
Instructions
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Place ½ tbsp. coconut oil in a 9x12 baking dish and use a paper towel to coat the bottom and sides of the dish.
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Add almond milk, chia seeds, banana, lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon to a high-speed blender.
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Begin blending on low and turn up to highest speed and blend for about 40 seconds or until mixture is smooth and creamy. (You may need to scrape the sides at least once if chia seeds stick.)
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Place half of the sliced bread in the greased 9x12 baking dish and sprinkle with half of the blueberries. Repeat with remaining bread and blueberries.
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Slowly pour mixture from blender over the ingredients in the baking dish. Move the pitcher as you pour to distribute the mixture evenly.
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Cover baking dish and place in the refrigerator overnight.
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In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until top begins to brown and mixture appears set.
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Cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
*Gluten-free breads tend to be small. If you are using a larger sized bread, you may need to reduce the number of slices. Use enough bread to fill the baking dish in two layers.
Prep time includes the time it takes for the bread to soak up the liquid while it rests in the fridge overnight.
Note: I do not include nutrition information with my recipes because I subscribe to the theories presented in the book Whole and believe we should focus on eating a variety of whole foods instead of counting calories or keeping track of individual nutrients.
Thank you for this super easy, healthy and delicious recipe! I halved the ingredients b/c I just didn’t need that much. I used my favorite GF brean (Canyon Bakehouse) and drizzled it with honey before I served a slice. I will be sharing this great recipe with my friends. Such a great idea for busy parents to whip up the night before. In the morning a quick cook and their children have a super healthy start to their day!
Hi Laurie – so glad you enjoyed the Blueberry Breakfast Casserole! Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. 🙂
What could you use as a substitute for almond milk in this recipe? Rice milk? Also for coconut oil? We have a almond, coconut, wheat allergy. Thanks!
Hi Kaci – This is pure speculation because I haven’t tried it, but you could try replacing the almond milk and coconut oil with rice milk and grapeseed oil. Reduce the rice milk by about 1/4 cup. (Rice milk tends to be a little thinner than almond milk.) You may also wish to add a little arrowroot starch flour (about 1 Tbs.) when you blend the liquid. Give it a try and let me know how it goes! Thanks. 🙂
This was very yummy and guilt free! We didn’t finish it all, so do you know how long it will keep in the fridge for?
Hi Kristina – glad you enjoyed it! It should keep 1 or 2 days in the fridge – that’s as long as it’s lasted in our house because it gets eaten! ha ha
can I use regular bread? would i need to change anything withe the other ingredients?
Hi Emaleigh – regular bread should be fine without making any other changes. Enjoy! 🙂
What kind of almond milk? Sweetened or unsweetened?
You can use either – keeping in mind sweetened almond milk will make the dish a little sweeter – so it’s a matter of preference.
Could you make this head of time and bake when ready?
How far ahead of time do you wish to make it? The recipe calls for you to make it the night before so it has time to soak before it bakes… I haven’t tried making it any further ahead than that.
Hi! Do you think you could sub gluten free oats? Obviously different consistency probably. Any idea how many cups oats it would take? Love it thank you!
It sounds like you are looking to make baked oatmeal. I haven’t made that before so I’m not entirely sure what the ratio of oats to liquid would be. I suggest you search for a baked oatmeal recipe and compare. Let us know how it goes!
I would like to make this with eggs…can you help with the recipe please!!
Hi Gordeen – I encourage you to search for “overnight blueberry french toast casserole recipe” to find a traditional recipe that uses eggs. Look through the options to find one that sounds good to you. 🙂
Thank you.
Hello this looks great! I need to omit the banana should I replace with anything??
Hi Jennifer – you could try replacing the banana with 1/3 cup of unsweetened apple sauce. This is what I would try if I had to omit the banana – but it’s important to note, I haven’t tried it – so I can say how it will turn out…
Anything I could use instead of the chia seeds? Allergies to seeds in this house.
Hi Toby – you could try adding arrowroot starch in the place of the chia seeds. The chia seeds serve as a thickener…
Hello!
I want to try this for Christmas breakfast. Just making sure that it isn’t “soggy” and is just moist. Correct?
If you follow the recipe – it shouldn’t be soggy – just moist. 🙂
This recipe has become a Christmas Eve / Christmas morning tradition in our home for the past 3 years and we love it!! Thanks so much for the recipe! Tastes great like I slaved over it but it’s soooo simple; a must have during our busy holiday!
That’s wonderful to hear! I hope you have a Merry Christmas! 😊