French Toast with Blueberry Topping

Blueberry Pie and French Toast – Where it All Began

There are two food items without which we’d never have something as delicious as this French toast with blueberry topping. Those foods are fruit filled pies and French toast. Both of these delicious foods are the inspiration for my dessert-for-breakfast treat. Two delicious foods mashed up into one amazing recipe.

French Toast

You probably think French toast is, well, French, right? After all, it’s right there in the name. Believe it or not, that’s not the case. Much like many other foods in the world, Modern-day French toast’s name is a complete misnomer.

The earliest known version of French toast appears to have made its debut in the early 5th century in the Roman Empire. A collection of recipes from that time period reference something called Pan Dulcis, which was bread soaked in a milk and egg mixture then fried in oil or butter.

Many believe that a version of French toast was created by medieval European cooks. In those times, people had to use every scrap of food they had to feed their families. Nothing could go to waste. These cooks used eggs for moisture and protein and soaked day-old bread in it then cooked it

What we know as French toast today is not French at all. It’s actually a product of poor grammar, believe it or not. According to legend, the story goes that in 1724, a man named Joseph French invented what we know as modern French toast by soaking bread in a combination of egg, milk, and other ingredients. He advertised it as French Toast rather than French’s Toast because his grammar was atrocious.

Blueberry Pie French Toast

This French toast with blueberry topping is a dessert for breakfast, and that’s okay. After all, it has protein and fruit along with all that sweet goodness. I’d say that makes it healthy. Just go with it… Packed with all the flavors we love about both blueberry pie (minus the crust) and French toast, it’s a delicious, hearty meal that’s easy to make and actually quite fast, as well. This combination makes it the perfect breakfast for weekends when you want to make something special but don’t want to spend all of your time in the kitchen.

Tips

Everyone knows how to make basic French toast, and because this recipe is just a slight variation on that, there aren’t many tips for this one. That being said, there are a couple of things to remember to make sure your blueberry pie French toast comes out as delicious as possible.

Make Substantial Slices

You’ll want to make your bread slices 2 to 3 inches thick. This gives the bread plenty of bulk to both soak up the egg mixture and stand up to the stovetop and oven baking process. It also gives them a wonderful springy, soft feel when you bite into them.

Give the Bread a Good Soak

It’s important to really let the egg mixture get all into the bread, so give it a good soak. Obviously, you don’t want to leave your bread in the egg mixture until it disintegrates, but at the same time, you want to do more than just a cursory dip. Use your best judgment, but with slices as thick as the ones you’ve cut, more soaking is better.

Don’t Throw Out the Egg Mix

If you have some egg mixture left over – even after giving your bread slices a good soak, don’t let it go to waste. Pour the remaining mixture over the French toast slices in your baking pan to really get an extra kick of eggy, custardy goodness.

Variations

Even a recipe as straightforward as this French toast with blueberry topping can be changed up a bit. There are two major ways you can customize this recipe to make it your own.

Use Different Bread

You can use all kinds of bread in French toast. Different breads have different textures and flavors, but almost all of them will work for this recipe. I used challah bread, but you could use anything you like. Italian bread, French bread, or even crescents would work. Just get creative and see what happens. It’s definitely going to be good.

Use Different Fruit

You can use any fruit you want for this recipe. Really, any fruit can be made into a compote. Try different berries, chopped apples, or even peaches.

Serving French Toast with Blueberry Topping

This breakfast bake is a complete meal. It’s hearty and delicious, and it doesn’t need anything other than a dollop of whipped cream on top. I wouldn’t even use maple syrup because you have so much sweetness with the blueberry compote.

Storing and Re-heating French Toast

You can store this delicious breakfast bake in the refrigerator for about five days in an air-tight container. For longer storage, you can freeze it for up to a month in an air-tight, freezer-safe container or in heavy-duty freezer bags.

Dessert for Breakfast? Absolutely

This blueberry topped French toast is dessert for breakfast, and you need it in your life. Rich, eggy, custard bread topped with blueberry compote and whipped cream is just about the best way to start the day, if you ask me. And this recipe is so easy. It only takes a minimal amount of effort to make this delicious French toast topped with blueberries and whipped cream and both you and everyone in your family will absolutely love it.

Ingredients to Make French Toast with Blueberry Topping

For the Blueberry Topping

• Fresh Blueberries
• Sugar
• Lemon Juice
• Cornstarch
• Water

For the French Toast

• Loaf of Challah bread
• Vanilla Real Dairy Creamer
• Eggs
• Cinnamon
• Powdered sugar

(Actual measurements are in the recipe card below.)

How to Make French Toast with Blueberry Topping

How to Make Blueberry Topping

• In a small saucepan add blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and water.
• Cook over medium heat until boiling, then continue cooking until blueberries start bursting, stirring continually.
• Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 teaspoons of water in a small bowl then add to blueberries. Stir until thickened. Set aside and let cool.

For the French Toast

• Preheat oven to 350°
• Cut the Challah loaf of bread into 4 large pieces, slicing off a little on both ends so the bread is flat on each side.
• Whisk coffee creamer, eggs and cinnamon together until creamy.
• Dip each side of bread into egg mixture and let bread soak in it for a bit.
• Place prepared bread on plate (or place directly into prepared griddle or pan).
• Butter a griddle or large frying pan, add bread and pour remaining egg mixture over the top of each slice of bread.
• Cook for approximately 2 minutes then turn over and cook the other side for 2 minutes until golden brown.
• Place bread on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes until custard is thoroughly cooked.
• Place one slice of French toast on a serving plate, dust with powdered sugar, top with blueberry topping followed by whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, optional. Then enjoy!

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