Baked French Toast is one of my favorite recipes on my blog. I make it nearly every weekend in the summer when I can buy fabulous bread and gorgeous fruits at the Farmer’s Market. It’s so easy to change up with whatever fruit is in season. But as much as I loved all the others, this Strawberry Rhubarb Baked French Toast is my new favorite. I love the sweet tart combination of strawberries and rhubarb with just a hint of orange.
I also made one other change in the recipe. I toasted the bread for 20 minutes before soaking it in the egg mixture overnight. I decided if toasting the bread before making stuffing gives it a better texture, then toasting the French toast bread would probably do the same thing. I thought it made a huge difference. Even the bread on the bottom near the fruit juices was firmer.
With this Baked French Toast recipe it is best to use a dense, chewy bread. I bought a loaf of Cinnamon Burst Bread from Great Harvest Bread Company. It’s a big round 1 ½ pound loaf studded with cinnamon chips and it makes fabulous French toast. Of course, if you aren’t lucky enough to have a Great Harvest store near you, feel free to substitute any dense, chewy bread that you love.
If you haven’t cooked with rhubarb before, it’s very easy to use. You just wash it, cut it into bites size chucks and add plenty of sugar to it because it’s very tart. It pairs really nicely with strawberries because of the contrasting sweet and tart flavors.
Give this one a try while there’s still rhubarb at the market.
Strawberry Rhubarb Baked French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Cinnamon Burst Bread cubed *
- 6 eggs
- 1 ½ cups half and half
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
- ½ cup agave can substitute ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 2 cups rhubarb chopped into 1 inch pieces
- 2 cups strawberries hulled and halved
- ¼ cups butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º. Spread bread evenly into a jelly roll pan and toast for 20 minutes.
- In a medium bowl mix eggs, half-and-half and vanilla. Pour egg mixture evenly over cooled toasted bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Combine agave, cornstarch, and orange zest, fold in rhubarb and strawberries. Pour into a greased 13"x9" baking pan.
- Place the chilled bread mixture on top of the fruit mixture. Drizzle the butter over the bread.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cover with foil if the top is getting too brown.
Notes
More great Strawberry Rhubarb recipes you might like:
Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, Two Peas and Their Pod
Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler, Hooiser Homemade
Strawberry Rhubarb Bars, The Swans
Strawberry Rhubarb Compote, Gina’s Skinny Recipes
Strawberry Rhubarb Preserves, Tracey’s Culinary Adventures
Eliana
With all the rhubarb recipes floating around the net at the moment, I hadn’t seen one that used it in french toast. But I have to say – I absolutely love this idea.
Calogero
Simply delicious.
NoPotCooking
Fantastic! My kids LOVE rhubarb so I will try this
Joy
I love baked french toast. This looks great.
Anna Johnston
This is the best – its like a sweet dessert fritatta isn’t it. I’m so going to try this one.
Mrs. L
I’m just hoping I can find some rhubarb as I’m currently obsessed with it and need to make this for breakfast (or heck, I’d have it for dinner truth be told).
Ciara Hurt
I really love strawberries. A baked French toast, I’m sure this is really a gorgeous breakfast. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe to us!
patsyk
I’ve never cooked with rhubarb (even though my husband adores the combination or rhubarb & strawberries)… so, I really appreciate that you shared how easy it is to use. This French toast sounds perfect for a weekend morning!
Donna
When shall I come over to your house for breakfast?
This looks like French toast on a whole different level!
Kristen
I have never seen a baked French toast with the fruit all on the bottom. It sounds delicious! Strawberry rhubarb is one of my all time favorite fruit combos and with the agave it’s even better!
sameena
wow…that makes a scrumptious breakfast…:)yummy
gloria
OMG Barbara I really love strawberries and this look wonderful!!gloria