French Toast Bread Pudding

October 14, 2019 · Last Updated on July 18, 2020 By Anjali Shah on· Last Updated on

Share This:

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure

French toast bread pudding is a healthy breakfast casserole that tastes like dessert! Made with sprouted wheat bread, apples, low-fat cream cheese, egg whites, and a touch of sugar and spices, you’ll get all the decadent goodness of a bread pudding in a nutritious package. Kid-friendly and can be made gluten-free too!

That’s right. French toast bread pudding. For breakfast. And it’s actually healthy! It’s super easy to make, full of fiber and protein and great for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner!

Made with whole-food ingredients, with some secret swaps to keep all of the decadence of traditional french toast, with none of the guilt.

The result?

A baked french toast that is to die for.

Kitchen Tools and Equipment You’ll Need to Make French Toast Bread Pudding

How to make French Toast Bread Pudding – step by step

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch by 8-inch baking dish with olive oil spray. Place bread cubes evenly along the bottom of the dish.

Step 2: Sprinkle diced apple evenly over the bread.

Step 3: In a blender, combine all other ingredients (cream cheese through brown sugar in the list above). Blend until lump-free and smooth. Pour mixture over the bread and apple. Make sure bread is soaked in the liquid mixture. If needed, toss lightly to coat.

Step 4: Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes, until egg mixture is pretty firm and cooked through. Let cool slightly and cut into 8 squares.

What makes this French Toast Bread Pudding Healthy?

Most french toast casserole recipes are made with white bread, whole eggs, and half and half. White bread has no nutritional value because it has been processed in such a way that it has been stripped of its fiber. Using whole eggs increases the calories, cholesterol, and fat, while using half and half also increases the fat and calories.

This recipe is a slimmed down and lightened up version while still retaining all the decadent goodness. Here are some of the healthy swaps that make this recipe so good for you!

Whole Grains: Sprouted wheat bread has been used in place of white bread. This adds fiber and plant protein to the casserole.

Sprouted wheat bread has been used in place of white bread. This adds fiber and plant protein to the casserole. Egg whites : Use egg whites instead of whole eggs which decreases the calories, fat, and cholesterol and adds a healthy protein source to this dish.

: Use egg whites instead of whole eggs which decreases the calories, fat, and cholesterol and adds a healthy protein source to this dish. Less Cream: Instead of using half and half I used a combination of low-fat cream cheese and unsweetened soymilk.

Instead of using half and half I used a combination of low-fat cream cheese and unsweetened soymilk. Fresh Fruit! Apples are added to this casserole which bring added fiber, vitamin C, and antioxidants. I also like serving this french toast bread pudding with fresh berries on the side.

The typical french toast casserole runs 500 calories per serving, but this French Toast Bread Pudding is only 150 calories for a generous portion which means you can have seconds guilt free!

Will kids enjoy this French Toast Bread Pudding?

Your kids are going to love this French Toast Bread Pudding. They will think they’re eating dessert when they’re actually getting loads of fiber, healthy protein, vitamins, and antioxidants.

It can be easy to get a little carried away with the maple syrup. To keep this healthy and low sugar for the kids, I recommend giving them a small ramekin filled with 1 tablespoon of maple syrup for them to dip their french toast into rather than spreading it all over the top.

Why is my baked french toast soggy?

There are several reasons why you might end up with soggy French toast. If you add too much dairy there will be too much moisture, and the egg in the french toast won’t cook properly.

One of the main components of French toast is the custard. If you haven’t mixed the custard to fully combine the ingredients you can end up with pieces of egg white. Using the blender to fully mix the custard will ensure this doesn’t happen.

Can you use stale bread to make French toast?

Using stale bread is perfectly acceptable when making French toast or a French toast casserole. If the bread you are using is too soft it won’t be able to fully absorb the custard which will give you a soggy French toast. However, if you don’t have stale bread, using a dense bread such as the sprouted whole wheat will absorb the custard well and provide you with the perfectly soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside French toast bread pudding.

How to serve French Toast Bread Pudding

French Toast Bread Pudding is a complete and satisfying meal on its own, great for a weekend breakfast or brunch. It would also be an excellent dish to make for Christmas morning. But you are not limited to breakfast here — who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner! For simple serving suggestions, add some fresh fruit (like fresh berries) and a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top (for a treat). If you’re making this for a bigger brunch spread, I recommend serving it along some fun brunch sides like these roasted rosemary potatoes. If you need a little something more to pair with this french toast bread pudding, try a side salad or even a green smoothie.

Top tips for making French Toast Bread Pudding

If you have bread that has become a little stale it is perfect to use in this recipe. Using bread that’s a little dried out will allow it to fully soak up the custard without creating a soggy center. For a gluten-free option, just use gluten-free bread!

Spraying the baking dish with cooking spray will help keep the French toast from sticking to the sides.

Use a blender to combine the wet ingredients that make up the custard. This will ensure that the egg, soymilk, and cream cheese fully blend so that you don’t get chunks of egg white or cream cheese in a bite, and instead end up with a creamy lump free custard.

Spread the custard evenly over the bread and make sure that the custard had been fully absorbed by the bread before putting it in the oven. You can allow it to sit and absorb for 5-10 minutes, or toss the mixture a bit to make sure it’s evenly coated.

Make sure the egg is fully cooked through the french toast. It should be soft but not soggy on the inside, and crunchy on the outside.

Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Be sure to check out these other healthy breakfast recipes!

If you have tried this French Toast Bread Pudding recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!