Cracker Barrel Strawberry French Toast Bake Easy Copycat Recipe
Skip the sugary boxed cereal and start the morning with a slice of Cracker Barrel Strawberry French Toast Bake. Layers of custard-soaked sourdough and a cheesecake-like cream cheese filling bake up golden on top and creamy like bread pudding inside. The tang of the sourdough and cream cheese offsets the sweetness, and a fresh strawberry topping adds a bright burst of berry flavor. Assemble it the night before, and you will have a hot, make-ahead breakfast ready by the time your morning routine is done.
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Cracker Barrel Strawberry French Toast Bake is a baked bread pudding built from torn sourdough, a sweetened cream cheese filling, and a rich custard. Serve it with whipped cream, chopped fresh strawberries, and a small bowl of strawberry pancake syrup on the side.
The recipe has three parts: a cream cheese filling, a custard, and the assembly. You can mix both the filling and the custard ahead and hold them until you are ready to layer and bake.
What makes this French Toast Bake with strawberries a delicious make-ahead breakfast
Don’t settle for sugary boxed cereal for breakfast when you can have a slice of Strawberry French Toast Bake with its layers of custard-soaked sourdough bread and cheesecake-like filling. This copycat Cracker Barrel recipe bakes up golden brown on top with the creamy consistency of bread pudding inside.
The tang of the sourdough and cream cheese helps to offset the sweetness, while the strawberry topping adds a burst of freshness. And maybe the best part is that when you assemble it the night before, put it in the oven, and have hot Cracker Barrel Strawberry French Toast Bake ready by the time you are done with your morning routine.
Ingredients and their roles in the recipe
For the cream cheese filling, you’ll need:
- Powdered sugar – Sweetens the cream cheese and dissolves without making the mixture gritty.
- Cream cheese, softened – forms the base of the filling, giving it both creaminess and tang.
- Lemon juice – brightens the filling a echoing a classic cheesecake.
- Vanilla extract – provides depth to the cream cheese filling.
- Salt – enhances the taste of the other ingredients.
For the custard, you’ll need:
- Heavy cream – gives the custard its richness.
- Whole milk – adds liquid, but prevents the dish from becoming too heavy.
- Eggs, whole, plus one yolk – helps enrich and set the custard.
- White granulated sugar – sweetens the custard and helps it brown in the oven.
- Salt – enhances the taste of the other ingredients.
- Ground nutmeg – provides a woodsy flavor that is a traditional cooking spice.
To assemble Cracker Barrel Strawberry French Toast Bake, you’ll need
- Unsalted butter, softened – greases the baking dish to help prevent sticking.
- Sourdough bread – soaks up the custard. The slight tang of the sourdough helps to cut through the sweetness.
- Cream cheese filling (from above) – is a sweet, creamy filling with a bit of a tang between layers of the bread pudding.
- Custard mixture (from above) – transforms the bread into a rich and delicious bread pudding.
- Whipped cream – forms a light, airy topping that contrasts with the dense cream cheese mixture.
- Strawberries, washed, dried, and cut into small pieces – Bring fresh strawberry flavor, color, and a bit of tartness to help balance the dish’s sweetness.
- Strawberry Pancake Syrup – provides intense strawberry flavor to the dish. The Great Value brand of Strawberry Pancake Syrup works well here.
How to make this bread pudding
To prepare the cream cheese filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the powdered sugar, cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt,
- Using a paddle attachment, beat the mixture on LOW, then slowly increase the speed to MEDIUM.
- Continue mixing until the ingredients are fully incorporated, and the filling is light and airy. Cover and reserve for later.
To prepare the custard:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the heavy cream, whole milk, whole eggs, egg yolk, white granulated sugar, salt, and ground nutmeg until the custard base is smooth and fully incorporated.
- Cover and reserve for later.
To assemble and bake a Cracker Barrel Strawberry French Toast Bake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Grease a 13 x 9 baking dish with softened butter.
- Tear the sourdough bread into large pieces. Line the bottom of the greased baking dish with half the pieces.
- Use a small cookie scoop to portion out the cream cheese filling evenly over the bread.
- Cover the filling with the remaining bread pieces.
- Slowly pour the custard base over the top bread through a fine-mesh strainer. Gently press down on the bread. Wait 15 minutes for the bread to soak in the custard base.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until the top is golden brown. Check that the custard is set by inserting a knife in the center. When it comes out dry, the dish is cooked through.
- Place the baking dish on a wire rack for about 10 minutes before plating.
- Garnish each piece with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkling of chopped fresh strawberries. Serve with a small bowl of Strawberry Pancake Syrup on the side.
What to serve with a French Toast Bake
Cracker Barrel Strawberry French Toast Bake is a great addition to any weekend brunch, so why not host one? Gather your friends, whip up a Strawberry French Toast Bake, and enjoy a few of the recipes below for a fantastic meal.
Dunkin’ Snakin’ Bacon – There’s everyday bacon, and then there’s that bacon you make only on those special occasions. Snackin’ Bacon from Dunkin’ is definitely the latter. Not because it’s tough to make; it’s not, but with such a delicious coating of fresh ground pepper and brown glaze, you’d be eating way too much of it.
La Madeleine Quiche Lorraine – A lot has been said about quiches, but the only thing you need to remember is that they are easy to make and so tasty. This version of the classic Quiche Lorraine from La Madeleine opts for a fluffy, eggy base studded with cubed ham, crispy bacon bits, and creamy Swiss cheese in a simple cold-water crust.
Classic Peach Bellini – This version of the cocktail takes inspiration from the legendary Harry’s Bar. The recipe has only two ingredients: fresh peaches and ice-cold prosecco or champagne, but its simplicity makes it a true standout and a must-have brunch beverage.
Make-ahead, storing, and reheating instructions
Make-ahead Instructions: Prepare the bake up to the point of baking, then cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap. Chill overnight. You can bake it off following the main recipe above the next morning, but add another five minutes to the baking time to account for it being cold.
Refrigerator Storage: Keep the leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days in the fridge. Store the whipped cream in a separate container. Chop fresh strawberries when you reheat and serve.
Reheating Instructions: Cover with aluminum foil and warm in a 325-degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil a few minutes before you take it out of the oven to help the top crisp up.
Try these Cracker Barrel breakfast recipes
- Cracker Barrel Cinnamon Roll Pie
- Cracker Barrel Egg in a Basket
- Cracker Barrel French Toast
- Cracker Barrel Ham and Egg Casserole
- Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole
Check out more of my copycat Cracker Barrel recipes to make for any meal of the day.
Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Cracker Barrel Strawberry French Toast Bake Copycat
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter softened
- 1 loaf unsliced sourdough bread (24 ounces)
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 teaspoon salt divided use
- 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
- 1 3/4 cups whole milk
- 5 large large eggs
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 quart strawberries washed, dried, and cut into small pieces
- 2 cups whipped cream
- Great Value strawberry pancake syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use the butter to generously grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- Slice the sourdough loaf into 1/2-inch slices. Tear half of the sliced loaf into large pieces and arrange them evenly in the baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Use a mixer to beat until smooth and creamy. Drop the cream cheese mixture evenly over the bread using a 1/2-ounce cookie scoop.
- Tear the remaining bread into large pieces and arrange them over the cream cheese mixture.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, whole milk, eggs, egg yolk, granulated sugar, nutmeg, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt until thoroughly combined. Pour the custard evenly over the bread through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Gently press the bread into the custard to moisten all the pieces and let stand for 15 minutes to allow the bread to absorb the custard.
- Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the custard is set in the center. A knife inserted near the center should come out without any liquid custard.
- Let the bread pudding cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm with fresh chopped strawberries, a dollop of whipped cream, and strawberry syrup on the side.
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