Get ready to experience a breakfast that’s out of this world with Baklava Baked Challah French Toast! We’re taking everyone’s favorite baklava dessert and transforming it into a scrumptious, make-ahead breakfast masterpiece.
In this amazing dish, slices of fluffy challah bread are soaked in a sweet and spiced custard mixture, layered with nuts, honey, and cinnamon, and then baked to golden perfection. The result is a drool-worthy breakfast casserole that’s crisp and golden on the outside, yet fluffy and tender on the inside, and bursting with flavor in every bite.
And here’s the best part: despite its impressive appearance and rich taste, Baklava Baked Challah French Toast is surprisingly simple to prepare. With just a few easy steps, you can have this delectable dish ready to serve in no time, making it perfect for special occasions or laid-back weekend mornings.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Baklava Baked Challah French Toast
Baklava is one of our favorite desserts on the planet. Seriously! We do our best to incorporate the flavors in a wide variety of recipes like baklava granola, baklava puff pastry cinnamon rolls, and this baklava baked challah French toast!
One bite, and you’ll be hooked. This recipe is:
- Made with 7 budget-friendly ingredients.
- Easy to prepare and quick to bake.
- Perfect for feeding a crowd.
- Sweet enough to serve as dessert yet filling enough for breakfast.
Ingredients You’ll Need
This baked challah French toast proves that recipes don’t have to contain unusual or hard-to-find ingredients to be absolutely scrumptious! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Eggs – You can’t have French toast without eggs! They lock in moisture and create a crisp, golden exterior.
- Milk – We recommend using whole milk, but anything you have on hand can be used.
- Vanilla Extract – Use a high-quality pure vanilla extract to enhance the sweetness of the rest of the ingredients.
- Sugar – Granulated sugar is used in both the custard mixture and the nut topping for a dessert-like flavor.
- Pistachios – Chopped finely and mixed with sugar, these add a rich flavor and a satisfying crunch.
- Butter – This makes for extra decadent flavor.
- Challah Bread – Thick, soft, and perfect for absorbing the custard mixture, challah bread makes for the best French toast you’ll ever taste!
How to Make Baked Challah French Toast
This recipe is perfect for preparing in advance for a quick breakfast that will have your house smelling like a bakery. Here’s how it’s done:
- Create the Custard. Whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, and sugar together in a bowl until smooth.
- Create the Nut Topping. Add the pistachios and sugar to a food processor, and pulse to combine.
- Layer. Butter both sides of each piece of Challah bread. Then, lay the pieces as evenly as possible in a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle the nut mixture on top. Keep layering until all of the bread has been used before pouring the custard over the dish.
- Soak. Place the French toast in the fridge overnight.
- Bake. Cover the dish will foil, and bake until the custard has set.
- Serve. Add any extra toppings such as honey, nuts, or powdered sugar, and dig in!
Avoid Soggy French Toast
One of the most common questions we get is, “How do I prevent my French toast from becoming soggy?” There are several reasons why your breakfast may turn out soggy. Luckily, we’ve got a few extra tips to help prevent it!
- Soak the Bread. You want to make sure all of the bread is coated with the custard mixture and completely covered. However, you do not want it to be absolutely swimming in liquid. If this happens, let it soak longer. Or, pour some of the custard off.
- Toast the Bread. To prevent the bread from absorbing too much liquid, try very lightly toasting it before adding it to the dish.
- Bake Uncovered. If your baked challah French toast is not browning in the oven, try removing the foil, and continuing to bake a bit longer. Alternatively, you could place it under the broiler for a minute or two. Just be careful not to let it burn!
Serving Suggestions
This baklava baked challah French toast is so super filling and satisfying on its own. However, if you want to serve it as part of a complete spread, try pairing it with protein-packed options like:
How to Store
Not only is this baklava baked challah French toast great to assemble in advance, but it also stores well once it’s baked!
- Refrigerator: Once cooled, transfer your leftovers to an airtight container, and keep them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: For a longer-lasting option, store your French toast in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: When you’re ready to eat, warm your baklava baked challah French toast thawed or frozen using a skillet, the microwave, or the oven!
More Mouthwatering French Toast Recipes
Looking for more fun French toast options? We’ve got you covered with all the French toast goodness you could want!
- Cannoli Baked French Toast
- Churro French Toast
- Baked Cinnamon French Toast
- Pain Au Chocolat French Toast
Baklava Baked Challah French Toast Recipe
Ingredients
For the Custard Filling:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar
For the Nut Mixture:
- 1 cup pistachios chopped
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
For the Baked Challah French Toast:
- 19 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 loaf Challah bread sliced
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, and sugar until smooth. Set aside.4 large eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ cup granulated sugar
- In a food processor, add the pistachios and sugar. Pulse until well combined.1 cup pistachios, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- Butter a 12×8 oval baking dish. Spread ½ Tablespoon butter on both sides of each piece of bread.19 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- Layer the Challah in the baking dish, overlapping each piece slightly. Sprinkle ½ of the nut mixture on top. Add the remaining bread on top followed by the rest of the nut mixture.1 loaf Challah bread
- Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread, coating each slice. Cover the dish with foil, and set it in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake covered for 30 minutes, removing the foil the last few minutes of baking to achieve a golden brown exterior.
- Serve with a drizzle of honey, if desired.
- Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
