It’s back to school time, which means it’s also time to start thinking about stocking the kitchen with some easy breakfast options. If it can be eaten on-the-go or made in advance, that’s always a huge bonus. Luckily, these Blueberry French Toast Cups are both.
When I was pregnant and having trouble finding healthy foods I could stomach, our nutrition writer Katie told me to try French toast.
French toast? Healthy?
Surprisingly: yes! When you make it at home, opting for a whole grain bread and a limited amount of sugar, French toast is a perfectly balanced breakfast–especially when you add some fruit to the mix too. In this recipe, instead of adding sugar, I sweeten the custard mixture with pureed banana.
I always keep a batch of French toast sticks or these blueberry French toast cups in the freezer for my daughter’s breakfasts. And on busy weekday mornings, French toast in cup form is especially handy. No fork needed!
Another thing I love about making French toast cups is that it’s a fun recipe for kids to help with. Tearing the bread into pieces is something even the smallest tots can manage to do. After it’s torn, they can stuff it into prepared muffin tin cups along with the blueberries and help pour the custard over the top.
Admittedly, blueberries can be a wee bit messy if these are being eaten on-the-go. To keep things neater, try peaches or strawberries to keep things summery or jump into fall with diced apples, pears, or dried cranberries.
Photos by Lindsey Johnson
Blueberry French Toast Cups
Blueberry muffins meet French toast in this kid-friendly make-ahead breakfast.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces stale bread torn into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1 small ripe banana
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Maple syrup for serving (optional)
Instructions
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Grease a muffin tin with butter or oil. Divide the bread and berries evenly among the 12 muffin cups, pressing them in to fit if needed.
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Combine the eggs, milk, half-and-half, banana, vanilla, and cinnamon in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the custard mixture into the muffin cups, using a spoon to press down and submerge the bread.
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Preheat the oven to 325ºF.
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While the oven is preheating, use the spoon to press down on the bread periodically to make sure the custard soaks into it. Once preheated, place the muffin tin in the oven and bake the cups for about 35 minutes, or until the custard is set and the edges of the cups are golden brown.
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Allow the cups to cool for 5-10 minutes, then run a butterknife along the edges of each cup and carefully remove.
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To freeze, transfer the cups to a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until frozen through. Pop the frozen French toast cups in a freezer bag; to reheat, microwave until warm or bake in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes.
Recipe Notes
While I used to only make French toast with challah or French bread, I've recently started making it with seeded and whole grain breads too; if you're not a traditionalist, give it a try!
If you anticipate eating these on-the-go, you may want to add some additional sweetener to the recipe. Stir maple syrup or honey into the custard mixture or sprinkle turbinado sugar onto the cups before baking.
