There are many amazing ways to use up a delicious challah bread loaf and this French toast bake recipe is one of them! This make-ahead dish won’t require a lot of work but the results will be scrumptious nonetheless. Enjoy a nutty and earthy crunch from the pecans and refreshing flavors of tart cranberries and orange zest that make this dish stand out for all the right reasons!
What the Recipe Calls For
For eight delicious servings of this French toast dish, you will need:
- A loaf of challah bread cut into half-inch slices
- Cooking spray
- A quarter cup and two tablespoons of butter
- Three-quarters of a cup of light brown sugar
- Eight large eggs
- Three tablespoons of maple syrup
- Two and a half cups of half-and-half
- Two teaspoons of vanilla extract
- An optional tablespoon of bourbon
- A teaspoon of orange zest
- A cup (three and a half ounces) of fresh cranberries or unthawed frozen cranberries from a five-ounce package
- Half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- Powdered sugar
- Half a cup of pecans
Letting the French Toast Sit
Take a 13 by 9-inch baking dish and coat it with cooking spray. On medium-high heat in a small saucepan, bring the butter, maple syrup, and brown sugar just to a boil. Pour this liquid into the prepped baking dish. Over this mixture, start arranging the bread slices in an overlapping pattern. In a large bowl, start whisking together the eggs, bourbon, vanilla extract, half-and-half, cinnamon, and orange zest. Pour this mixture carefully and evenly over the bread slices. Sprinkle cranberries on top, cover the dish with aluminum foil, and chill it for 12 hours.
Time to Bake and Serve
When the 12 hours are up, preheat the oven to 375°F. Take the foil off your baking dish and sprinkle chopped pecans over the bread. Put the aluminum foil back on and bake the dish for 20 minutes. At this point, remove the foil, and let it bake uncovered until golden brown, for another 20 minutes. Serve this tasty French toast dish with powdered sugar sprinkled on top!