Peach French Toast Bake | Cookstr.com

Updated April 13, 2018

Peach French Toast Cake

This image courtesy of Christopher Hirsheimer

When you want a hot, homey breakfast that’s special enough for company but without the morning fuss, this French toast bake is the answer—you pull it together the night before and while you sleep the eggy goodness seeps into the bread and all the flavors meld together. In the morning you just need to pop it in the oven. It comes out fragrant, with juicy, brown sugar-laced peaches atop tender vanilla and cinnamon-scented bread that has just the right amount of chewiness from the baguette crust. A drizzle of maple syrup and a dollop of cool, creamy yogurt complete the picture and everyone’s left wondering just how you manage to do it all with such grace.

Serves6

Dietary ConsiderationHalal, Peanut Free, Soy Free, Tree Nut Free, Vegetarian

Taste and TextureChewy, Fruity, Spiced, Sweet

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 large whole-wheat baguette (about 8 ounces)
4 large eggs
4 large egg whites
1 cup nonfat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups frozen unsweetened sliced peaches, thawed
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1/4
teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2
cup plain nonfat yogurt (optional)
3/4
cup pure maple syrup (optional)

Instructions

Coat a 9 × 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Cut the baguette into ½-inch-thick slices and arrange them in a single layer in the pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg whites, milk, and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the pan. Scatter the peach slices evenly over the bread. Sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover and bake until it is slightly puffed and the bread is golden brown, about 40 minutes. Top with yogurt and drizzle with maple syrup, if desired.

Eating Well Tip

Frozen fruit is nutritionally comparable to fresh, and it is perfectly suited for baking and blending. In fact. I prefer to use frozen fruit in a smoothie because it makes it ultracool and frothy. Just be sure to buy it unsweetened. I use frozen peaches in this recipe to make it an easy year-round dish, but feel free to use fresh ripe peaches if they are in season.