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Blueberry Lemon Overnight French Toast Bake (Gluten-Free)

Disclosure: I am thrilled to partner with Canyon Bakehouse. As always, all opinions are my own, and it's a joy to partner with this family-owned company that has a passion and gift for making the most delicious gluten-free breads!
Y’all already know I’m all about keeping it simple here at KISS in the Kitchen, but carrying a sweet little human inside me has me searching for more and more shortcuts, simple recipes and ways to save time. I figure the time I spend now creating the simplest, most nourishing but still delicious recipes, will only benefit our family after baby girl arrives and also inspire anyone that comes here that healthy + easy + tasty is truly possible. This Blueberry Lemon Overnight French Toast bake is all those things and also gluten-free thanks to Canyon Bakehouse’s new Hawaiian Sweet Bread! Plus, it makes for the perfect Valentine’s Day brunch or treat for anyone you’re looking to show some extra love to!
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Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a HUGE fan of Canyon Bakehouse Bread. They are a family owned bakery that bakes bread the old-fashioned way with real, non-GMO ingredients you’ll find in your own kitchen and you can really tell by the texture of the bread- it doesn’t taste or feel gluten-free. ​All of their breads are also free of the top 8 top allergens (excluding egg) and sesame. Plus, every single delicious item is baked in their own dedicated bakery so when I’m working with adults or kiddos who have food allergies; they’re always relieved to know Canyon breads are not only delicious, they’re also safe!

They recently added two new flavors- Honey Oat and Hawaiian Sweet Bread. You’ll find both in Canyon’s new Stay Fresh innovative airtight packaging that keeps baked goods fresh for 90 days once it is packed at the bakery (provided you don’t open it and break the seal…once you open it – you need to use it within 5 days like all breads). AND, it stays fresh without any preservatives or funky ingredients- it’s just cool packaging technology! You can find this in the room temperature area of the grocery store. This is a huge help in our household because I like to stock up on Canyon bread, but now I don’t have to use as much freezer space!
 
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The Hawaiian Sweet Bread is the first of it’s kind for any gluten-free bread and has a light and fluffy texture (that’s perfect for this overnight french toast bake!). With a hint of sweetness (and only 3 grams of sugar), it is the ideal complement to the blueberry and lemon flavors in this dish.

In addition to being a bit obsessed with blueberries and lemon (let’s be honest- that’s a match made in Heaven!), I’m all about an overnight breakfast casserole. What’s not to love about an easy overnight bake that requires minimal prep, sits in the fridge all night and finishes off in the morning with an easy trip into the oven?

​​Don’t let how gorgeous and decadent this looks fool you- it takes about 10 minutes to assemble. I’ll warn you though- it’s really hard to actually wait overnight before you bake it since it’s one of those dishes you just KNOW is going to be amazing as you begin to assemble the ingredients. Out of impatience and “a need to test the recipe multiple times” ;), I let it sit for as little as 2 hours and as many as 24. I would say overnight (about 12 hours) is the sweet spot, but each batch was delicious and Mr. KISS in the Kitchen certainly didn’t complain when I was making multiples!

I wish a detailed description of the flavor and texture in this dish could do it justice, but it just can’t. It’s truly a beautiful blend of natural blueberry sweetness, bright lemony notes, custardy layers with soft and also slightly crisper bread on top. Extra blueberries, maple syrup or whipped cream are great additions but most the time we enjoy this without anything extra because it’s just that good. Regardless of what you enjoy it with, it’s best enjoyed often and with those you love :).

Print Recipe
3.93 from 41 votes

KISS Blueberry Lemon Overnight French Toast Bake (gluten-free)

Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Resting Time8 hours
Total Time9 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz load Canyon Bakehouse Gluten-Free Hawaiian Sweet Bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 8 large eggs
  • 2 cups original almond or coconut milk - I’ve made this with both Original almond milk and coconut milk (the refrigerated carton, not the can) and it tastes nearly the same with both milks so use whatever you have on hand!
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon zest (about 1 large lemon)
  • 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp pure vanilla or almond extract - I also tested this with both almond and vanilla extract. Using almond extract almost gives a liqueur taste to the dish, whereas the vanilla creates a lighter more subtle flavor. They’re both nice, but I’d recommend using vanilla extract if making for the first time!
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions

  • Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Arrange bread cubes evenly on the bottom of the dish, followed by the blueberries. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, almond milk, maple syrup, lemon zest, lemon juice, almond, nutmeg, and salt. Pour over the bread. Cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight*
  • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake, uncovered, for 50 to 55 minutes or until lightly golden brown and where there isn’t any remaining liquid in the center of the dish. Serve warm and enjoy often!

Notes

*The longer this dish sets (goal = overnight), the more custardy and moist it is! I’ve baked this many times with just letting it soaks 2 hours and it’s good, but the best version is definitely letting it soak overnight!

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49 Responses

    1. Thank you, Katie! The zest definitely makes it for me too and you can add as little or as much as you want ;). Thanks for stopping by!

  1. I love French toast in any form, and this one looks extra delicious! Can’t wait to try it, and I love that it’s made with gluten free bread!

    1. Thank you, Amber! I love French toast in any form also, but you can’t beat how easy this recipe is! And Canyon’s breads have such a nice texture; they don’t even taste gluten-free!

  2. Love the fact that you can make this beforehand. The lemon zest + blueberry sounds like an incredible combination! I can’t wait to try this french toast 🙂

      1. Hi! The blueberries go on in right after you arrange the bread cubes and before the liquid mixture is added; (see step 1). And let me know if you have any other questions! Thanks for stopping by!

  3. I can’t wait to try this. You know I like Canyon Bakehouse breads! I can almost taste this right now! Thanks for always coming up with great GF and DF recipes for us!

    1. Thanks so much, Mom! I know you’re going to love this recipe, especially since you’re already such a big Canyon fan. Can’t wait to share some with you!

    1. Hi Rhonda. Oh no! I’ve made this so many times in the past few weeks and haven’t had it turn out dry. We can troubleshoot this though :). If you haven’t already baked it yet, I would add more almond or coconut milk- start with a 1/2 cup or so, depending on how dry you think it is. I’m so curious as to why it’s dry though (and sorry that’s the case for you!). Was it the same size loaf of bread or were there any other differences?

      1. I’m new to the Gluten free/dairy free scene and it was my turn to take breakfast to church! I was so thankful I found this recipe so there is something I can actually eat! So yummy! Thank you!

        1. Hi Mary Beth! Welcome to the gluten/dairy free scene! I’m so glad this recipe was helpful and I really appreciate your kind note. Thank you! You would probably enjoy my Mixed Berry French Toast as well- it’s very similar!

  4. Ahhhh, I was wondering which flavor combo you were going to go with…. can’t go wrong with blueberries and lemon!! This looks delicious too! 🙂

      1. Based on the amount of bread cubes you’ll have, there will end up being more than a single layer. I just spread them evenly and it works great! Hope you enjoy!

  5. Hi! I can’t seem to find the Canyon Bakehouse Hawaiian Sweet Bread flavor, not even on their website. Could you recomend another flavor of theirs that would work for this recipe? I would like to make this for Easter brunch! Thanks!

    1. Hi Jaime! Sorry for the delay- I overlooked your comment at first! I would recommend using the Mountain White! The Hawaiian is definitely the preference but it actually only has a touch of sweetness with 3g of sugar per slice so the Mountain White is a great substitute! Hope you enjoy and have a blessed Easter!

    2. Hi Tayled! Yes, I have tried using Mountain White and it turned out great. I would recommend that one over the 7 Grain as the 7 Grain is a little denser and may need a little extra soak time. Either way, this definitely is best when you let it soak overnight. Hope you enjoy!

  6. I can’t find the Hawaiian version. I found mountain white or 7 grain. Have you tried using these ones before?

  7. I have a package of kings Hawaiian rolls from a cook out, could I use these in place of the GF bread?

    1. Hi Jennifer. Thanks for asking! I honestly don’t think it would work very well because the texture of the rolls is so much different. The rolls would absorb the liquid much faster and probably end up being a very soggy French toast. If you substitute a different bread, I would make sure it’s a loaf bread that is gluten free or a few days old- it will absorb better and provide the ideal texture for the dish. Hope that’s helpful!

  8. I can’t find the GF CanyonBakehouse Hawaiian bread in any of the five stores I checked today. Would their GF
    Honey White be a good substitute for the Hawaiian bread?

  9. I was wondering if unsweetened almond milk will work. I have to try to make this as sugar free as possible. Also will be making it with a gluten free white bread as I was not able to find any type of sweet bread. So I was wondering with these items will it have a little sweetness-which will be ok.

    1. Hi Tracie. Apologies for not seeing your comment right away! You can definitely use unsweetened almond milk and regular gluten-free bread. It will of course taste a little less sweet but it sounds like that’s what you’re going for! Please let me know how it turns out. Hope you enjoy and thanks for stopping by!

    1. Hi Donna, I used fresh out of the bag since I used Canyon’s GF Stay fresh bread. With the nature of GF bread being a bit on the dryer side, I’ve found it works perfectly. If I was using a more moist/fresher loaf (not to say it’s not fresh from the bag, but hopefully you get what I mean), I would probably let it dry out for a day or so until it has a slightly denser/drier feeling. You just want it dry enough to be able to absorb the liquid well. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the recipe!

  10. 5 stars
    This recipe is fantastic! My son is wheat and lactose sensitive and this recipe is perfect for avoiding both allergens. And the taste does not fall short! So yummy! I’ll absolutely be making this again. Do you happen to know if it freezes well?

    Thank you!

    1. Thank you so much for trying this recipe – so glad to hear you and your son enjoyed it! I’ve only frozen a single-serving of it before and it reheated pretty well. Definitely not as good as it was fresh, but still good! I haven’t tried freezing the whole recipe though. Let me know how it goes if you decide to try it!

  11. Can you use egg replacer? On top of GF, DF, I also have an egg allergy! I’m willing to try
    Aquafina also… Thanks, Mary

    1. Hi Mary, that’s a tricky trio of allergies to navigate! Honestly, I don’t feel confident it would turn out. Since the recipe calls for 8 eggs and they are what provides the majority of the binding/texture, I can’t confidently say that egg replacer or aquafaba would work. If you try it please let me know but I’m leery to give you the green light. So sorry about that!

    1. Hi LH. This recipe serves 8. It’s listed above but sorry if it’s not in an obvious place! Thanks for stopping by.

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Welcome to KISS in the Kitchen! I’m Shannon, and my dad always told me “Keep it simple, Shannon”. And that’s what you’ll find here- simple recipes and simple ideas to help you get healthier and happier. Read more…

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