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Hazelnut and chocolate cream sandwiched between savory slices of French toast and smothered with sweet-tart strawberry sauce. Baked Nutella French Toast is the ultimate breakfast indulgence and makes for a great Mother’s Day brunch.
Baked Nutella French Toast – Special Moms Deserve A Special Breakfast
Every year, on the second Sunday in May, countless mothers are treated to a morning off and breakfast in bed.
It’s a sweet tradition fueled by the best of intentions.
However – and I speak from experience here—sometimes those kid-and-husband-prepared Mother’s Day breakfasts can be less than stellar.
All these years later, I still remember scraping overcooked, unsalted scrambled eggs and burnt toast into the trash when the kids weren’t looking. I also remember scraping dried-on eggs out of the skillet and cleaning up a kitchen disaster zone later that morning.
Good intentions notwithstanding, I think we can do better. And we should! Because Moms make the world go round.
Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to show her just how much she means to us. What better way to do that than with a homemade breakfast fit for a queen?
This Baked Nutella French Toast is a deliciously decadent breakfast or brunch dish that’s surprisingly easy to make.
In fact, the whole thing can be prepared the night before, stored in the refrigerator, and popped into the oven in the morning. And believe me, the sight of a clean kitchen is something Mom will appreciate almost as much as this scrumptious breakfast.
But you don’t have to wait until Mother’s Day, or even be a mom, to enjoy this decadent breakfast delight.
Whether you’re treating yourself to a lazy weekend brunch, impressing guests with a gourmet breakfast, or simply satisfying your sweet tooth, Baked Nutella French Toast is perfect for any occasion.
And so easy to make!
How To Make Baked Nutella French Toast
As someone who loves to entertain, I’m a longtime fan of breakfast casseroles (such as my Breakfast Monte Cristo, Blueberry-Lemon, and Cranberry, Ham, and Swiss Casseroles). These dishes can be prepared in advance, allowing you to keep the focus on your guests.
While this dish may look and taste like something you’d find at a fancy brunch spot, it’s actually very easy to make. With just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep work, you can whip up an effortlessly elegant gourmet breakfast that your family will love.
You’ll start by layering a nice dollop of Nutella between baguette slices, creating a sort of Nutella sandwich. (If you’ve got little people helping out in the kitchen, this would be a great job for them.)
All those yummy little sandwiches will go into an ovenproof baking pan or casserole. Then you’ll whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt and pour it over sandwiches. The egg mixture should soak into the bread for two hours or overnight.
While the stuffed Nutella French toast is soaking, you’ll make a simple stovetop strawberry sauce with fresh berries, sugar, a little lemon juice, and a lot of love.
Once the Baked Nutella French Toast comes out of the oven, spoon some of the fresh strawberry sauce over the top and serve.
Easy Peasy!
Baked Nutella French Toast –Substitutions And Tips
Feel free to get creative and customize this recipe to suit your tastes.
You can try different types of bread if you’d like. And while I happen to think that strawberries are an ideal flavor pairing with Nutella, you could also try making the sauce with blueberries or blackberries. I’m sure they’d be delicious too.
If berries aren’t your thing, or if you don’t feel like making the sauce, you could simply slice some bananas on top and drizzle with a little maple syrup and melted butter. Yum!
Please note that this is a BIG recipe, enough to feed six hearty appetites or twelve light eaters. If you’re not feeding a crowd, simply cut the amounts in half. Or even in quarters.
Whether you make a little or a lot, Baked Nutella French Toast is a breakfast that your family, friends, guests, or that special Mom in your life will love!
Looking for more breakfast casseroles? Try my Monte Cristo, Blueberry-Lemon, and Cranberry, Ham, and Swiss Casseroles.
Print
Baked Nutella French Toast for Mother’s Day Brunch
- Yield: 6-12 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 baguette, cut into 24 slices, about 1-inch thick
- 1 – 13oz. jar of Nutella spread (you won’t use all of it)
- 12 eggs
- 3 cups whole milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 lb strawberries, stems removed, diced. (Can substitute frozen strawberries)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Layer twelve baguette slices into a large, 9×13 oven proof baking pan. Spoon a generous dollop of Nutella, about a tablespoon, onto each slice and top with a second slice. (You won’t use all the Nutella, reserve the remainder for serving or another purpose.)
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the prepared stacks of bread. Cover baking pan with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator.
- After an hour or two, turn over each bread stack, so the top slices of bread are now on the bottom and have a chance to absorb the remaining egg mixture. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and put it back into the refrigerator for at least one more hour or overnight, until the egg mixture is mostly absorbed into the bread.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for one hour.
- While the French toast is baking, make the strawberry sauce. Stir the diced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice together in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Use a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon to crush the berries and release some of their juice.
- Bring the berries to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove the pan from the oven. Heat the remaining Nutella in the microwave for a few seconds, until it becomes thin enough to pour. Place French Toast stacks onto plates. Serves with the strawberry sauce and an extra dollop of Nutella if desired.
