Easy and Delicious Cranberry French Toast Bake

This cranberry French bake is a beautiful and delicious breakfast during the holiday season or really anytime. It’s lovely for a special occasion, but simple enough for a quick mid-week breakfast.

Cranberries are one of my favorite festive additions to add to food during the holiday season. In addition to being beautiful, they are also packed full of antioxidants and high in vitamin C, making them a powerful source of immune support. I like to buy them in bulk when they go on sale this time of year and then freeze them for things like cranberry immunity tea, cranberry orange scones, and French toast bake throughout the winter.

There are so many variations to French toast bakes and all are delicious. You could add blueberries, puréed pumpkin, stewed apples, or even a thick crumb topping for an extra delicious treat.

Why you’ll love this French toast bake

Simple ingredients – It’s made with simple ingredients you already have on hand.

One pan – It’s no secret. I love my cast-iron and although this french toast bake starts off on the stove top and finishes in the oven, it can easily be done in one pan when you use cast iron.

Beautiful and festive – The pops of red this breakfast is such a beautiful and festive look.

Comes together quickly – Just a few minutes of preparation necessary.

simple ingredients

Sourdough bread or another crusty bread traps the egg mixture and keeps from a soggy French toast bake.

Eggs make this a protein rich, but also sweet breakfast, making it super filling

Butter adds a richness to the flavor profile. You could also use coconut oil, if you prefer.

Cranberries are the star of the show. Fresh cranberries really do work best for this, but you can use frozen ones if you have them on hand. I would avoid dried cranberries.

Supplies needed

Really the only special thing you will need for this recipe is a cast-iron skillet. I have multiple sizes on hand and use my cast-iron every day. For this recipe, I like to use the 10 inch skillet.

Simple Preparation

You will start by melting your butter in the cast-iron skillet. Once the butter is melted, add honey, and cranberries and stir just until the cranberries begin to pop. Then add your cubed sourdough bread and stir until everything is well coated. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, spices, and salt until well mixed. Pour the egg mixture over the bread. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and bake for 20-30 minutes or until egg mixture is set. Serve immediately with maple syrup and butter.

How to reheat French toast bake

The simplest way to reheat this French toast bake is to toss it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds or until it is warm. You can also place it into a cold oven and preheat it to 350. When your oven reaches temperature, your French toast bake should be perfectly warm. This is how I prefer to reheat leftovers since we don’t have a microwave.

Can I make this cranberry French toast bake ahead of time?

Yes! This is a great make ahead recipe. To make ahead, simply follow the steps for melting the butter and mixing in the bread cubes and then let that cool completely. Pour the eggs over the bread mixture and refrigerate it overnight. When you’re ready to bake, you may have to add a couple of additional minutes to your baking time to account for the cold cast-iron.

Alternatively, if you’re worried about soggy bread, you could also prep the egg mixture separately and store in a glass jar overnight, pouring over the bread mixture just before baking.

For other make ahead breakfast ideas, especially holiday breakfasts, you’ll want to check out this blog post.

I hope you enjoy this festive cranberry French toast bake. It is one of my favorite recipes to serve this time of year.