I always enjoy French toast for special breakfasts! There is just something that’s magical about the moist bread dipped in an egg and milk batter before being fried until golden brown and crispy on the outside and then smothered in syrup! Yum! There are several different ways to make French toast and this is a baked casserole style of French toast where the bread is cubed and combined with the custardy egg, milk and cream mixture before being baked. I like this style of French toast as the center is nice and moist and soft and the top gets a little crispy.
This baklava baked French toast uses the flavours from the baklava treat and it makes for an amazing special breakfast for mom on Mother’s Day! Some of the flavours of baklava, including honey, cinnamon and citrus zest are included in the bread mixture for the base of the French toast and it’s topped with a combination of nuts, plenty of nuts! (I like to use an combination of walnuts and pistachios!) Baklava is normally a wet dessert that’s swimming in a honey based syrup and this French toast is served with a similar syrup made with honey, that’s infused with citrus and cinnamon! This baklava baked French toast is super easy to make for any special occasion and it’s sure to please!
Baklava Baked French Toast
A casserole baked French toast with all of the flavours of baklava including a nut topping and a honey syrup!
ingredients
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 loaf bread (such as Italian, Texas toast, etc.), cut into 1 inch pieces (gluten-free for gluten-free)
- 2 cups nuts (such as walnuts, pistachios), chopped
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 inch piece of lemon rind
- 1 inch piece of orange rind
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or a cinnamon stick
For the french toast:
For the syrup:
directions
- Mix the eggs, milk, cream, sugar, honey, orange zest, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- Place the bread in a 13×9 inch baking pan, pour the milk and egg mixture over the bread, cover, and let it chill in the fridge for a few hours to overnight.
- Mix the nuts, honey, sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the bread in the pan.
- Bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven until the top is golden brown and the middle is no longer wet, about 45-60 minutes.
- Slice and enjoy topped with honey syrup!
- Bring the honey, water, lemon rind, orange rind, and cinnamon to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes before straining out the solids and allowing to cool.
For the french toast:
For the syrup:
Option: Use zest instead of the strips of lemon peel and orange peel.
Tip: Store any leftover in a sealed container in the fridge and warm before serving.
This looks really good!