Decadent Sticky Date French Toast Bake: Your Ultimate Holiday Breakfast & Brunch Recipe
Imagine combining the rich, comforting flavors of a traditional Sticky Date Pudding with the beloved warmth of French Toast. What you get is nothing short of extraordinary: this incredibly indulgent Sticky Date French Toast Bake (or casserole!), generously drizzled with a lightened-up, date-infused Butterscotch sauce. It’s truly the perfect centerpiece for your upcoming Christmas menu planning or any special occasion that calls for a show-stopping breakfast.
The Magic of Stress-Free Holiday Mornings
This recipe is a true gift, designed to simplify your busiest mornings. Whether you prepare it the day before, letting the flavors meld overnight, or decide to whip it up on the morning of Christmas, it promises a quick, easy, and super decadent breakfast bake. Picture this: enjoying every blissful bite with joyous passion after unwrapping all those presents. Or, if your holiday tradition involves frantically wrapping gifts last minute the night before (you’re not alone!), this luxurious bake is the perfect comforting fix to wake up to after a stressed, half-sleep.
Crafting the Perfect Sticky Date French Toast Bake
Transforming a classic dessert like Sticky Date Pudding into a breakfast sensation requires careful consideration of textures and flavors. We started by creating a rich yet balanced egg wash, ensuring the crucial sticky date sweetness shines through with brown sugar (or coconut sugar for a healthier twist). But the real secret weapon? Brioche. This incredibly soft, buttery bread elevates the entire dish, providing a custard-like decadence that plain sandwich bread simply can’t match. Each slice becomes a sponge, soaking up all the deliciousness.
The Brioche Difference: Why It’s Essential
Choosing brioche for this French toast bake is not just a preference; it’s a game-changer. Its rich, eggy, and buttery crumb is inherently moist and tender, meaning it absorbs the flavorful egg wash almost instantly. This key characteristic eliminates the need for any tedious overnight soaking, allowing for spontaneous morning preparation or a quick assembly the night before. The brioche transforms during baking, developing crispy golden edges while remaining incredibly soft and custardy on the inside, truly mimicking a bread pudding experience.
The Sweetness of Dates: Infusing Every Layer
Dates are the heart and soul of this recipe. They bring a natural, caramel-like sweetness and a wonderfully chewy texture that is simply irresistible. By incorporating roughly chopped pitted dates both within the French toast bake itself and into the luscious butterscotch sauce, we ensure that every single mouthful is bursting with their distinctive flavor. These sticky, sweet gems are what make this breakfast bake a true homage to the beloved Sticky Date Pudding.
Your Ultimate Holiday Brunch Solution: Make-Ahead Perfection
One of the greatest advantages of this Sticky Date French Toast Bake is its incredible flexibility. Unlike many recipes that demand hours of pre-soaking, the nature of brioche allows it to absorb all the delicious flavors almost immediately. This means you can absolutely prepare and bake it all in the morning, making it perfect for those times you want a fresh, warm bake straight from the oven.
BUT! For the sake of your sanity and to ensure a truly relaxed and de-stressed Christmas breakfast (or any celebratory brunch), we highly recommend preparing this the night before. Simply assemble the casserole, cover it, and refrigerate. Then, on the morning of, take it out about an hour before baking to allow it to come to room temperature, and slide it into the oven. This little trick frees up precious morning time, letting you focus on loved ones and the joyous atmosphere without sacrificing a freshly baked, magnificent meal.
The Irresistible Date-Infused Butterscotch Sauce
Once baked to golden perfection with tantalizingly crispy outer edges, this French toast bake is elevated further by a generous drizzle of our special butterscotch caramel sauce. And trust us, this is not just any sauce. This is a homemade masterpiece, simmered and infused with soft, sticky date pieces, adding an extra layer of nuanced flavor and a delightful texture that complements the bake beautifully. The “lightened up” aspect means you can indulge without feeling overly heavy, striking the perfect balance between richness and refinement.
A Symphony of Flavors: Every Bite a Memory
Every single mouthful of this Sticky Date French Toast Bake is a harmonious blend of textures and tastes, reminiscent of the traditional Sticky Date Pudding but with an exciting Brioche twist. You’ll experience the chewiness of soft date pieces, the comforting richness of custard-soft bread pudding, and the luxurious silkiness of our lightened-up, date-infused butterscotch sauce. It’s a culinary journey that begins with a classic dessert and reimagines it into a breakfast icon, promising a memorable experience for everyone at the table.
Stepping Up Your French Toast Game
Dare we say it? This is quite possibly one of the best French Toast recipes featured on Cafe Delites, taking its rightful place among our most cherished creations. Move over Red Velvet French Toast and Cappuccino French Toast… take a back seat, Peanut Butter Cheesecake Stuffed Chocolate Brownie French Toasts! While those are undoubtedly fantastic, this Sticky Date French Toast Bake is the new star in town, offering a unique blend of dessert-inspired decadence and breakfast comfort that sets it apart.
Serving Suggestions & Variations
Perfect Pairings
- A Dollop of Cream: A spoonful of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream will elevate this bake to an even higher level of dessert-for-breakfast luxury.
- Fresh Fruit: Balance the richness with some fresh berries like raspberries or blueberries, or sliced bananas.
- Coffee or Tea: A hot cup of coffee or a comforting mug of tea is the ideal companion to this sweet treat.
- Warm Nuts: Toasted pecans or walnuts sprinkled on top add a delightful crunch.
Creative Twists
- Spiced Up: Add a pinch of nutmeg or allspice to the egg mixture for an even warmer, more complex flavor profile.
- Nutty Crunch: Incorporate chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts) directly into the bread mixture before baking for added texture.
- Citrus Zest: A tiny bit of orange or lemon zest in the egg wash can provide a bright counterpoint to the sweetness.
- Caramel Drizzle: If you’re feeling extra indulgent, a secondary drizzle of classic caramel sauce alongside the butterscotch would be divine.
Conclusion: Your New Go-To Dessert-for-Breakfast
This Sticky Date French Toast Bake is more than just a recipe; it’s an experience. It’s the perfect harmony of comfort, indulgence, and convenience, making it an ideal choice for any special occasion or simply when you crave something truly extraordinary. With its soft brioche, sweet dates, and the crowning glory of a date-infused butterscotch sauce, every bite is a delightful journey. Prepare to impress your family and friends with this unforgettable breakfast or brunch dish. It’s destined to become a treasured favorite in your recipe collection!
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Sticky Date French Toast Bake
Ingredients
French Toast Bake:
- 14 oz loaf Brioche evenly sliced
- 3/4 cup pitted dates roughly chopped
- 4 large eggs
- 2 1/2 cups milk of choice
- 1/3 cup brown sugar or substitute for coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 1 pinch salt about 1/4 teaspoon
Butterscotch Sauce:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter or spread of choice I used an olive oil spread
- 1/2 cup thickened cream, heavy cream or coconut cream
- 1/4 cup pitted dates roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup boiling water optional
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 200°C | 390°F.
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Lightly grease a 28×23-cm | 9×11-inch casserole dish with cooking oil spray or a light coating of butter. Place the bread slices into the dish, and arrange the dates all around, under and in between the bread slices.
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Whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon (if using), and salt until frothy and well combined. Pour the egg wash over the bread. Press the bread lightly into the egg wash to evenly coat.
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Bake in preheated oven util cooked through and golden on top (about 40-45 minutes).
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While the french toast is in the oven, prepare sauce:
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Combine the sugar and butter in a medium sized saucepan on low heat. Occasionally stir until the brown sugar has melted through the butter, When the mixture is hot and steaming (after about 2 minutes), gradually add the cream in small amounts, stirring in between each addition, until all of the cream is in the pan. Add in the dates and allow the sauce to bubble up and froth, while still occasionally stirring. After about 8 minutes the sauce should be thickened and the dates will be soft. Take off heat and allow to cool slightly. Pour in 1 tablespoon of boiling water at a time (whisking after each addition), until reaching your desired consistency.
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Serve a slice with a drizzle of butterscotch and softened date pieces!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.