This easy, gluten-free French toast bake is bursting with sweet strawberries and tangy rhubarb for a perfect, make-ahead spring breakfast or brunch!
I just love a dish I can make the day before a get-together! Not only does it free me up for face-to-face visiting in the moment—it also makes me look like a well-organized entertaining queen. This strawberry French toast bake with rhubarb lets you do half the work ahead of time, then bake it and add a few finishing flourishes the day of your event. Your home will smell amazing, and your guests will be all kinds of impressed with your Martha-Stewart-level culinary skills!
Another reason I love this particular recipe is its relative lightness. Other French toast bakes I’ve tried feature heavy ingredients like cream cheese, butter, and brioche bread. But this one hits just the right sweet notes by combining real fruit with plant-based milk, honey, coconut sugar, and fewer eggs than a typical breakfast bake. And it still delivers that decadent, creamy texture for a delightful experience that elevates any occasion!
Is This Strawberry French Toast Bake With Rhubarb Healthy?
This dish is a wholesome and nutrient-rich alternative to traditional French toast bakes. It’s a vegetarian-friendly, gluten-free, and dairy-free breakfast option that relies on honey, fruit, and coconut sugar for its sweetness, rather than refined sugars. With a fair amount of protein, fiber, vitamins, and micronutrients packed into a modest calorie count, it’s a moderately healthy choice as part of an overall balanced diet when portion size is controlled.
However, this strawberry French toast bake leans toward the high end of carbs and sugar content. If you’re on a strict low-carb diet or closely monitoring your sugar intake, this might not be the dish for you. Subbing monk fruit for the honey could tamp down the sweetness, and pairing the dish with something like Greek yogurt would boost the protein for a more balanced meal.
How To Choose The Best Rhubarb
When selecting rhubarb for your French toast bake, look for stalks that are firm, crisp, and free of blemishes or bruises. Avoid stalks that are limp, floppy, or have brown or yellow spots, as these are signs that the rhubarb is old or damaged. I look for thin, tender stalks—less than two inches in diameter—because thicker stalks can be tough and stringy. You’re likely to see rhubarb in a range of colors from deep red to green, but these are markers of different varieties, not ripeness. If you crave a vibrant pink or red hue in your finished dish, opt for redder stalks. The green or speckled varieties will taste just as good.
FAQs & Tips
How Do I Store Leftovers?
Store leftover strawberry French toast bake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For longer storage, let the bake cool to room temp, and freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Enjoy leftover French toast bake cold—or reheat in a 350°F oven until warmed through.
How To Amp Up The Sweetness
My partner and I liked it with 4 tablespoons of honey, but some of his coworkers said that it wasn’t sweet enough. If you know you have a sweet tooth, feel free to go with 5 or 6 tablespoons of honey.
What Other Flavors Can I Add?
This bake is brimming with the bright flavors of spring! But you can make it feel more like fall or winter by incorporating spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cardamom. And if you’d like a hint of heat to temper the sweetness, try a dash of cayenne pepper!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this strawberry French toast bake with protein-rich dishes like Breakfast Sausage and Almond Milk Yogurt for a balanced meal. Or embrace your sweet side by pairing it with Mini Pancakes or a Dutch Baby. You could also put out a full brunch spread by serving up your bake alongside this Easy Low-Carb Keto Breakfast Casserole With Sausage, Crock-Pot Breakfast Potatoes, Norwegian Pancakes, a Spinach Frittata, Crème Brûlée Cookies, and Mini Key Lime Pies.
Recipe
Ingredients
For The Casserole:
- 2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk divided
- 4 large eggs
- 4 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 18-ounce loaf gluten-free white bread cubed, lightly packed
- 1 cup strawberries sliced
- 1/2 cup rhubarb sliced
For The Crumble:
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled old-fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons coconut oil at room temp, should be the consistency of softened butter
For The Sauce:
- 2 cups strawberries roughly chopped
- 1 cup rhubarb sliced
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a very large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the almond milk, the eggs, honey, vanilla, and salt until well combined.
- Add the cubed bread, sliced strawberries, and rhubarb to the mixture. Gently toss until the bread is evenly coated in the egg mixture.
- Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish. Cover with tinfoil and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- The next day, preheat oven to 350°F.
- Pour the remaining 1/2 cup of almond milk over the casserole to give it some extra moisture. Gently press the bread cubes down so they are packed together.
- In a small bowl, make the crumble by stirring together the almond flour, oats, and coconut sugar. Add the coconut oil and stir with your hands until well mixed and crumbly.
- Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the casserole. Bake until the eggs are set and the casserole begins to bubble, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.
- While the casserole bakes, combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a medium pot over medium heat. Bring to a steady simmer and cook until the strawberries soften, stirring frequently, about 7-8 minutes.
- Lightly mash the rhubarb and strawberries with a fork, but make sure to leave some texture. Cook an additional 6-7 minutes until the sauce thickens and slightly reduces. Set aside.
- Once the casserole is set, broil it on high for 2-3 minutes, until the crumble is lightly golden brown and crunchy. Watch it closely because the crumbs can burn quickly!
- Pour the sauce over the casserole and serve warm.
Can I make this recipe with frozen rhubarb instead of fresh one?
You can certainly try it. I’ve only tested the recipe using fresh.