Lightened Up Coconut French Toast Casserole

This Lightened Up Coconut French Toast Casserole is a tasty breakfast or brunch recipe that can be prepped ahead of time for a crowd-pleasing morning meal. Made with unsweetened coconut, light coconut milk and chewy multi-seed bread, it’s a delicious and slightly sweet dairy-free dish that will have everyone coming back for seconds! Thank you to eureka!® Organic Bread for teaming up with me for this recipe!

I’ve always been a huge fan of coconut. I love chewy flaked coconut, coconut-flavored anything, creamy coconut milk… You name it and if it is made with coconut, I probably love it.

So why not start the day with coconut? That’s basically a sure-fire way to ensure a great day ahead, right? When it comes to my morning meals, prep-ahead dishes reign supreme over here since mornings seem to be a little more rushed than usual now that I have a baby in the mix. When I found out my sister and one of her coworkers were coming into town and staying with us two weeks ago, I wanted to have a tasty breakfast dish on hand to quickly heat up for them in the morning before they had to head off to work.

I prepped this lightened up coconut French toast casserole the night before they arrived so I could pop it in the oven when I awoke the next morning and they could have a tasty breakfast to enjoy to fuel them through their work day. (And the fact that I got to enjoy a breakfast that felt a little more special than usual on a weekday was clearly an added bonus!) When it comes to French toast casserole, the texture of the casserole makes a big difference for me. I’ve had French toast casseroles that taste too dense or too fluffy and I prefer a casserole that’s right in the middle. Slightly sweet and perfectly egg-y but with a little bit of crispness around the edges, too!

I used eureka!® Organic Bread‘s GRAINIAC® as the base for this casserole which was perfect because each slice of the bread is peppered with crunchy seeds that gave this casserole a rustic feel that I absolutely adored. Plus, the bread has a richer flavor than basic white bread and is made without any artificial flavors, colors, preservatives or high-fructose corn syrup.

Add in some chewy unsweetened coconut flakes and this lightened up coconut French toast casserole is full of texture and flavor and is also quite filling! If you have guests coming in town this summer, I think this recipe would be a crowd pleaser for any groups out there who love coconut!

Lightened Up Coconut French Toast Casserole

Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 12 slices GRAINIAC® eureka!® Organic Bread
• 1 1/4 cup light coconut milk (from a can)
• 5 eggs
• 1/2 cup liquid egg whites
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup + 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

1. In a 9×13 baking dish lightly coated with coconut oil (or sprayed with cooking spray), layer bread slices so they’re just barely overlapping.
2. Mix remaining ingredients and 1/3 cup of the unsweetened coconut flakes in a large bowl, whisking he eggs and stirring everything until fully combined. Pour over bread slices and lightly press bread down into egg mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap casserole and place in the oven. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Remove casserole and sprinkle with additional 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes. Bake for an additional 25 minutes, or until top begins to brown and middle is cooked through. (When done, a knife inserted into the middle of the casserole should come out clean and the casserole will puff up quite a bit. It will deflate upon cooling.)
4. Allow to cool slightly. Slice, top with additional flaked coconut, fresh berries and maple syrup.
5. Enjoy!

I hope you love this recipe as much as we did in our house!

For more information on eureka!® Organic Bread visit them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

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