
This lightened-up baked French toast casserole gets a pop of holiday color and flavor from a cranberry and pistachio streusel. It’s the perfect breakfast for Christmas morning.
On Christmas morning, my husband and I position ourselves in the kitchen and listen for the excited squeals and patter of little feet as our boys wake up and realize that “the best day of the year” has finally arrived. Being able to enjoy those moments is a privilege, and the last thing I want is to be up to my elbows in cooking breakfast. That’s why we always prepare a breakfast, such as this Baked French Toast Casserole, that can be made the night before, then popped into the oven right before serving.
Along with plates of fruit, hot chocolate, coffee and tea, this is all we need to feed everyone on Christmas morning. The cranberry and pistachio streusel adds a flash of holiday color, and a layer of sweetness. You may even be tempted to eat the French toast without adding maple syrup. On the other hand, you might find yourself picking off bits of the streusel and popping them in your mouth when nobody’s looking. I won’t tell.
Most baked French toast casseroles are soaked overnight in a very rich custard mixture, laden with multiple eggs, whole milk (or even some cream) and a sizable handful of sugar. But my feeling is this: Why consume a pile of extra added fat and sugar when you can make a lower fat/sugar recipe that tastes fantastic?
This is what I did: I used a combination of egg whites and whole eggs, replaced whole milk with 1% milk, replaced any sugar in the custard with fresh orange juice and orange zest and plumped up the streusel with dried cranberries and heart-healthy pistachios.
Is it perfect on the “health” scale? Nope. It still uses white bread (but you could easily substitute slices of a whole wheat country-style bread, there’s brown sugar and butter in the streusel. But it is a heck of a lot better than many overnight French toast recipes. And the taste is fantastic!
And what did I use to make this breakfast casserole? Some of my favorite OXO tools, of course. Be sure to scroll down for details about the baking set giveaway.
OXO has partnered up with Cookies for Kids’ Cancer. Be sure to watch Gretchen, the cofounder of this wonderful organization (and mum to Liam), as she tells her story on The Today Show.
The recipe:
The casserole:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lay the bread slices on two baking sheets and toast for 5 minutes, or until firm and just crisp (but not browned) on the outside.
Coat a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Lay the bread slices, overlapping each other, in the dish.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, orange juice, milk, vanilla extract, orange rind, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Pour the egg mixture over the bread slices. Cover and refrigerate the casserole for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
Remove the casserole from the oven 15 minutes prior to baking.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
The streusel:
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, butter, dried cranberries and pistachios.
Dollop the streusel over the bread slices.
Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges of the bread are starting to brown.
Serve with maple syrup, if desired.
The giveaway:
This giveaway is now closed.
You have a chance to win this baking set from OXO (approximate value $150 USD), which includes some of my favorite tools.
4 Piece Mini Measuring Beaker Set
Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons
Triple Timer
Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl Set
Angled Measuring Cup – 4 Cup
9″ Tongs
9″ Whisk
Medium Spoon Spatula
From the kitchen of Cookin Canuck. www.cookincanuck.com
Ingredients
- 12 (3/4-inch thick) slices country-style white bread
- 2 large eggs
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 1/2 cup low-fat (1%) milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp grated orange rind
- 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 6 tbsp (packed) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lay the bread slices on two baking sheets and toast for 5 minutes, or until firm and just crisp (but not browned) on the outside.
- Coat a 9- by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Lay the bread slices, overlapping each other, in the dish.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, orange juice, milk, vanilla extract, orange rind, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread slices. Cover and refrigerate the casserole for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Remove the casserole from the oven 15 minutes prior to baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, butter, dried cranberries and pistachios.
- Dollop the streusel over the bread slices.
- Cover the casserole with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the edges of the bread are starting to brown.
- Serve with maple syrup, if desired.






















{ 139 comments… read them below or add one }
monster cookies!
Cookies! All kinds!
I love making Christmas cookies, they are just so festive and fun to hand out!
The cranberry pistachio streusel is super creative! I love it. I’m a big fan of maple syrup but I would skip it for the cranberry pistachio stuff.
I like to make tiny little cookies called peppernuts.
French toast! This version is fabulous. Love the flavour combo!
I love to bake and decorate cookies with my sons!
Cookies for Santa!
A great recipe for Christmas morning!
My favorite thing to bake during the holidays are cookies of all kinds! I especially love Peanut Butter Blossoms – such a classic!
my favorite thing to bake during the holidays are definitely cookies!
i love to bake a large variety of cookies for the holidays! : )
This recipe looks great and thanks for hosting the giveaway!
Love baking. Love OXO.
I adore baked french toast recipes!!! We almost always have one Christmas morning. I love using peaches but the pistachios are calling my name!!
Peanut butter blossoms. Not necessarily a holiday cookie, but I have to reserve them for a special occasion, or I’d weigh 5,000 lbs. since they are irrestible.
Something yummy for Christmas morning–waffles or a tea ring decorated with red and green maraschino cherries or orange rolls shaped like a Christmas tree.
My favorite thing to bake during the holidays is cookies!
I like to make chocolate covered pretzelsticks with the kids
Oh this looks divine
And the cranberry pistachio? What a great idea!!!
Cheesecake and mexican wedding cookies.
My favorite thing to bake during the holidays is magic coconut bars. For Christmas morning, my family always makes a healthified breakfast casserole.
Mom’s brown sugar cinnamon kringle!
I use to wake my kids up Christmas morning because I couldn’t stand the waiting. This looks like a perfect way to start the day. Merry Christmas!
I’m so sad that I cannot enter the contest from Ontario
I love baking candy cane cookies and cut-out cookies with my mom.
i love to bake regular chocolate chip cookies, sometimes with nuts
Chocolate Chip Cookies !
pumpkin bread
I love this idea for a French toast! My favorite thing to bake for holidays is hands down sugar cookies that my girls decorate.
Sugar cookies. Love how you lightened up this dish, going to have to try it!!
I like making different kinds of fudge!
Love this recipe! I think it will be finding it’s way to our breakfast table soon!
Mexican wedding cookies. Especially when they are still warm & the powdered sugar starts to get all melty!!! Yum!!
Cookies!
Russian tea cakes!
Does dipping pretzel rods in candy melts and then covering with sprinkles count as baking? I do enjoy that. I also make chocolate chip cookie bars, and the easy kind of pull apart monkey bread, where you start with frozen dinner rolls.
Love to make cinnamon rolls and peppermint bark!
Ham!
Decorated sugar cookies!
Of course we’ve gotta be baking cookies during the holidays
I love to make fudge and bars of all kinds. Since my cookies have not been good lately, I am afraid to bake any. I used to make cookies that every one gobbled up, now they are flat fast and look bad. Taste good, look weird. I need help on this one!!
cookies, all kinds!
My favorite thing to bake during the holidays is stollen. I only make it at this time of year, but I make lots of it!
We love toffee around here. Yum!
I love Christmas morning traditions! This looks delicious and love that is a lightened version.
Looks so good!! I love the yummy toppings!
Cookies and cinnamon rolls!
Pumpkin Roll
I love to bake cookies!
This looks tasty and festive!
My favorite thing to bake during the holidays is pumpkin rolls!
Actually, during the holidays my place of employment shuts down for a few weeks. I like to take that opportunity to make my own bacon, mustards, sauces, spice mixtures, smoked meats, and try to get as much canning & freezing as I can. My favorite time of year just because of that!
Raspberry Ribbon cookies is one of my favorite things to bake each Christmas, with a host of others!
I like making candy.
This looks festive at any time! Thanks for the post!
Like to keep it simple – Tollhouse Chocolate Chip Cookies!
Cookies!
The colors from the cranberries & pistachios make this french toast perfect for Christmas!
Something new. This year I plan to tackle an Italian panforte!
Thanks for the giveaway. Awessome recipe.
Pistachios are so addictive. This looks great!
Pecan pie is my favorite thing to bake during the holidays.
Cookies
I love baking cookies of all kinds!
My favorite thing to bake during the holiday is Chocolate Yule Log. Festive and delicious.
don’t bake anything as i have no working kitchen to bake in
anything with cranberry.
mini cream cheese cupcakes
decorated sugar cookies
I like to make sweet potato souffle
This sounds yummy….and awesome giveaway – I love OXO!
Biscotti!!
This looks amazing!
I love baking some sort of egg bake for Christmas morning!
I love baking side dishes to go with a holiday ham or turkey!
The recipe looks great!
I love baking all sorts of cookies!
Cranberry Cream Cheese Bars
Your recipe sounds delicious–I can’t wait to try it!
Thanks for the giveaway!
this recipe looks sooo good- my favorite thing to bake during the holidays are cookies- I love baking cookies and giving them away!
Looks divine! I’m posting a cranberry-pecan version for the Canyons this weekend and mine isn’t so light……..but what the heck! Looks delicious and I love all your lighter takes on classics. Have a MERRY Christmas and big BIG hugs to you, friend!!
The french toast looks great
Cut-out sugar cookies with Christmas sprinkles!
I will definitely make the French toast over the holidays!
Love this giveaway. OXO are great kitchen tools.
This seems like a really great way to start the day. This will be perfect for the holiday season. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve decided baked french toast is on the menu for Christmas morning this year. Can you believe I’ve never actually made it before?? Your variation looks fantastic!
I love baking cookies during the holidays. Your baked French toast looks scrumptious!
I love baking Christmas Cookies! This year I made Ginger Rounds, Christmas Oatmeal, and Russian Tea!
Cookies are definitely my favorite holiday thing to make and eat!
Chocolate crinkles!
An assortment of cookies – bar cookies, drop cookies, rolled cookies and more.
kitchen gadgets are some of my most favorite things!!
!
My favorite thing to bake is my daughter’s birthday cake. Her birthday is 3 days before Christmas and I always try something fun and new for her.
Great recipe! Thank you!
I love making pecan pie!
I’m going to pick up some fresh pistachios and make this baked French Toast over my Christmas break ! Lucky family (mine) and thanks for the inspiration !
This french toast recipe looks amazing, and I plan to make it for Christmas morning. Thank you! I feel as if you’ve given me a gift! By making it the night before, I’ll be able to spend uninterrupted time with the kids and my husband as they open their presents. Merry Christmas!
Chocolate covered peanut butter balls!!
Wow… Love the use of OJ and zest to replace the sugar – what a great idea. I may have to try this in a couple of days
Divinity or pie are my faves
Cookies, cookies, cookies are most of my holiday baking, along with quick breads.
Just made cinnamon rolls (from The Pioneer Woman’s site) and they are my new FAVORITE! So yummy, hopefully my neighbors will think so too!
I LOVE to bake pies during the holidays-
I like to bake Pumpkin Spice Bread
I love to bake cinnamon rolls
I love the combination of pomegranates and pistachios, especially at Christmastime!
And I love to bake cookies with this combo
My mm’s napolion cake
I like the lightened up version. It sounds so fresh and light with the OJ instead of sugar. So festive too!
I have a pile of recently-picked lemons and limes on the counter, so I am going to change it up a bit and see what happens…. regardless, this looks DELICIOUS!
I love to make candied nuts and pecan tassies-yum!
This looks like a great recipe! Thank you for a great giveaway.
I’ve loved oxo products for many years now.
We love baking brownies.
I like to bake roll out sugar cookies.
I love to bake cookies, fudge, and specifically Christmas crack!
Christmas cookies, of course, but I also like baking all the side dishes for Christmas dinner (especially the stuffing!)
I’d love to win anything from OXO! Great products!!!
I love to bake all sorts of cookies for the holidays, they make great gifts
This looks delicious! I also like to make something the night before and pop it in the oven.
lefse. norwegian supremacy!
Your French Toast Casserole looks super yummy! I will have to try this using my gluten free bread. Thanks for the recipe!
Megan
Dara, this is a great recipe and I can’t wait to try it! YUM! I love French Toast casseroles and this one is unique vs. any I’ve tried. Thanks for the OXO giveaway opportunity for your fans!
I just love all your recipes! (My family thanks you every time I try a new one!!). Thanks for sharing part of your life with us.
My favorite thing to bake during the holidays are cookies! I always look for new recipes to try.
I love to bake pumpkin truffles, banana bread, and all kinds of cookies.
I love baking Christmas Cookies for all our family, friends and neighbors. I try at least one new recipe every year. Yum.
C-O-O-K-I-E-S!
I always look forward to making a breakfast casserole or cinnamon rolls for Christmas. I don’t have a go-to recipe because I have to much fun trying new recipes.
raw cacao donut holes!
This year I tried eggs benedict and it was a disaster – the hollandaise sauce curdled. Should have stuck with pain perdue (but your version sounds yummy too!) Maybe for New Year we’ll have fresh croissants, cheese and fruit with hot chocolate or chai tea….
I made a stuffed French toast for Christmas morning this year too, so much easier than worrying about leaving the present fun to go hang out in the kitchen
This french toast looks delicious. Recipes that can be prepped ahead are so great for the holidays.
Bread!
Sugar cookies!
Your french toast looks festive and yummy! My favorite thing to bake during the holidays is cookies…LOVE cookies!
I mainly bake quick breads during the holidays.
I love to bake, anything; from apples to zucchini. And I love OXO. And your recipe looks delicious.
I like baking Cookies!
Those look great!