My love language is french toast. All kinds. From a croissant french toast to a tiramisu stacked french toast, I just knew I had to create this deliciously easy pear and brown sugar french toast bake recipe. Brioche, pear, brown sugar, maple syrup... what's better?
I've gotta be totally honest with you, this was not my most favorite recipe when I first made it. It was way too egg and custardy that bordered being a bread pudding. With a few minor adjustments, it's now perfect and even better the next day.
TL; DR Recipe Summary
- 👩🏼🍳 Bake Level: Easy
- ⏱️ Bake Time: ~30 minutes
- 😋 Taste: Custardy, brown sugar, sweet pear.
- 🍽️ Best Served With: Serve with a batch of sweet apple pie crescent roll ups, a stack of fluffy lemon poppy seed pancakes, or my personal favorite, moist sour cream chocolate chip muffins to round out a breakfast buffet.
Jump to:
French Toast Tips
- Be sure to cover all of the bread really well when pouring the egg and milk mixture so that all of the bread gets nice and soft as it bakes.
- Add some dollops of cream cheese into the brioche and then bake it. This will give the french toast bake a creamier flavor and texture.
The Main Ingredients
- Brioche Bread - A classic bread used for all sorts of brunch recipes, including french toast. It's great because it soaks up all the egg and milk and bakes up well in the oven.
- Eggs - The base of any French toast bake, eggs bind ingredients together and give the bake a rich, fluffy texture.
- Milk - Adds creaminess to the mixture, keeping the French toast moist and tender.
- Vanilla Extract or Paste - This provides a deeper depth of flavor, giving that classic sweet bakery aroma.
- Pears - Pears add natural sweetness and a touch of fruitiness to balance the richness.
- Brown Sugar - With just a sprinkle of the brown sugar on top BEFORE it bakes, it gives a caramelized and molasses flavor.
Be sure to check out the recipe card at the end of this post for more information about quantities, measurements, and specific cooking instructions.
Recipe Swaps and Substitutions
- Gluten Free - Swap out the regular brioche for a gluten-free version.
- Milk - Swap out the whole milk for almond milk.
- Butter - for caramelizing the pears, use a vegan or plant-butter like Wesson or Miyokos.
- Fruit - swap in any fruit that you'd like if pears aren't your thing.
How to make this pear french toast bake
Step 1: Caramelize the pears in butter until soft and golden brown. Add in 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon and ¼ c of the brown sugar then set aside.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Dice the challah into small pieces and layer into an oven-safe baking dish.
Step 3: Pour egg mixture over the entire challah, making sure each cube of bread is soaked with the egg mixture.
Step 4: Then, pour the caramelized pears on top of the soggy brioche. Sprinkle the brown sugar on top of the bread mixture. Bake at 375°for 28m.
Pear French Toast FAQs
This french toast bake will do well in the fridge for up to 4 days in a tightly sealed tupperware container.
If you would like to place this in the freezer, I highly recommend you do so in the dish it was baked in, wrapped with plastic wrap with a label on it, indicating the date the dish was baked. Consume within one month.
Looking for more breakfast recipes? Here's what's trending!
Did you love this recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you're just as in love with this recipe as I am, please share a comment below and rate it! Better yet, share this recipe with family and friends!! Thank you!
Easy Pear and Brown Sugar French Toast Bake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 oven safe casserole dish
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 whisk
- 1 cutting board
- 1 frying pan
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 2 tablespoon vanilla extract or paste
- 2 tablespoon cinnamon divided
- 2 large pears diced
- 1 loaf brioche bread cubed
- 100 grams brown sugar ½ cup
- 2 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Caramelize the pears in butter until soft and golden brown. Add in spices and ¼ c of the brown sugar then set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.
- Dice the challah into small pieces and layer into an oven-safe baking dish.
- Pour egg mixture over the entire challah, making sure each cube of bread is soaked with the egg mixture. Then, pour the caramelized pears on top of the soggy brioche.
- Sprinkle the remaining brown sugar on top of the bread mixture. Bake at 375°for 20-22m.
Melody says
Two tablespoons of cinnamon is way way too much pretty much ruined it with the time it took so disappointing
Morgan Peaceman says
Hi Melody, I'm so sorry you experienced this with this recipe! Did you divide the 2 tablespoons in half? Meaning, using one of the tablespoons for the pears, and one tablespoon for the egg and milk mixture? That should alleviate it being too cinnamony.