This Crockpot Raspberry Chocolate Chip French Toast Casserole is a simple brunch dish that feels extra special. It comes together with just a few ingredients and is super easy to prep. You can either make it ahead and leave it to soak overnight, or you can cook it right away – it turns out scrumptious either way!
If you know me at all, then you know what a gigantic fan of French toast I am. From Cream Cheese Strawberry Stuffed French Toast to Waffled Churro French Toast Sticks and Streusel Topped Blueberry French Toast Casserole – there’s something for (almost) every taste.
It was only a matter of time until I added a slow cooker version, really. And wow, is it a good one or what?!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
Ingredient notes
- You can use fresh or frozen raspberries – frozen ones are a little sturdier and don’t get squished by the bread as fast as fresh ones do, and they’re cheaper.
- If you don’t have any challah or brioche bread, you can also use another variety of light and thick bread (like French bread or Texas Toast).
- If you don’t have day-old bread, don’t worry. You can use fresh, the casserole could be a little more dense though. If you want instant stale bread, bake your cubed bread at 300°F for 10 minutes, then let cool before using.
- The casserole tastes great with pretty much any berry – blueberries are another favorite. Or even diced apple, perfect for fall and winter! When I use apple, I skip the chocolate chips, or use cinnamon chips instead.
How to make French Toast in the Crockpot
This French toast really does come together in 1-2-3:
- combine ingredients for the custard
- layer bread, raspberries and chocolate chips in the crock
- pour custard over and cook
Step by step photos
Add all ingredients for the French toast custard to a bowl or measuring jug…
… and whisk well to combine all the egg with the milk – get this right or your french toast bake will be filled with bits of scrambled egg.
The bread should be the bottom layer of your French toast, as it’s the sturdiest ingredient.
Layer the ingredients vs stirring them together to avoid crushing all the raspberries!
Carefully pour the custard all over the bread, berries and chocolate in the crock…
… to make sure all the bread is soaked in the egg mix!
Recipe tips
- I prefer layering the ingredients vs stirring them together in the crock, because that way I can achieve a more even distribution AND I don’t turn all he raspberries into mush.
- Pour the milk/egg mix slowly and carefully over the bread and berries to make sure you catch all the bread, or you’ll end up with dry spots in your French toast bake.
- Unfortunately, I don’t recommend cooking this on low (I’ve tried several times, and I never managed to cook the casserole through in the middle before the edges started to turn into charcoal). This means you cannot turn this into an overnight kind of deal, but you can definitely get up early in the morning, switch on your crock and hop back into bed. Or drink a cup of coffee in peace and quite, whatever you like best 😉
Prep ahead tips
As far as making it ahead goes – yes. You can.
Prep it the night before, refrigerate and have it ready to go in the morning.
BUT. You need to allow the crock to come to room temperature for around 20 minutes before you turn it on. Otherwise it will take a lot longer to cook on the inside, while the outside might start to burn.
Serving suggestions
We enjoy this Crockpot Raspberry Chocolate Chip French Toast Casserole as-is, since it’s quite rich in itself. But you could always add a little syrup or whipped cream if you like! But honey butter is my favorite when we make it with apple or peaches!
More French toast
PS If you try this recipe, why not leave a star rating in the recipe card right below and/or a review in the comment section further down the page? I always appreciate your feedback! You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!
Crockpot Raspberry Chocolate Chip French Toast Casserole
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 5-6 cups challah or brioche cut into 1 inch cubes
- ½ pint raspberries
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Whisk the milk, eggs, sugar and vanilla together in a medium bowl.
- Place half of the challah cubes in a 4-5 quart slow cooker, pushing slightly down. Sprinkle with half the raspberries and chocolate chips. Repeat layers.
- Pour milk mixture on top, cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or until puffed up and starting to turn golden on top.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- You can use fresh or frozen raspberries – frozen ones are a little sturdier and don’t get squished by the bread as fast as fresh ones do, and they’re cheaper.
- If you don’t have any challah or brioche bread, you can also use another variety of light and thick bread (like French bread or Texas Toast).
- If you don’t have day-old bread, don’t worry. You can use fresh, the casserole could be a little more dense though. If you want instant stale bread, bake your cubed bread at 300°F for 10 minutes, then let cool before using.
- The casserole tastes great with pretty much any berry – blueberries are another favorite. Or even diced apple, perfect for fall and winter! When I use apple, I skip the chocolate chips, or use cinnamon chips instead.
Recipe tips
- I prefer layering the ingredients vs stirring them together in the crock, because that way I can achieve a more even distribution AND I don’t turn all he raspberries into mush.
- Pour the milk/egg mix slowly and carefully over the bread and berries to make sure you catch all the bread, or you’ll end up with dry spots in your French toast bake.
- Unfortunately, I don’t recommend cooking this on low (I’ve tried several times, and I never managed to cook the casserole through in the middle before the edges started to turn into charcoal). This means you cannot turn this into an overnight kind of deal, but you can definitely get up early in the morning, switch on your crock and hop back into bed. Or drink a cup of coffee in peace and quite, whatever you like best 😉
Nutrition
More recipe information
I first published this recipe on 05/10/2017. I updated it on 05/26/2020 to make it more helpful to you.
Jessica says
If I wanted to do a lemon blueberry French toast …. how would I go about that? Is that possible with a modification to your recipe?
Nora says
Jessica, I’m sure the French toast would come out great with blueberries in place of the raspberries. I would personally omit the chocolate chips because I’m not a huge fan of chocolate and blueberries together. I would probably add a little grated lemon zest to the milk mixture and in the end drizzle with a lemon glaze for extra decadence… The glaze is obviously not necessary, but would be a nice finish. Hope this helps, let me know how it turns out!
Trudi says
eeeeyummee! All my favorite ingredients!
Dori says
Excellent Christmas morning breakfast!
Nora Rusev says
I’m glad you enjoyed the French toast, Dori! I hope your Christmas was a magical one.
Ann says
Will this work with white chocolate chips?
Nora says
Yes! What a delicious idea – now I want to make that for breakfast this weekend 🙂
Melinda says
Can I use frozen berries as they are currently out of season.
Nora says
Yes, you absolutely can, Melinda!
Deanne S. says
It’s a keeper. Family loved it. And really easy.
Nora says
So happy to read this, Deanne. I’s one of our favorites!
Deanne S. says
I will never use a different recipe. Yours rocks. Made this a lot of times and flawless every time.
Thanks. 🤗
Nora says
This makes me so happy to hear, Deanne! I’m glad you’re enjoying the French toast. We love it, too 🙂
Marjie says
Hey Nora, can’t wait to try your recipe, and was wondering if using another type of bread is possible? Like maybe the Texas toast or a loaf of French bread ? Haven’t been able to find Challah or the Brioche at my local market. Or do you have any suggestions?
Thanks Marjie
Nora says
Hi Marjie, yes you can use any thick, white bread! Texas toast would be perfect.
Bev says
Can this cook overnight on LOW in the crockpot?
Nora says
Hi Bev, I honestly wouldn’t do it. I have never seen a French Toast bake that cooks overnight in the crockpot – or at least none with good reviews. It just tends to burn at the bottom, even if cooked on low. If we make French toast in the crock, it’s for brunch occasions where you’d eat a little later in the morning. If you don’t want to get up super early to switch on the crockpot, you can also assemble it in a casserole dish the night before, then bake it at 350F for 30-40 minutes. Hope that helps!
Claire says
Hi. Most french toast recipes I have made (not many) have called for stale bread. Does the brioche need to be stale or fresh for this? Or doesn’t matter? Thanks
Nora says
Hi Claire, I have made it with both fresh and stale brioche, and I really couldn’t tell a huge difference. The one with fresh brioche is maybe a little denser and more custardy! I’d go with your personal preference. Hope that helps.
Katie says
Can I add some cream cheese to this recipe? It sounds like it might be a little dry otherwise…?
Nora says
Hi Katie, I’ve had no complaints about it being dry! But feel free to add cream cheese to make it extra special! If you go ahead and try it, I’d love to know what you think of it – because it sounds like cream cheese would make this French toast even more delicious. Hope that helps!
Spicey says
If you use frozen raspberries, do you have to thaw them first?
Nora Rusev says
No need to thaw them!
Clarissa says
How many does this recipe serve?
Nora says
Hi Clarissa, sorry, just saw it’s not in the recipe card! I fixed that for you. It serves around 4 as a decadent brunch or around 6 if there’s multiple brunch dishes. Hope that helps!
Nicole Laliberte says
Can you make a double batch of the recipe too? If so, do you need to adjust the cooking time at all?
Nicole Laliberte says
Sorry, I just read the next comment. No need to reply.
Nora Rusev says
Nicole, thank you so much for taking the time to actually read the comments for tips or help. Most people don’t, so I do really appreciate your effort.
Chris says
Hi this looks amazing! Can I double this and how would the cooking time change?
Nora says
Hi Chris, yes you can double it. The time wouldn’t change at all, you just need to use an around 6 quart slow cooker. Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Caitlin says
How would the cooking time in the crockpot change if you doubled the recipe?
Nora says
Hi Caitlin, the time wouldn’t change at all, you just need to use an around 6 quart slow cooker. Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Laura McNamara says
I love this recipe, what would you change if I wanted to do it in the oven?
Nora says
Hi Laura! Here’s how to make this in the oven:
Layer the ingredients in a deep 7×11 casserole dish (you may need to use a 9×13 dish if you don’t have a deep dish). Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to overnight, before baking.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Once the oven is hot, bake the casserole for around 45 minutes or until the egg mixture is no longer runny and the top is golden and crispy. If it’s not done after that amount of time, lonely cover with foil to avoid the top burning.
Hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions!