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Sunny mornings are made for this easy, make-ahead French toast. Thick slices of brioche or challah are dipped in a rich, cinnamon-spiced custard made with sweetened condensed milk, then baked until golden and caramelized. Finish with cinnamon sugar–tossed strawberries and whipped cream cheese. It’s special and just sweet enough, but not too sweet, and absolutely delicious!
Many of you probably saw this recipe coming. Mother’s Day is Sunday, and you know there is no way I can resist making something sweet for my mom.
Breakfast foods, especially pancakes, French toast, crepes, and Dutch babies, have always been some of her favorites. I probably share this every year, but one of the reasons I fell in love with cooking is because of her.
Back in middle school, I’d make her chocolate chip banana pancakes on cold snow days, or really anytime I could convince her to let me stay home from school. It always felt so special, and that’s really where my love of cooking—and sharing it with the people around me—began. I’ve always loved creating something that feels just as beautiful as it is delicious.
We really do have my mom to thank for all of this, and I truly mean that.
Every Mother’s Day, my sister and I usually spend the morning with her. This year will be no exception.
I made this French toast ahead of time to share with you all. But trust me, she’ll be enjoying something just as good on Sunday. This was her first pick. She had a slice while I was testing, and she said it was “heaven”!
These are the Details
Ingredients
The French Toast
- brioche or challah
- sweetened condensed milk
- eggs
- whole milk
- vanilla extract
- salted butter
- brown sugar
- granulated sugar
- cinnamon
- strawberries
The Whipped Cream Cream
- cream cheese
- heavy cream
- vanilla
- sea salt
The Tools
Just a pretty baking dish, mixing bowl, and sauce pot. You can use a stand mixer or an electric mixer to whip the cream.
The Steps
Step 1: Make the Custard
In a large bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth and creamy.
Dip each slice of bread into the custard, letting it soak for about 1 minute so the bread can absorb all that goodness. Arrange the slices side by side in the prepared baking dish.
Step 2: Chill the French Toast
Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes, or overnight for an easy make-ahead option.
Step 3: Bake
Preheat the oven and bake the French toast for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the custard is set.
Step 4: Make the Cinnamon Sugar
Mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon. If you have vanilla bean powder, stir in a small spoonful—it’s a total game changer and adds the most subtle vanilla flavor.
Step 5: Prep the Strawberries
Slice the strawberries and toss them with a few spoonfuls of the cinnamon sugar.
During the last few minutes of baking, top the French toast with slices of cold butter and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.
Step 6: Make the Cream
Using an electric mixer, whip together the cream cheese, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla until light, creamy, and fluffy.
To Serve
Dollop the whipped cream cheese over the warm French toast, then spoon the cinnamon-sugar strawberries and all their juices over the top.
The fresh berries make this French toast especially pretty—and so delicious. I can’t wait to share it with my mom (again) this Sunday. She will be so excited!
Looking for other breakfast/brunch ideas? Here are some favorites:
Dad’s Easy Cheesy Eggs with Chili Butter
Blackberry Lavender White Chocolate Scones
Bakery Blueberry Vanilla Crunch Muffins
Baked Strawberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast
Baked Blackberry Ricotta French Toast
Raspberry Lemon Brioche Rolls with Whipped Ricotta Cream
Lastly, if you make this Easy Baked Condensed Milk Cinnamon French Toast, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you guys and always do my best to respond to every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Baked Condensed Milk Cinnamon French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf challah bread, sliced into 1 1/2 inch thick slices
- 1/2-1 cup sweetened condensed milk, use more or less dependent on your preferred sweetness level
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons cold salted butter, sliced
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 cups sliced strawberries
whipped cream cheese
- 6 ounces cream cheese, (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.2. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 cup sweetened condensed milk, milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of sea salt. Submerge each slice of bread in the custard mixture, allowing it to soak for at least 1 minute. Arrange the bread in the prepared baking dish.3. Pour any remaining custard over the bread. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.4. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cinnamon.5. In a separate bowl, toss the strawberries with 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 20–25 minutes, until golden and crisp around the edges. During the last 5 minutes of baking, dot the top with butter slices and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.6. To make the whipped cream cheese, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Slowly stream in the heavy cream and vanilla, whipping until soft peaks form.7. Serve warm, topped with strawberries and whipped cream.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I would love to skip the condensed milk. I saw you reply in a comment below saying that someone could just leave it out. Do I need to replace that liquid with anything else? Thank you!
Hi Rita,
You could use more milk in place of the condensed milk. I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try!
We made this recipe and it was so good!!! Will definitely put this on repeat. I didn’t make the whipped cream. I just bought some and used that. I cut the milk portion down to one cup and that helped make it not so soggy. Also I torched it at the end to help crisp it up. And we did let it sit the 30 min after it came out of the oven. I loved this and will make it again!
Hey Danette,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe was a hit, I appreciate you making it!
Have a great Sunday!
This was really good.
Hey Karen,
Awesome! So glad to hear this recipe was a hit, I appreciate you making it!
Have a great Sunday!
I cannot find where the 4 tablespoons of vanilla go. I see 1 for the whipped cream cheese and 2 teaspoons for the initial batter. What am I missing?
Hey Chris! This is just a typo. The recipe is fixed now. The extra vanilla goes with the berries. I’m so sorry for the trouble. Hope you love the French toast!
Yum I love French toast! Quick question – on your stories today you said it has no added sugar, but condensed milk is like 50% sugar. 😂 Could I use coconut milk or regular milk instead?
Hey Susan! You can either use milk or coconut milk but your French toast will not be sweet. I recommend adding 1/4 cup honey, maple or brown sugar to the batter then. Or you can just sprinkle the bread with cinnamon sugar. Either is great! Hope you love the French toast!
Tieghan help! I followed the recipe exactly, and let it soak overnight (like the recipe says you can do), I used thick slices & everything. I made it this morning & it completely fell apart. It was more like bread pudding. I didn’t change anything about the recipe.
Hi Sara,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! Very sorry to hear it was so soft. Did you make sure to only soak for 1 minute and then transfer to the baking dish? Again, very sorry!
I was excited for this but it turned out soooo sweet. I think the condensed milk (which is pretty sugar heavy) was just a bit much combined with everything else. Could I sub something for condensed milk if I would ever make this again?
Hi Kate,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your feedback. Very sorry it was so sweet. Next time you can skip the condensed milk.
I hope this helps!
I just made this this morning, and disappointed. It was very soggy. I followed the recipe as written, I put it in the fridge 7 hours overnight and baked 50 minutes. I think maybe baking right away would be a better idea. Also, the description said not too sweet but this is an absolute sugar bomb. I like sweet stuff and this was almost too sweet for me.
Hi Leslie,
Thanks for making this French toast and your comment. I’m sorry to hear it did not turn out for you. Also, so sorry it was too sweet!
Any other bread selections? No challah in my territory. 😅
Hey Mona,
Brioche is also a nice option to use here. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
This dish came together so easy and can’t wait to share with my family today! I would share a picture if I could but I don’t see an option. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Stacy,
Thanks for cooking this recipe and for the feedback—so glad it was a win!
Have the best weekend!
Can you just pour the mixture over the bread and let it soak overnight? Or, do you have to dip each piece of bread individually? Thank you!
Hi Katie,
Yes, you can definitely let this soak overnight! I like to dip each piece, but you could also pour it over.
I hope you love this French toast. Have a great Friday!
What happens to the 2 cups of milk? You have it listed in the ingredients but it’s nowhere to be found in the instructions??
Hi Karen,
The whole milk is added in step 2 along with the condensed milk. Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
Where is the use of 2 cups whole milk? I dont see it in the instructions
Looks tasty!!
Thanks Ro! The milk is added in step 2 of the recipe.
Please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Friday!
Where does the 2 cups of milk go? You have it in the ingredients but nowhere in the recipe.
Hi Allison,
The milk is going to be added in step 2 with the condensed milk.
I hope you love this recipe, let me know if you give it a try!
You have 2 cups of milk listed in the ingredients but nowhere in the instructions. Where does the milk come into play?
Hi Rachel,
The milk is also added in step 2 with the condensed milk. Please let me know if you have any other questions!