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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 made this for my family and it turned out way too sweet and soggy like bread pudding. My sugar-obsessed son couldn’t even eat very much because of the richness. I don’t think I would make this again without altering the amount of condensed milk. 🫤
Hi Jessica,
Thanks for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
About the vanilla? Instructions say teaspoons. Is it teaspoons or tablespoons? I see conflicting instructions and it’s very confusing.
Hi Nancy,
Sorry for any confusion, it’s tablespoons:) I hope you love this recipe!
This was way too sweet and very soggy. I followed the recipe exactly – any tips?
Hi Jana,
Sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed. Next time, I would use half the amount of condensed milk and do not soak overnight.
I hope this helps!
Made for Mother’s Day. So so delicious. We did only use half the condensed milk after reading the reviews. Making it again today. The whipped cream cheese…divine!! Thanks for the recipe.
Hey Adana,
Wonderful! I appreciate you making this recipe and taking the time to comment, so glad it was enjoyed!
Have a great weekend!
I really wanted to like this, but it turned out incredibly soggy & soooo very sweet. ;( very disappointed
Hi Barbara,
Very sorry to hear this recipe was not enjoyed. Thanks for trying it and your feedback.
Wow! One of the best breakfasts I have ever made! We took some of the strawberries and simmered them to make a strawberry syrup and it turned out heavenly. ❤️
Hey Keely,
Wonderful! I appreciate you making this recipe and taking the time to comment, so glad it was enjoyed!
Have a great weekend!
I will try it.it looks delicious. I hope people would add comments as constructive criticism and not in a negative way. I will add just half of condensed milk but because I don’t eat too much sweets. I want to thank you for sharing and be so kind to respond to negative reviews!
I hope you love this recipe, Claudia. Let me know how it turns out!
I don’t see my comments about the vanilla for some reason, so trying again so I can make this! What happens to the remaining 2 tablespoons vanilla? I see where it’s added to the eggs, strawberries, and the cream cheese. But I don’t see what happens to the remaining 2 tablespoons.
Hi Elizabeth,
You are going to use 2 tablespoons of the vanilla in step 2, 1 tablespoon of vanilla in step 5, and the last tablespoon of vanilla in step 6. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
That is very helpful, thank you! So the places it says teaspoons is a typo and it is supposed to be tablespoons?
Correct, so sorry for the confusion!
So we are to use 4 TBSP? The recipe says 3.
The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons in French toast and 1 tablespoon in the whipped cream cheese. Please let me know if you have any other questions!
This turned out more like bread pudding, really soggy and it was way too sweet.
Very sorry to hear this, Erika. Thanks for your comment and trying the recipe!
Not my favorite recipe from HBH but I was glad to try it! I should have sweetened the cream cheese. I had super thick challah bread and that worked out well. I won’t be making it again. ❤️
Hi Sara,
Thanks for sharing your feedback and giving this recipe a try, sorry to hear it wasn’t a fave!
My review didn’t get published so I’m trying again!
I really wanted to like this, but it was not good at all. I followed the recipe exactly, which I believe is the issue. The bread turned out so soggy and the dish itself was VERY sweet, not in a good way. I wouldn’t make this again.
Hi Michelle,
Thank you for trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, I’m very sorry to hear it did not turn out for you!
I added half the amount of sweetened condensed milk with the same amount of milk; 2 cups. Turned out not soggy or too sweet like others had commented.
The cream cheese whip absolutely needed a sweetener though. I added 1/4 – 1/2 cup of powdered sugar and it turned out perfect.
Small changes, but very tasty
Thanks so much, Ro! I appreciate you sharing what worked nicely for you, glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Also wanted to add that I really packed the dish with slices of bread, it basically looked like a casserole. This made it not soggy as the amount of bread soaked it up. I cut it out in squares instead of taking slices. This is what worked for me and turned out great.
I think adding a few more detailed instructions can help those that have soggy dishes. I really enjoyed this dish!
I made this for Mother’s Day brunch. It wasn’t horrible but wasn’t great either, kinda just meh. I kept it in the fridge over night and baked it in the morning. It was mushy like a really wet bread pudding, I could not get a piece of French toast out whole it fell apart. I kept the cream cheese whipped cream in the side and thankful I did because it was plenty sweet without adding that. I don’t think I’ll be making again.
Hi Lynn,
I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your feedback, very sorry to hear it was not enjoyed!
This was absolutely DELICIOUS!!! Too sweet? Absolutely not. I used brioche bread that I wish had been thicker cut but it still turned out perfectly. I didn’t soak for the full minute as I was worried the thinner bread would fall apart. Because I had thinner bread, I ended up using two baking dishes (six slices each) and cooked them simultaneously.
This sat about 14 hours in the fridge overnight and baked up perfectly.
I had fresh raspberries on the side for those who didn’t want the cinnamon sugar strawberries and honestly both together were so tasty as a topping option.
I will 100% be making this again. My boyfriend and I each had two pieces, my mom (who is diabetic) only had one, but my dad had four so we’ll call this an all around success!
Thanks so much, Marie! I appreciate you making this recipe and sharing what worked well for you. So glad it was enjoyed!
Happy Sunday!
We loved this breakfast bake! We didn’t think it was too sweet. I did not add the condensed milk to the cream cheese mixture, I did add about a tablespoon of the sugar mixture to it. It was more savory than sweet. The cream mixture with the crunchy French toast and strawberries was delicious! Will definitely make again!
Hey Lori,
Wonderful! So glad to hear your family enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it!