Nothing screams holiday brunch better than a gingerbread french toast bake. This one is easy to pop into the oven for a delicious brunch that is full of robust gingerbread flavors and hearty, healthy Ezekiel bread. Your kitchen will smell more than incredible after baking this and it is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
This post may contain affiliate links and is sponsored by Food For Life.
French toast is one of my favorite brunch dishes to make. Granted, I do not make it often but every time I do, I wish that I made it more. I love the way that the bread gets incredibly moist and soft from the egg and milk combination. For this recipe, we took it up a notch by making it into a gingerbread french toast bake for extra flavor and to serve the whole family. To say that this recipe was a true crowd pleaser would be an understatement. And luckily for me, I have all the ingredients to make this delicious brunch for Christmas day!
Typically, I find that classic french toast bakes can leave me feeling not too great after eating it. That is why I have created a recipe that is a healthier take on the classic, full of hearty Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Sesame Bread. This bread is organic, non-GMO, plant based and vegan. Even better, they use zero artificial ingredients, preservatives or refined sugars. Food For Life is a family-owned and operated specialty bakery creating sprouted grain breads and all-natural baked goods for over 50 years. They use organic sprouted grains in a majority of their products (like the one used in this recipe!).
Why Sprouted Grains:
I personally love to use sprouted breads as my body is able to more easily digest it compared to regular white bread. Sprouted grains help increase digestibility, antioxidants and the absorption of minerals. In comparison, the body cannot properly digest the grain in traditional flour or whole grain flour bread, resulting in lost nutrients during digestion. By adding pure filtered water to its certified non-GMO grains, legumes and seeds in its sprouting process, Food For Life is also able to achieve a more balanced pH in its products. Luckily, Food For Life has a wide variety of sprouted grain breads and even English muffins.
SO… what will you need to make this gingerbread french toast bake!?
- Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Sesame Bread
- Egg Whites
- Milk of Choice
- Molasses
- Coconut Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Ground Ginger
- Ground Nutmeg
- Allspice
- Toppings of Choice!
Key to making the french toast bake:
First, whisk all the wet ingredients in a bowl prior to adding to the cubed bread. To ensure that each piece is coating in a similar fashion, you want to ensure each bite you take will have the perfect ratio of spices, egg, milk and sugar! Whisking the mixture really helps to break up any clumps to create one extremely smooth and silky combination.
Next, you will want to cut up your bread into 1/2-inch cubes. Since this bread comes frozen, you will want it to be defrosted prior to cutting up. If it is slightly cold and stiff when you cut into it, that is perfectly okay! The bread will be soaking in the wet mixture overnight anyways. Once the bread is cut up, you will want to add it to an oiled pan or cast-iron skillet (whichever is your preference). Then pour over the wet ingredients on top. If there is still bread that is not covered, simply use your hands or a spatula to press down firmly in the pan/skillet.
Can I prep this the night before?
In fact, I encourage prepping this recipe the night before! For best results, cover and store in the refrigerator overnight. This will allow the bread to really soak up all the flavor and be incredibly soft in texture. Plus, it makes the morning that much easier! All you have to do is pop it into the oven and prep any toppings! If you do not want to prep this the night before, I would recommend soaking for at least 4 hours.
Can I make any substitutions or add more ingredients?
- Bread: I would recommend any of the Food For Life breads but you can replace with any bread on hand.
- Egg Whites: You can replace with regular eggs using this ratio: 1 egg to 2 egg whites
- Milk: I personally love the creaminess that oat milk brings in this recipe, but any milk will work
- Molasses: This is a foundational ingredient for that authentic gingerbread flavor, however if you are staying away from sugar, you can easily leave it out.
Need more breakfast recipes? Check these out!
Don’t forget to pin this recipe to save for later:
Shop this post:
Check out my favorite kitchen essentials: HERE!
Gingerbread French Toast Bake
Equipment
- Oven Safe Pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb bread about half a loaf; cut in cubes
- 1 1/4 cup milk of choice
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3 eggs sub 6 egg whites
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
Toppings
- maple syrup and/or powdered sugar (optional)
- sliced fruit (optional)
Instructions
- Whisk together eggs, milk, molasses, vanilla, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and allspice in a bowl
- Coat a cast iron skillet or oven safe 8×8 baking dish with melted coconut oil
- Cut your bread into 1/2-inch cubes and add them to the oil coated pan in an even layer
- Pour the wet mixture over the cubed bread layer. If some of the bread is not coated, use your hands or a spatula to press down until everything is coated
- Cover the skillet or pan and place in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours to soak.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes or until lightly golden around the edges
- Top with maple syrup and/or powdered sugar and sliced fruit!
Notes
- you can substitute the coconut oil for any neutral oil, butter or ghee
- to keep this dairy free, use a dairy free milk
- to make this gluten free, replace with your favorite gluten free bread
MBMitchell says
Love this recipe! Cant get enough gingerbread this time of year and so easy to make.
Natalie Mitchell says
So glad that you enjoyed the recipe! Perfect for the holiday season 😊