Hint of Coconut Overnight Baked French Toast

With the holidays approaching, that means a lot of family will be staying together and spending lots of time with each other! So I love the idea of having an Overnight Baked French Toast ready in the morning for everyone to enjoy together! Unless being around a lot of family is overwhelming and you are perfectly fine waking up at 445 to eat a bowl of cereal quietly to yourself with no one disturbing you...I've never done that.

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Speaking of family, my parents came for the weekend! (You aren't overwhelming mom, I promise!) They cleaned my house, fixed things here and there, hung pictures, washed and folded my laundry, gave us food, and babysat my kids. I just sat all weekend, it was lovely.

My parents always leave my house so exhausted, I don't understand..

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I wanted to do something nice for them, since I basically turned everything over to them, and the one (only?) way I know how to say thank you is through food. I wanted to have homemade cake, muffins, dinner ready, and fresh bread on the counter for when they got here. But I forgot how much energy it takes for me to find the flour in my pantry and I had to go with plan B.

Breakfast.

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I didn't want to be slaving over a hot stove making pancakes for everyone, because no one gets to eat together, especially the one 'slaving' :). So I love the idea of baked french toast, because it's ready all at once and we can all enjoy it together!

Speaking of love, have you tried this vanilla paste? I swear it has changed the way my baked goods taste! Can I drink it? No, because it's like $15 a bottle and I wouldn't want to waste it...

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You can also change up the flavors and make it however you and your family would like, especially the syrup! Homemade syrups are the best!

And while everyone is happily enjoying your homemade breakfast, you can sneak away and go back to bed and no one will know. Unless your 4 year old finds you...

Busted!

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Hint of Coconut Overnight French Toast

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf whole wheat french bread, cinnamon french bread, etc. (Stale is good!)
  • 1 can coconut milk
  • 3/4 c. buttermilk (non dairy if needed, add 1 tsp. vinegar to non dairy milk)
  • 3/4 c. milk (non dairy if needed)
  • 6 eggs
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 TB. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • 2 TB. vanilla extract
  • 1.4 c. coconut sugar or honey
  • 1/2 c. unsweetened coconut

Instructions

  1. Tear apart bread and place into a greased 9x13 baking dish.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until combined. Pour liquid over the bread cubes, and toss just a little bit to make sure all of the bread is coated.
  3. Cover and place in the fridge overnight to make in the morning. (I left mine in for two days, and it still turned out fine!)
  4. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 and bake un-covered for about 30-35 minutes.
  5. Serve warm with a drizzle of melted coconut oil, maple syrup, and more coconut!

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Do you have a favorite holiday breakfast? Share with me in the comments below, I would love to hear your family traditions!