Many years ago I came across a recipe that had you bake French toast in the oven. Not in a casserole dish like an overnight French toast, but you bake individual pieces of French toast on a baking sheet. It’s magical. You can use this method with any traditional French toast recipe, but for this go-around, I’m dressing things up a little and making Chocolate French Toast with Strawberries.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Whole chocolate milk
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Cinnamon
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Almond extract
- Texas toast – Or other white bread.
- Butter – Always use real butter if you can.
- Chocolate hazelnut spread – Such as Nutella. I’m actually using JIF brand, which I find melts more easily without seizing.
- Strawberries
- Sweetened whipped cream – For serving.
How to Make Chocolate French Toast with Strawberries
- Start by whisking together some chocolate milk, cocoa powder, cinnamon, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Although the pictures show a baking dish, it didn’t end up being large enough so I recommend mixing up the chocolate milk mixture in a mixing bowl and laying the toast out on a baking sheet.
- Lay the slices of Texas toast on the baking sheet and pour the chocolate milk mixture over them. Allow them to soak everything up, flipping after a few minutes so both sides are saturated.
- Place a separate foil-lined baking sheet in the oven with a little butter on it. After the butter melts, spread it around with a pastry brush.
- Carefully transfer the soaked bread to the buttered pan and pop it back in the oven. After about 20 minutes, use the pastry brush to brush the top of each piece of French toast with butter and flip each piece over with a spatula. Return to the oven and bake for 15 more minutes until the French toast is fluffy and golden.
- Heat a little chocolate hazelnut spread in the microwave until it’s smooth and easy to pour. Plate up your French toast, top with strawberries, then drizzle with the melted hazelnut spread and top with sweetened whipped cream.
Storing and Other Tips
- Allow leftovers to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3 days for best results.
- Chocolate hazelnut spread can be finicky in the microwave. Be sure to warm it in short bursts, stirring well between each burst. A little touch of butter can sometimes help it melt more smoothly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes! Bake the French toast, cool completely, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When ready to reheat, preheat the oven to 325°F. Arrange French toast pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil, and heat for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through. you can remove the foil the last few minutes to help crisp up the edges again.
Can I freeze these French toast pieces?
Yep. Freeze fully baked slices in a single layer and then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 2-3 months. Reheat directly from frozen in a 325°F oven, loosely tented with foil, for 18-25 minutes depending on how many slices there are.
Baked Chocolate French Toast with Strawberries
Chocolate French Toast with Strawberries, warm Nutella, and whipped cream. Baking it in the oven is super easy and keeps it crispy on the outside!
Servings slices
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole chocolate milk
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 8 slices Texas Toast
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 3 tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread
- 1 pint strawberries washed, hulled, and sliced
- Sweetened whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
- In a large, glass measuring cup, whisk together the chocolate milk, cocoa powder, cinnamon, eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Lay the slices of bread on another baking sheet (not the foil-lined one you set aside), then pour the mixture over the bread. Allow it to stand for 10-15 minutes or until the bread soaks up the egg/milk mixture (you can carefully flip the bread over if you want to hurry the process along).
- When the bread is almost done soaking up the egg mixture, place a 1 ½ tablespoons butter on the lined baking sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven for 1-2 minutes or until the butter is melting. Remove the pan from the oven and use a pastry brush to brush the butter over the baking sheet. Carefully transfer the soaked bread from one pan to the other pan. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
- When the 20 minutes is almost up, melt the remaining 1 ½ tablespoons butter. After 20 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and brush the top of the bread with the remaining butter, then use a spatula to flip the bread and return it to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the bread is cooked through and the pieces are fluffy and golden. Remove from the oven.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of chocolate hazelnut spread in the microwave for about 1 minute or until it's smooth and easy to pour. Divide the strawberries evenly among the French toast, then drizzle with the melted spread and top with sweetened whipped cream.
Notes
- Allow leftovers to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 3 days for best results.
- Chocolate hazelnut spread can be finicky in the microwave. Be sure to warm it in short bursts, stirring well between each burst. A little touch of butter can sometimes help it melt more smoothly.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 301kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 78mg, Sodium: 299mg, Potassium: 233mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 274IU, Vitamin C: 35mg, Calcium: 82mg, Iron: 7mg
Calories: 301kcal
Cost: $5
Did You Make This Recipe?Snap a picture, and hashtag it #ourbestbites. We love to see your creations on our Instagram @ourbestbites!
Questions & Reviews
omg I think I just drooled a bit… this looks amazing!
I need this…NOW.
That looks divine. I am afraid I will have to try that. Darn carbs!
With your egg issues, I know soggy French toast is not an option for you!
Just yesterday we were eating French toast with strawberries and cream wondering if it would be good with chocolate sauce … Obviously it is!! Thanks for sharing this 🙂
Oh my goodness…seriously? I absolutely know what I’m making this weekend for breakfast! The popover pancakes have been our go-to breakfast since we saw them a few weeks ago, but I have a feeling this one will give them a run for their money. Can’t wait to try!!
This sounds so yummy! Thanks for sharing such an awesome idea!
Oh no you didn’t!
Whoa!! Dessert for breakfast is definitely my thing. Loving this!
Sounds delicious. Where do you buy that huge bottle of almond extract? It would be lovely to have one that big.
I got it at Sam’s Club–it’s so much cheaper than buying all those tiny bottles! 🙂