| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 8 to 10 servings |
Ingredients
- Butter, for greasing the baking dish
- 1 loaf crusty multigrain bread
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrots
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 4 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold salted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 4 ounces cream cheese
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Warm pancake syrup, for serving
Instructions
- For the French toast: Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Tear the bread into chunks and evenly distribute in the baking dish. Sprinkle the carrots and pecans over the bread. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk together with the milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until needed (overnight preferably).
- For the topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter until it resembles fine pebbles. Fold in the pecan pieces and store in a resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
- For the glaze: Add the cream cheese to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, milk and lemon juice and mix until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Keep in a small airtight bowl.
- When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Unwrap the baking dish with the French toast mixture, sprinkle with the topping and bake for 45 minutes for a softer, bread pudding-like texture or 1 hour for a firmer, more crisp texture.
- Drizzle over the glaze. Scoop out individual portions and serve with warm pancake syrup.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 10 servings |
| Calories | 705 |
| Total Fat | 39 g |
| Saturated Fat | 16 g |
| Carbohydrates | 75 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 6 g |
| Sugar | 48 g |
| Protein | 17 g |
| Cholesterol | 215 mg |
| Sodium | 416 mg |
Reviews
Has anyone tried with alternative milk and cream substitutes?
I saw the episode when you made this and jumped up to make it that beautiful and early Sunday morning and sad to say I was missing some key ingredients. Now fast forwarding to another where I am stocked with all the essentials. I did cut the recipe in half since it would be just for me and the hubs and it was the perfect delicious bite!!! We paired it with smokey, salty bacon which was the perfect compliment to this sweet delight! I’ll be sharing this one with all the friends and family.
Thinking of adding drained pineapple tidbits the next time I make this! Totally awesome
I’m eating this as I type! Very very good. I saw this on the show but didn’t pay attention to the making overnight so when I read the recipe this morning I had to wing it and go full speed ahead! Other than that I followed the recipe to the tee. I agree with another to fold carrots into the milk egg mixture and not sprinkle on top. My carrots were crispy after 52 minutes in the oven. Maybe soaking overnight helps or I’ll shred smaller. Also, the directions don’t really say but definitely whisk the eggs before adding milk, cream and sugars. I didn’t make the glaze at all and didn’t miss it. Since it’s just my husband and I, about 3/4 of this will go into the freezer. I’ll have to edit and give
review on that. It’s a keeper and would be perfect for Christmas morning brunch!!
review on that. It’s a keeper and would be perfect for Christmas morning brunch!!
5+ stars for me! If you love carrot cake, like me, this is a perfect treat to bring it to breakfast. The french toast, soaked overnight, had amazing flavor and texture. The glaze was balanced enough to enjoy the carrot cake flavors, but popped when you had a bite with a good bit of it. The topping was perfectly crunchy cooked to 45min in a gas oven.
All 5 kids all loved it and I thoroughly enjoyed every bite! I can’t wait to make it again. Hmm, may have to hide the leftovers in the back of the frig! Ah, in a colored Tupperware!
This turned out incredible – definitely showstopper breakfast dish. It is easy to make ahead and great for a crowd since it’s a large recipe and very rich. Personally I may add less egg next time, but my family loved as is.
This was amazing! Very easy to make.
My goodness this was so easy and it’s so delicious! It’s rich and sweet as is, and I can’t fanthom adding maple syrup. My family agreed so we didn’t use it at all. I did double the frosting recipe because it’s so yummy that I wanted to have extra at hand, but it wasn’t needed either. I did use the full teaspoon of cinnamon on the custard. Now my family is planning for later to warm the leftovers and eat with an ice cream scoop on top. This is a special brunch treat.
Made this for a work function yesterday and it received slightly mixed reviews. People either really liked the unique-ness of it, or their taste buds were confused… Is it carrot cake, or is it French toast? Is it breakfast or dessert? To which I happily said, “Yes!” LOL Either way, no one outright disliked it, and several people came back for seconds, so I say it’s a ‘keeper’ for my recipe file. 🙂
Having said that, I made the recipe exactly as written, and when I make it again, I will make a few minor changes:
*I feel the egg/milk mixture could benefit from just a little more cinnamon so I will increase from 3/4 to 1 full teaspoon. (I know there is cinnamon in several places throughout the recipe, but the bread layer could use just a touch more.)
*Instead of sprinkling the carrots over the bread layer, I will mix them in with the bread and then sprinkle the pecans over that.
*Double the glaze. That glaze is the Bomb! Really tasty! As written, it is the perfect amount to generously cover the 9×13 baking dish, but I would like to have some extra on the side in a squeeze bottle for folks to drizzle more on if desired. The pancake syrup was nice to have on hand, but a number of people were looking for more of the ‘icing.’
Final Tip: Do soak overnight if you can. It really makes a difference in the saturation and liquid absorption of the bread. Also, if using really fresh bread, dry it out slightly in the oven after cutting into cubes or tearing into chunks; it will help the egg/milk mixture absorb and aid in the final texture.
OMG……. Better Than a (Carrot Cake) 😉 I made NO changes….. You are the Best Ree…..