Peanut Butter Chocolate Baked French Toast (Printable)

Protein-packed breakfast featuring bread cubes baked in creamy peanut butter and chocolate custard until golden and set.

# What You Need:

→ Bread

01 - 8 cups whole grain or brioche bread, cut into 1-inch cubes, day-old preferred

→ Custard

02 - 6 large eggs
03 - 2 cups skim milk or unsweetened almond milk
04 - 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
05 - 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
06 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar or coconut sugar
07 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 2% or higher
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Toppings

10 - 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
12 - Maple syrup or honey for serving

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
02 - Spread bread cubes evenly across the prepared baking dish in a single layer.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, peanut butter, cocoa powder, brown sugar, Greek yogurt, vanilla extract, and salt until completely smooth and well combined.
04 - Pour custard mixture evenly over bread cubes. Gently press bread down to ensure all pieces absorb the custard thoroughly.
05 - Allow to sit for 10 minutes to permit bread to fully absorb the liquid.
06 - Sprinkle chocolate chips and chopped peanuts evenly over the top if desired.
07 - Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes until custard is set and top is puffed and lightly crisp.
08 - Cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, drizzled with maple syrup or honey if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get that luxurious French toast taste while actually staying satisfied through lunch instead of crashing mid-morning.
  • It bakes hands-off in the oven, meaning you can set it and go brew proper coffee instead of standing over a pan.
  • The chocolate and peanut butter combo feels indulgent but the Greek yogurt and eggs keep it honest protein-wise.
02 -
  • Use day-old bread or it becomes pudding instead of baked French toast, and I learned this the disappointing way on my first attempt.
  • Whisking the custard until completely smooth matters more than you'd think because peanut butter chunks won't cook out and you'll get uneven, gritty texture.
  • Don't overbake it chasing a perfectly golden top because the custard will split and weep liquid, and the texture goes from creamy to chalky.
03 -
  • If your custard looks grainy after whisking, strain it through a fine mesh sieve before pouring it over the bread and everything will be velvety.
  • Let the baked toast cool for a full 5 minutes before cutting because cutting it hot breaks it apart, but cutting it cold makes it dense.
  • Leftover portions reheat beautifully in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes if you want to revive them the next day, which almost never happens because people usually eat the whole thing.
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