Basically all I want to eat this December is warm, cozy breakfasts. Exhibit A riiiiight up there.
Ever since I moved to a place where “winter” means 40 degrees, instead of -40 degrees, my usual winter cravings have not been kicking in. Normally at this time of year, I’m all about big pots of chili, grilled cheese and homemade tomato soup, and gooey, cheesy baked pastas (swoooooooon), but I gotta admit, in California it just doesn’t feel the same. But my desire to wake up on cold, gray weekend mornings and cozy up with a mug of coffee, an incredible, warm, streusel-topped plate of goodness, and some Ina Garten? Still VERY strong.
This baked chai spice French toast was my most recent foray into cozy winter breakfast-ing, and I absolutely could not be happier with how it turned out. I love all the floral, spicy flavors of chai tea, and I knew they would be the perfect flavor boost for one of my all-time favorite breakfasts – challah French toast (see various forms of cravings past here and here). Baking your French toast allows you to feed a crowd with very little hands-on time, and – even better – you can prep the dish the night before, whip up the streusel topping while the oven preheats, and have an incredible hot breakfast ready for guests in the morning in no time. Christmas morning, perhaps?!?
This dish could not be more perfect for a cozy winter morning. It’s lightly and warmly spiced, gooey in the middle and crunchy on the top, and utterly satisfying without being incredibly can’t-move-for-two-hours heavy. Your snowy winter mornings need this baked French toast this year!
- 1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground cardamom
- 1 tsp. ground allspice
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups 2% milk
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- ½ tbsp. vanilla
- 1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. chai spice (above)
- 1 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened (for greasing the pan)
- 9 cups day-old challah bread, cubed
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ tsp. chai spice (above)
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp. unsalted butter, very cold and chopped into small pieces
- In a small bowl, whisk together all spices for the chai spice mixture. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and chai spice until completely combined. Set aside.
- Butter (and line with parchment paper, and butter again, if you’d prefer - I like to do this to ensure no sticking or over-browning on the bottom) a 9x5 inch loaf pan. Pour in the challah cubes and press down to smush a bit. Pour the liquid mixture evenly over the challah, pressing down again to make sure all the cubes are totally covered. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight if making ahead.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, chai spice, salt, and cold butter cubes until very well-combined and crumbly. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the French toast bake and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the topping is golden brown. Allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes, then slice and serve warm with maple syrup!
- You can easily make this the night before – just prep the French toast bake through the challah-soaking step, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Whip up the streusel topping and top the French toast while the oven preheats in the morning, and you have a decadent breakfast on the table in less than an hour!
Looking for more Christmas breakfast ideas?
Bourbon Vanilla Bean Challah French Toast
Easy Dark Chocolate Pistachio Cinnamon Rolls
Dark Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pancakes
Ham, Gruyere, and Spinach Strata (I make this every year!)
