This recipe for a cranberry Breakfast Bread Pudding an overnight recipe perfect for any holiday or weekend!

An easy overnight breakfast bread pudding (French toast casserole) with cream cheese, fresh tart cranberry flavor, and an eggnog infused custard.

Christmas breakfast traditions start here! Who wouldn’t want to wake up on Christmas morning to a fragrant and delicious hot breakfast casserole made with eggnog, fresh cranberries, and cinnamon?

piece of Cranberry Breakfast Casserole on a plate

Easy Breakfast Casserole

A breakfast bread pudding is similar to a breakfast strata or a French toast casserole.

  • This breakfast bread pudding is the perfect make-ahead meal for cooks that like to sleep in too.
  • Swap out the fresh cranberries and use up your leftover cranberry sauce!
  • This is a favorite breakfast all year long and an especially great Christmas breakfast idea.
  • This is great for holidays, weekends, and guests since it should be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight.

Got extra cranberries? Here’s some more cranberry recipe inspo!

ingredients to make Cranberry Breakfast Casserole with labels

Ingredients in Breakfast Bread Pudding

CRANBERRY MIXTURE Choose whole cranberries without bruises. Frozen cranberries will work fine. Add a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries for an extra pop of color and flavor! Short on time? Use leftover cranberry sauce.

EGGNOG (or Milk) BATTER Eggnog is mixed with eggs to bring it all together (much like the custard in a breakfast strata)! If you don’t have eggnog, milk and/or light cream work just as well. Add a pinch of nutmeg or even pumpkin pie spice.

BREAD Make bread cubes the easy way by stacking 4 slices at a time and cutting them into strips and then cubes. Try brioche or braided bread for a different flavor & texture.

CREAM CHEESE MIXTURE Cloves, cinnamon, orange zest, sugar, and cream cheese add a rich yummy flavor!

process of mixing ingredients to make Cranberry Breakfast Casserole layers

How to Make Cranberry Bread Pudding

This is a zest cranberry-studded eggnog-spiced French toast cassrole. All of our favorite Christmas flavors are in this dish!

  1. Simmer cranberries with juice and sugar per the recipe below. Combine the cream cheese mixture in a separate bowl.
  2. Place half the bread cubes in a dish and cover with dollops of the cream cheese & cranberry mixtures.
  3. Whisk eggnogs and egg & pour over casserole. Cover & refrigerate overnight.
  4. Bake as directed & serve hot.

PRO TIP: For an especially decadent looking French Toast Bake, garnish each serving with these tasty Sugared Cranberries.

mixing egg mixture and adding ingredients to pan to make Cranberry Breakfast Casserole

Tips for the Best Bread Pudding

  • For the fluffiest casseroles, always use large eggs.
  • Let the cream cheese come to room temperature before using and it will blend easier and faster in any recipe.
  • Avoid using heavier breads like whole wheat as they will absorb too much batter and make the casserole too dense.
  • Keep leftover casserole in the fridge for up to 3 days, reheat in the oven until heated through.

top view of Cranberry Breakfast Casserole in the pan

More Christmas Breakfast Ideas

Did your family love this Cranberry Breakfast Casserole? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below! 

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Cranberry Breakfast Bread Pudding

This deliciously sweet and tart Cranberry Breakfast Casserole is the perfect make-ahead recipe for the holidays!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Chill Time 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 50 minutes
Servings 8 servings
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Ingredients  

  • 12 slices white bread cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 12 large eggs
  • 2 cups eggnog or milk
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cranberry Mixture (or use 1 1/2 cups leftover cranberry sauce)

  • 3 cups cranberries fresh or frozen, about 12 ounces
  • 1 cup orange juice or water
  • ½ cup brown sugar

Cream Cheese Mixture

  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions 

  • Leave the bread on the counter overnight to dry out or bake on a baking sheet at 350°F for about 8 minutes to slightly dry it out. Cool completely.

Cranberry Mixture

  • Combine all of the cranberry mixture ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Cream Cheese Mixture

  • In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese mixture ingredients; mix until fluffy.

Assembly

  • Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer half of the bread cubes in the dish. Top with dollops of the cream cheese mixture and the cranberry sauce. Place remaining bread on top.
  • Whisk eggs, eggnog, sugar, and vanilla until well mixed. Pour over the bread cubes, cover with foil and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
  • Remove the casserole from the fridge about 45-60 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Bake covered for 30 minutes then uncover and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and is hot. Garnish with mint and sugared cranberries if desired.

Notes

Bread cubes should be slightly dry, I usually leave them out overnight. To dry bread cubes quickly, bake on a sheet pan at 350°F for 8 minutes. Cool completely. Do not brown.
Leftover cranberry sauce can be used in place of the cranberry mixture above. Prepared cranberry sauce tends to be a bit sweeter.
Eggnog can be replaced with milk or a mixture of milk and cream. 
Optional Glaze
  • 5 tablespoons icing sugar
  • 1 tablespoon eggnog
  • ½ teaspoon butter, softened
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.  Reheat in the oven or in the microwave until heated through. 
5 from 21 votes

Nutrition Information

Calories: 480 | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 314mg | Sodium: 408mg | Potassium: 393mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 38g | Vitamin A: 954IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 265mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

Course Breakfast, Casserole
Cuisine American
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cooked Cranberry Breakfast Casserole in the pan and plated with a title

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About the author

Holly Nilsson is the creator of Spend With Pennies, where she creates easy, comforting recipes made for real life. With a passion for nostalgic flavors and simplified techniques, Holly helps busy home cooks create delicious meals that always work. She is also the author of “Everyday Comfort,” which promises to inspire even more hearty, home-cooked meals.
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Comments

  1. Delicious! I made it exactly as written and it was a huge hit! I made my own cranberry sauce and I could have eaten the entire dish. I halved the recipe with no issues either.5 stars

  2. Hi Holly! Would you please clarify something for me? in the recipe “Instructions”, you say to oven dry the bread @ 350°, but in the “Notes” section below the recipe you say 325°. Which is the correct temp, please? I’d hate to ruin the bread before I even get started. I wouldn’t ‘ have enough for a re-do, as I’m buying white bread specifically for this recipe. Thanks so much. I appreciate you!

    1. Sorry for the confusion, I dry them out at 350F. Keep a close eye on them and bake until just slightly dried out. Enjoy!

  3. first bread pudding/french toast casserole I have ever tried to make. I didn’t realize how much time it would take, but it was worth it. I cut the white bread amount in half and substituted croissants for the other half and that was a wise choice. I will try this again with different fruits in the future and probably incorporate raisins in some way maybe nuts,too.