Treat yourself to a healthy keto chocolate chip French toast casserole recipe! This make-ahead breakfast is sure to be a family favorite.
Do you love serving something special for Christmas breakfast?
Me too!
Through the years, I’ve made all kinds of sweet treats for my family: monkey bread, cinnamon rolls, and recently we’ve been loving French toast casserole.
Now that we have season tickets for Virginia Tech football, I’ve been making breakfast casseroles that can serve a crowd more often for when we tailgate.
I especially love recipes that look and taste decadent but are actually relatively healthy.
Last month, another mom at our tailgate brought a French toast casserole made with croissants and chocolate chips.
It reminded me of Black Bottom Cupcakes that my mom used to make when I was growing up.
As soon as I got home I set out to make a keto-friendly French toast casserole with chocolate chips and cream cheese.
Since low carb diets have become more popular, it’s easy to find ingredients to make this healthy chocolate French toast casserole in most grocery stores.
I dressed mine up with drizzled sugar-free chocolate and a glaze, but it’s delicious without taking that extra step.
If you don’t follow a keto-style diet, I’ve included substitutions in the notes section of the printable recipe at the end of this post.
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How Can French Toast be Keto-friendly?
When I first started following Trim Healthy Mama, there weren’t a lot of options for keto-friendly bread available commercially.
I created a single-serve French toast bowl that satisfied my cravings.
But now? There are so many keto bread options in stores!
Opt for unsweetened almond or coconut milk to keep the carbs low.
Be sure to use a low carb sweetener.
I prefer to use Swerve brown for this recipe (I buy it in bulk from Amazon since their price is lower).
If you enjoy adding some syrup over French toast, this sugar free version tastes great and doesn’t use artificial sweeteners.
Tips for Buying Low Carb Bread
There are a lot of products on the market that claim to be keto or low carb that aren’t actually good choices.
Always, always check the nutrition label before buying anything!
When you look at nutrition labels, here are a few things to look for:
- Net carbs per serving should be less than 3g (net carbs = carbs – fiber – sugar alcohols)
- Look for natural, whole ingredients
- Made with minimal sugar or other sugar additives
- High protein and high fiber
A good texture is another important factor when you’re using the bread for sandwiches.
However, for this recipe, stale bread is actually better so you don’t need to be as particular about texture.
Fortunately, there are lots of great keto bread options available now!
My favorites are Franz Keto White Bread, L’Oven Fresh Zero Net Carb Bread, Unbun Unbread, and Natural Ovens Keto Friendly Bread.
What to Serve with a Chocolate French Toast Casserole
While this casserole is delicious all on its own, I typically serve some savory items alongside.
You can never go wrong with bacon…
My husband loves having scrambled eggs with any sweet breakfast.
I’ve also made this healthy egg and veggie casserole.
A mixed berry salad is another delicious side dish to round out a healthy breakfast.
Can This Breakfast Casserole be Made Ahead?
One of my favorite parts of this casserole is that you assemble it the night before.
The bread soaks up all the sweet liquid overnight.
Just pop it in the oven when you get up and it’ll be ready to eat in less than an hour.
That makes this casserole perfect for when you’re hosting a brunch.
Or on Christmas morning.
It also transports really well!
I like putting baked casseroles in an insulated cooler and they stay hot for several hours.
Chocolate Chip French Toast Casserole Tips
This recipe is so easy to prepare!
But there are always some things you can do that make it even easier.
Melt the butter in the casserole dish, then tilt the dish so the butter greases the bottom and sides.
For a dairy-free option, coconut oil works great too!
Depending on your baking dish, you may want to use wax paper to spread a little extra butter on the sides.
French toast is always best with stale bread so that it doesn’t get soggy.
Keto-friendly breads tend to naturally be a little on the drier side, making them perfect for a French toast casserole.
Cut or tear the bread into 1-inch cubes.
I usually stack 5 slices of bread and cut them together to make this quick work.
If you aren’t watching your carbs, try making this recipe with croissants, leftover burger buns, challah bread, or even bagels.
Layer half the bread in the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle with half the chocolate chips.
Repeat the layers and set the dish aside while you mix up the batter.
Start the batter by creaming together the softened Neufchatel cheese and the brown Swerve.
I love that Swerve measures 1:1 with sugar in terms of sweetness.
Once the cream cheese is fluffy and creamy, test the sweetness and you can add more if you prefer.
Now, beat in the unsweetened cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Check the sweetness one more time!
That unsweetened cocoa powder might make you want to add a little more sweetener.
When you add the eggs, always be sure to crack each egg individually into a separate container, then add it to the batter.
Why?
Because sometimes eggs go bad.
So crack them individually so you don’t ruin good ingredients by one bad egg!
Trust me on this one…
Now pour the batter evenly over the bread.
Odds are some of the pieces of bread on top won’t get any of the batter on them.
So be sure to press them down into the liquid so that all the pieces get moistened.
Now cover the pan with plastic wrap, press’n’seal, or aluminum foil.
Place the pan in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.
When it’s time to bake the chocolate chip French toast casserole, remove the cover and let it sit at room temperature while the oven preheats.
Everyone has different preferences when it comes to cooking French toast.
I like mine to be pretty firm, so I bake it for 50 minutes.
If you prefer yours to be more custardy, then reduce the time to 45 minutes.
If you want your casserole to look fancy, drizzle it with melted chocolate.
You can also make a glaze with Swerve confectioners and a little heavy cream.
I love the way it looks with both the black and white drizzle!
Can You Freeze this Keto French Toast Casserole?
This recipe makes a big batch of keto French toast!
Fortunately, it freezes really well.
Once it’s cooled completely, wrap it first in plastic wrap, and then with heavy duty aluminum foil.
I like freezing it in individual portions.
It will do fine in the freezer for about 3 months.
Be sure to leave a star rating and review after you make the recipe!
This helps other people to find and enjoy it too.
Plus it means the world to us!
The Best Keto Chocolate Chip French Toast Casserole
Treat yourself with a healthy keto chocolate chip French toast casserole recipe! This make-ahead breakfast is sure to be a family favorite. See notes for non-keto version modifications.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter, melted (substitute coconut oil for dairy free)
- 24 oz keto bread* (14 cups cubed)
- 1 cup sugar free chocolate chips*
- 16 oz. Neufchatel cheese, softened
- 1 cup Swerve brown, packed*
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups unsweetened almond milk*
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Drizzle (optional)
- 1/2 cup sugar free chocolate melting wafers*
- 4 Tbsp Swerve confectioners*
- 1 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Melt butter or coconut oil in a 9x13 baking dish. Tilt the dish so the butter coats the bottom and sides.
- Cut or tear bread into 1-inch cubes.
- Layer half the bread in the baking dish, and sprinkle with half the chocolate chips. Add the remaining bread and chocolate chips. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together Neufchatel cheese and Swerve brown until creamy and smooth. Blend in cocoa powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Test the mixture for sweetness and add more sweetener if desired.
- Beat in eggs until completely blended.
- Add almond milk and vanilla and mix on low speed until incorporated.
- Pour the cream cheese mixture over the bread cubes. Press the bread cubes down if necessary so that all cubes are coated completely. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight (minimum 4 hours).
- Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and uncover it. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake casserole for 40 - 50 minutes. The center will be more custardy at 40 minutes and more firm at 50 minutes.
- Set on a rack to cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Chocolate Drizzle (optional)
- If desired, drizzle the top with melted chocolate wafers. Melt according to package directions, then use a spoon to drizzle chocolate over top. For a white drizzle, combine Swerve confectioners and heavy cream and use a spoon to drizzle over top.
Serving suggestions
- Serve with sugar-free maple syrup.
Storage
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Reheat in the microwave for 30-60 seconds.
Notes
*Non-Keto instructions:
To make a non-keto version of this casserole, use any bread you have on hand. It works well with baguettes, croissants, and challah bread. Use brown sugar in place of the brown Swerve in the same amount. Use any chocolate chips. You can use milk, but reduce the amount to 1-3/4 cup.
Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 321Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 161mgSodium 509mgCarbohydrates 30gNet Carbohydrates 2gFiber 28gSugar 1gProtein 16g
Please note that we are not medical or nutritional professionals. We include nutrition information for our recipes as a courtesy to our readers. However, due to wide variations in brands, nutrition data is subject to change for every user. Nutrition data is calculated using My Fitness Pal Pro. All sugar alcohols are subtracted from the final carb count. Please refer to our complete Nutritional Disclosure for more details.
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