Low carb pan bread baked into a delicious breakfast casserole. Studded with pecans and topped with a rich caramel topping.
I am starting to believe that almost anything is possible on a low carb and gluten-free diet. There are a few things, like really good yeast breads, that might be a little beyond reach at the moment, but I don’t feel much like it’s a “dietary restriction” at all. The more I play around with recipes, the more I believe this to be true. It’s a lot less limiting than I thought when I started out. Even some of my old breakfast favourites, like waffles and french toast, are something I can enjoy. I just have to be prepared to make them in a completely different fashion.
So when Live Better America challenged me to recreate their popular Overnight French Toast in a low sugar, low carb package, my response was “game on”. I knew it wouldn’t be a hard to get the buttery, gooey, caramel-like topping with some of my alternative sweeteners. It was the bread that was the harder part, since I can’t exactly go to the store and grab a loaf. But a quick, lightly sweetened pan bread was just the thing. I actually based it on my Cheesy Skillet Bread, but I skipped the cheese, and added a little sweetener and some vanilla. I then cubed it and let it dry for a few hours in a warm oven and my Overnight French Toast was ready to assemble!
Overnight French Toast Bake – Low Carb and Gluten-Free
Ingredients
Almond Flour Pan Bread:
- 2 cups almond flour
- ½ cup flax seed meal
- ⅓ cup granular Swerve Sweetener
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup butter melted
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Overnight French Toast Bake:
- ½ cup cup butter melted
- 1 cup granular Swerve Sweetener
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 cup chopped pecans optional
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 recipe Almond Flour Pan Bread cut into 1-inch cubes and dried in the oven at 200°F for 2 to 3 hours
Instructions
Pan Bread:
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 9x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and spray parchment as well.
- In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, flax seed meal, sweetener, baking powder, and salt. Stir in eggs, melted butter, almond milk and vanilla extract until well combined.
- Spread batter in prepared pan and bake 25 minutes, or until top is lightly browned and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 15 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edges and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Overnight French Toast:
- Spray an 11x7 glass baking dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, mix butter, molasses and erythritol sweetener together and spread evenly over the bottom of prepared pan. Sprinkle with chopped pecans, if using.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, cinnamon and ginger. Stir in bread, toss to coat and allow to soak in egg mixture for 15 minutes.
- Spoon into baking dish over molasses mixture and press down lightly to compact together. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate at least one hour and no more than 12 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake 20 minutes covered, then remove foil and continue to bake another 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown on top.
- Remove from oven and run a sharp knife around the edges of the French toast. Place a large, heatproof serving plate or tray upside down on baking dish; carefully turn plate and baking dish over. Leave baking dish over French toast 1 minute; remove baking dish. Use rubber spatula to remove any caramel sauce from bottom of baking dish and spread over top of French toast bake. Serve immediately.
Jill Cusack says
I plan to make this over Xmas. Any idea of carb, protein & fat content?
Keep doing what you’re doing Kido.
Love ya,
Jill
Chris Houck says
Hi Carolyn, if I don’t use flax meal (I don’t) do I need to sub in something else, or just leave it out? I sooo want to make this for Christmas morning for the family. Thanks!
Tory says
Hi Carolyn. Made this yesterday for my son and his fiance, extending the holiday a bit! My son’s not big on ginger, so the only change I made was to sub natural maple extract for the ginger. Great recipe! As he says, ‘a keeper’. We served it with a local chipotle bacon, a good contrast to the sweet. Thanks for helping make our holidays happy! Hope yours are, too.
Tory