Strawberry Vanilla Bean Baked French Toast Cups! Whether you're having a picnic or hosting a brunch, this bite-sized, berry-filled version of French toast will bring smiles to everyone's face!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by California Giant Berry Farms as part of an ongoing partnership. As always, all opinions here are my own.
Has spring finally arrived where you are? I know Mother Nature has been a bit indecisive this year for many of you around the country, but down here in South Florida she's pretty consistent and predictable.
Our "spring" arrived right on time {mostly because we don't really get a winter, so there's not much to recover from!}, and we have been in a hurry to soak up as much of the bearable sunshine as we can. I say "bearable" because we get a very short window of temperate warmth before things get ugly hot. See? It's not perfect here, either. 😉
Anyway, that little stretch of time we get where we can sit in the direct sunlight without melting into a puddle of sweat happens to be the perfect time to dine alfresco and enjoy the "picnic weather" -- especially with kids!
Mamas you probably get where I'm coming from here: The opportunity to be outdoors, enjoying nature, screen-free is one that you have to capitalize on. There are so many perks to picnicking with kids. You can:
- Change up the setting, free of charge.
- Arrive at your destination sans transportation if you're using your backyard or a park within walking distance.
- Eat somewhere other than your house without worrying about rambunctious little ones bothering other diners around you.
- Allow them to make a crumby, sticky mess without worrying about the cleanup.
- Let them run off the post-lunch energy without wrecking the living room.
It is complimentary entertainment at its best!
You know what else is at its best this time of year? California Giant Strawberries. Enormous, bright, sweet and juicy... they make the ultimate star of the show for spring picnics!
I discovered recently that the best time to picnic with kids earlier in the day, when they're fresh, chipper and hungry for a mid-morning snack. {A few afternoon picnic meltdowns is all it took for me to draw this extremely scientific conclusion. You're welcome for doing the research for you.} That's what led me to come up with the recipe for these Strawberry Vanilla Bean Baked French Toast Cups!
A perfectly portable version of a popular brunch dish, and they're brimming with flavors that kids love -- fragrant, inviting vanilla and, of course, sweet strawberries! They're extremely easy to make and pack up, not to mention the ideal size for little hands. They happen to work as portion-control for Mom, too!
I like to round out our picnic basket with a few easy, tote-able options like yogurt, cheese sticks, granola or chocolate hummus, which happens to be the perfect complement for gorgeous strawberries and a darn good way to sneak some protein into fussy eaters. {It tastes like chocolate frosting, you really can't go wrong.}
But if all else fails, make sure you bring a big container of those sliced up CalGiant berries, because most kids {even the ones who are going through that awful picky eater phase} can't turn down strawberries. Whether you're serving them up on their own or baking them into something irresistible, those little fingers will find their way right to them. No wonder CalGiant calls themselves "Everybody's Berry." 😉
So, I say pack up that picnic basket and enjoy the great outdoors, because the only thing sweeter than these berries is the memory that you'll be making while you eat them!
Need more ideas on how to get "Brunching with Berries?" Head over to CalGiant's site and download a free copy of their e-book that's packed with delicious recipes that you and your littles will love!
Strawberry Vanilla Bean Baked French Toast Cups
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup honey
- ¾ cups half & half
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean seeds scraped {or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste}
- 4 ½ cups cubed brioche
- ½ cup chopped California Giant Strawberries chopped
- {Optional} Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease 8 wells in a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or butter. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and honey until the honey is loosened a bit and begins to dissolve. Slowly whisk in the half and half. Mix in the vanilla extract and vanilla bean.
- Carefully fold in the cubed brioche to the mixture, allowing it to soak up the majority of the liquid. {You may have to let it sit for a minute or two. Be careful not to over-stir as it will break up the bread pieces.}
- Gently fold in the chopped strawberries until distributed throughout the mixture.
- Using an ice cream scoop, divide the mixture into each of the greased muffin tin wells.
- Bake for about 25-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean and the tops are golden.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes before running a knife around the outer edge of each cup. Serve warm with syrup or dusted with a bit of powdered sugar if desired.
