Description

Cottage Cheese Christmas Morning Cranberry French Toast Squares — a bakery-style, custardy breakfast bake with blended cottage cheese for a velvety interior, jewel-red cranberries scattered through tall brioche cubes, and a glossy maple drizzle. Perfect for holiday brunches, make-ahead mornings, and festive gatherings. The custard-soaked brioche bakes up golden on the edges, soft and cheesecake-like inside, and presents exactly like a picture-perfect Christmas morning dish.

Ingredients

Scale

8 slices brioche or challah, cut into large cubes
1 cup cottage cheese
3 large eggs
1/2 cup milk (or half-and-half)
1/3 cup sugar (or honey)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup cranberries (fresh or dried)
Optional: orange zest, chopped pecans, cream cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8×8 baking dish.
Blend cottage cheese, eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth.
Place cubed brioche in the dish and sprinkle cranberries evenly across.
Pour the blended custard over the bread, pressing gently so bread absorbs the mixture.
Let rest 10 minutes while oven finishes heating to soak deeply.
Bake 30–35 minutes until golden, puffed, and set in the center.
Cool slightly, dust with powdered sugar or drizzle warm maple syrup and serve.

Notes

Use slightly stale brioche for best absorption.
Blend cottage cheese fully to avoid lumps.
Press the bread gently to ensure even soaking.
For an overnight version, cover and refrigerate up to 12 hours before baking.
Reheat in a toaster oven at 325°F for best texture.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Breakfast, Brunch
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 square
Calories: ~330
Sugar: 18 g
Sodium: 280 mg
Fat: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 3 g
Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 36 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 18 g
Cholesterol: 110 mg

Keywords: christmas breakfast, cranberry french toast, cottage cheese french toast, holiday brunch, make-ahead breakfast