This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure form more information.
This Lemon Blueberry Bagel Breakfast Casserole is an easy breakfast bake made with bagels, cream cheese and blueberries in a lemony custard. A delicious make ahead breakfast or brunch perfect for weekends and holidays.
Table of Contents
Blueberry Bagel French Toast Casserole
Start your day off with a delicious and easy-to-make breakfast casserole featuring the bright flavors of lemon and blueberry. Perfect for brunch or meal prep!
I have been making this berry breakfast bake for a few years now. it’s basically a French toast casserole, only you use bagels instead of bread. Make ahead breakfast casseroles are perfect for an easy weekend breakfast or brunch, especially for special days like Mother’s Day or holiday mornings or birthdays!
The first time I made this baked breakfast casserole recipe, I used a mix of bagels. I think we had cinnamon raisin, blueberry and plain. And it was amazing. Seriously, the kids practically inhaled it. Lately, I have been using only blueberry bagel variety, and it was just as good. So, rest assured that this is a very versatile recipe!
Ingredients
You only need a few simple ingredients from the grocery store for this easy make-ahead breakfast bake. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.
- Blueberry bagels – I used a package of 6 regular-sized bagels
- Cream cheese — sliced into cubes for a creamy filling in each bite
- Eggs — large eggs to make the custard
- Heavy cream — for the custard. You can sub half and half if you have that.
- Blueberries — Fresh blueberries work best.
- Lemon — Use the fresh lemon juice and lemon zest for bright lemony flavor
- Powdered sugar — optional, combined with lemon juice makes a sweet glaze
How to Make Blueberry Breakfast Bake
Making the baked French toast casserole is super easy, and it’s a lot like making French toast. Just tear the bagels into large chunks and throw them into a greased casserole dish. Cut the cream cheese into bite-size cubes, and nestle them in with the bagels. Then, add the blueberries to the mix.
Whisk the eggs and heavy cream in a separate mixing bowl until well combined. Then whisk in a little lemon juice.
Pour the custard evenly on top of the bagel mixture. Use a fork or knife to press the bagels down a little if needed to make sure everything is covered with the egg mixture.
Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap, and place the casserole into the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove the plastic wrap and let the casserole warm up a bit while you preheat the oven.
Baking Time
Bake the casserole for 45 minutes to an hour. When done, it should be bubbling, and the liquid should be absorbed. You can test the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. The internal temperature should be 160 degrees or above.
Serving Suggestions
Allow the casserole to rest for 5-10 minutes so it’s firmer and easier to slice. For more lemon flavor, mix extra lemon juice with a little bit of powdered sugar, and drizzle the glaze over the casserole before serving.
Then, cut the berry breakfast bake into squares, serve and enjoy! You can top it off with extra lemon zest for added flavor, but it’s also perfect just as it is.
Storage
Refrigerate leftover breakfast casserole within 2 hours of serving in an airtight container for 3-4 days. You can reheat individual portions in the microwave for a few seconds — it’s great for a quick weekday breakfast.
Freeze leftovers in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Recipe Tip
Don’t use super fresh bagels, as they don’t absorb the custard mixture as well.
If you are using large bagels from Costco or a bakery, you may only need 4 bagels.
Change up the flavor with different berries. A mix of strawberries and blueberries are perfect for a patriotic holiday!
More Make Ahead Breakfast Casseroles
Try my Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole or Sausage Sourdough Breakfast Casserole or Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole and even more breakfast recipes your family will love!
Lemon Blueberry Bagel Breakfast Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 blueberry bagels
- 8 ounces cream cheese cubed
- 1 pint fresh blueberries rinsed and dried
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
Lemon Glaze
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Grease a 13 X 9-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray
- Tear bagels into bite-sized pieces, and place in baking dish
- Place cubes of cream cheese evenly in bagels, and press slightly so they're not just sitting on top
- Place blueberries evenly in baking dish, making sure they are evenly distributed throughout the casserole
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs and heavy cream, then stir in lemon juice and zest
- Pour egg mixture over bagel mixture, and press bagels into liquid so that they are completely coated
- Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight
- The next morning, remove from refrigerator, uncover and preheat oven to 350℉
- Bake in preheated for 45 minutes, or until casserole is bubbly and center is firm. Toothpick inserted into center should come out mostly clean, and internal temperature should be over ℉ 160
- Remove from oven, and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. Drizzle with lemon glaze if desired. Cut into squares, and enjoy!
Lemon Glaze
- In a small bowl, mix lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle over the casserole before serving, and top with additional lemon zest if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Give this lemon blueberry bagel breakfast casserole a try, and let me know how you like it!
Happy Baking,
Recipe published in 2017 and updated in 2024.
A hearty and flavorful casserole! What a great way to start the day!
A great way to use some of the bagels that have been sitting in my fridge. This seemed fairly bland though, it didn’t have a really good lemon pop of flavor that I was hoping for…. So I added a lemonade glaze that my Mom makes for crepes which helped a lot! I’ll play around with adding cinnamon also in the future.
What a great Breakfast Casserole, we just love blueberries! Hope you are having a great weekend and thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
I love meals you can prep the night before! This breakfast casserole would definitely be a delicious way to start the day!
Oh wow this looks decadent. A great mixture of flavors. I would eat this any day.
Now that is a breakfast I can get excited about 🙂
What a great idea! It’s bread pudding meets bagel. Great for Easter breakfast!
Thanks, Laura. It will be perfect for Easter! 🙂
Well, this breakfast casserole is utterly perfect! The flavor combination of lemon and blueberry is always classic, and using BAGELS? Yes, please.
It was hard to save the bagels, but it’s worth it in the end!
The trifecta! Lemon, blueberries, AND cream cheese!! Oh yum!
I love the way you put that! 🙂
Mmmmm. This looks hearty but sweet and delicious.
Thanks, Rebecca. It’s not too sweet, but it’s definitely filling. 🙂