This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.

Make mornings magical with this make-ahead Sweet Breakfast Casserole with Berries! This easy recipe features layers of buttery brioche bread, creamy ricotta cheese, and sweet strawberry jam for a delicious and stress-free start to your day!

“Yum!! This is gorgeous and I can’t tell you how delicious it is, too! It gets harder and harder to come up with unique ideas for mother’s day every year, but she sure loved this strata” 🙂

-sue
Overhead photo of a breakfast casserole with sweet strawberries and ricotta cheese.

Update: This post was originally published in April 2017. I’ve updated the article below to include more information about this strawberry breakfast idea. Plus, there’s now a step-by-step video showing you exactly how easy this sweet breakfast strata is to make at home.

Hi, friends! Since mother’s day is right around the corner, I figured it was the perfect time to share one of my go-to spring and summer holiday brunch dishes. This beautiful sweet breakfast bake is complete with juicy, fresh berries, creamy ricotta cheese, and toasty nuts. Just don’t forget the carafes of Mimosas and pitchers of bloody Mary’s!

Table of Contents

About this sweet breakfast casserole 

I like to refer to this dish as the breakfast or brunch of classy champions, because, just look at her. But, let’s discuss:

Luscious, light and fluffy, yet thick and creamy with toasty-crisp edges, the consistency and texture of this overnight strawberry breakfast strata is similar to a soufflé – MINUS all the laborious work and worrying.

This casserole features fluffy, buttery brioche bread soaked with silky, savory egg custard, dolloped with decadent, creamy ricotta, and sweet, sticky strawberry preserves. The whole thing gets sprinkled with crunchy, salty slivers of almonds and it’s baked until golden brown and beautifully delicious. Top your breakfast bake with slices of juicy strawberries or your favorite fruit, sprinkle with cooling mint, and dust with powdered sugar for the ULTIMATE sweet breakfast of champions.

The layers of textures and flavors are definitely the star of this showy sweet and savory strata. If you want to do brunch like a BOSS, this sweet breakfast bake is where it’s at!

Why you’ll love this sweet easy breakfast

With layers of irresistible texture and flavor infusion, there’s nothing quite like this easy breakfast casserole. As if you need more convincing, here’s why you’re going to love this dish:

  • Make ahead. Since this sweet breakfast bake tastes best when it is set overnight, it’s great for making in advance. Simply slide it into the preheated oven the next morning!
  • Classy! While I love my classic baked cinnamon french toast, there’s something about a this layered breakfast casserole which instantly adds a touch of sophistication to any meal time.
  • Perfect for special occasions. This breakfast sweet casserole is great for Christmas morning, Easter brunch, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or a special birthday breakfast! Add a few Flavored Mimosa Cocktails to the mix and get celebrating.
  • Breakfast, brunch, or dinner appropriate! The careful balance of sweet and savory flavors in this dish makes this easy breakfast casserole suitable for breakfast, brunch, or dinner.
A loaf of brioche bread, sweet strawberry jam, eggs, ricotta cheese, vanilla, and heavy cream neatly organized on a kitchen counter.

Ingredients for breakfast casserole sweet

  • Unsalted butter – I use unsalted in most of my sweet baking recipes. If you opt for salted butter, omit the kosher salt list in the ingredients list.
  • Brioche Bread – Day-old bread is best for this casserole. Brioche is rich and buttery, making it an ideal choice for this luxurious sweet breakfast recipe. But, any buttery yeast bread, such as challah, works well. If you don’t have access to those, potato bread and Hawaiian rolls also work great too. But you can use sourdough bread or french bread in a pinch.
  • Milk – Whole milk adds flavor, but you can reduce the fat content by using reduced fat milk instead.
  • Eggs – This is essential for making the custard mixture that holds the bread cubes together.
  • Vanilla – Always use high-quality extract for best flavor. However, almond extract is a great alternative.
  • Orange zest – Any variety of orange can be used for zesting purposes. It adds a lovely touch of citrus flavor to the custard mixture without being overpowering. But, you can use lemon zest instead.
  • Ricotta cheese – A key ingredient for any strata recipe, whether sweet or savory, is the cheese! Ricotta is creamy and balances the sweetness of the strawberry preserves. However, goat cheese or cream cheese are great alternatives to ricotta and is an easy 1:1 substitution.
  • Preserves – You can use any flavor and brand of preserves that you love. Or, a thick jam will work too. I typically use strawberry preserves, but blackberries, peach, raspberry (and so on) are all excellent here.
  • Kosher salt – Omit if using salted butter in this recipe.
  • Sliced almonds – Adds a delicious crunch to this easy sweet breakfast casserole. But, chopped pecans or walnuts are also great. Or, omit if anyone has a nut allergy.
  • Cream – Provides a luxurious consistency and richness of flavor in the egg-custard mixture. Or, use whole milk or half-and-half instead if you prefer.

Recipe variations

  • Bread. Challah bread is similar to rich and buttery brioche bread. I’ve found that potato bread and Hawaiian rolls also work well in this sweet egg bake.
  • Fruit. This is a strawberry brunch casserole, which is great for Spring and Summer. Feel free to use blueberry, raspberry, or blackberry preserves instead and garnish the breakfast casserole dessert with fresh berries to match the preferred choice of preserves.
  • Gluten-free. Source gluten-free brioche bread to cater to dietary needs, or another gluten-free bread that is buttery and rich with similar fluffy texture to brioche.
  • Sweetness. This overnight sweet breakfast casserole isn’t overly sweet, making it ideal for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner! That said, if you have a sweet tooth and want to boost the level of sweetness in this dish, add some sugar or maple syrup to the egg custard mixture. Sugar could also be sprinkled over the top of the egg-soaked brioche layers when assembling the casserole.
  • Garnish it. I garnish this breakfast sweet casserole with fresh mint, thin slices of strawberries, and powdered sugar. Consider using pecans or candied nuts. Or drizzle the top with balsamic syrup to accentuate the savory-sweet flavor combination. Alternatively, a drizzle of sweet and salty caramel sauce would be amazing!

If you’ve got leftover ricotta cheese, put it to good use in these recipes: ricotta cheese pancakes, blueberry toast with ricotta, creamy ricotta dip, easy ricotta gnocchi, pumpkin dinner shells, and ziti with sausage and ricotta.

Overhead photo of a breakfast sweet casserole garnished with sliced berries and toasted almonds.

FAQs: breakfast sweet casserole

What is a sweet breakfast bake?

A breakfast strata is an American layered casserole dish. Commonly served for brunch, a breakfast strata is similar to a frittata or a quiche. Stratas typically consist of bread, eggs, milk, cheese and may (or may not) include meat and/or vegetables.

Why does this sweet strata have to sit overnight?

Chilling these sweet breakfast casseroles overnight allows the egg custard mixture to soak into every inch of the bread cubes. It’s also a popular and proven way to intensify flavors in a dish as the ingredients have time to meld together.
Apart from improved flavor, allowing egg-custard casseroles to set overnight helps to prevent the casserole from falling apart once baked and served in individual portions.

How long can a breakfast casserole soak?

It’s best to allow this sweet easy breakfast to soak in the fridge overnight. If you are in a rush, chill the assembled casserole in the fridge for a minimum of an hour.

Why is my sweet breakfast strata falling apart?

This could be as a result of using fresh bread instead of day-old or slightly stale bread. Fresh bread will disintegrate into the egg-custard mixture, making the casserole more mushy in consistency and fall apart when served. If you only have fresh bread on hand, follow my tip on toasting it first.

What to serve with a sweet breakfast dish?

This easy, overnight strawberry ricotta breakfast strata is very filling, however if you are looking to serve this layered casserole as a part of a breakfast spread, there are a few sides you can serve to round out this meal!

Since there is no meat in this strata, serving stand alone meats such as bacon or sausage would be delicious options! As well, fresh fruit, fruit salad or yogurt would pair excellently.

If you have a family (like mine) who loves all things potatoes, hash browns or any sort of breakfast potato would be another great option!

Toasted bread or croissants with homemade (or store-bought) jam are typically included in a breakfast spread, but since this strata is made up of bread and jam, I’d probably steer clear of those two options. 😉

Close-up photo of a sweet breakfast bake with jam, berries, and ricotta cheese.

How to make sweet breakfast bakes

Mother’s Day brunch should be fancy, but not demanding! As such, this sophisticatedly sweet breakfast casserole is easier than pie to prepare AND it can be made in advance. Here’s how:

  • First, you whisk together some eggs with a bit of milk, vanilla extract and orange zest.
  • Next, cube some brioche bread and place half of it in a greased baking dish, making sure you arrange the bread to cover the bottom of the dish.
  • Then, slowly and evenly pour half of the egg-milk mixture over the bread in the baking dish. And then dollop half of the ricotta over the egg soaked bread, followed by half of the fruit preserves or fruit jam.
  • Repeat the process with the remaining bread cubes, egg-milk mixture, ricotta and preserves.
  • Cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil and set aside for at least 30 minutes, or place in the refrigerator overnight.
  • In the morning, pull the strata out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter while you preheat the oven.
  • Uncover the strata, brush it with a few splashes of cream and generously sprinkle on some almonds. Transfer the strata to the oven and bake for about 55 minutes, or until the strata is puffed, golden brown and the center is set (it shouldn’t be jiggly when shaken).
  • Go pour you and your mom a carafe of mimosas and surprise her with this Overnight Strawberry Ricotta Breakfast Strata breakfast in bed.

Now give yourself a round of applause. You have officially just become the golden child of the family.

Tips for the best sweet breakfast casseroles

  • While I recommend brioche bread for this breakfast recipe, you can use any bread you would like. For the most luxurious, rich mouthfeel I suggest a buttery yeast bread similar to brioche, such as challah. However, potato bread or Hawaiian rolls will work too.
  • You need stale, day old bread for this strata. Fresh brioche bread will completely disintegrate into the egg and milk mixture. However, if all you have is fresh bread, do NOT worry! You can just toast the bread to get the same results as stale bread. Place the cubes of bread on a sheet pan and toast them in a 250 degree F oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cubes are just barely starting to crisp on the outside.
  • If you don’t care for ricotta, you can easily substitute goat cheese in an equal amount.
  • If you want a pretty design on top of your strata, you can use a butter knife to gently swirl through the ricotta and preserves to create a pattern.
  • For the BEST flavor and results, refrigerate the strata, covered tightly, overnight. Giving the bread time to really soak up the egg mixture makes a world of difference. Nevertheless, you can bake it the same day if needed. Just make sure you let the strata sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes to soak up some of the flavor while the oven preheats.
  • If the top of the strata is browned to your liking before the center is set, tent the top of the baking dish lightly with aluminum foil during the last 10-15 minutes of cooking.
Close-up photo showcasing the layers of french toast, sweet jam, and ricotta cheese in a sweet brunch casserole.

Serving this sweet breakfast recipe with strawberries

Breakfast strata casseroles are a breakfast and brunch family favorite, especially around holiday season. Super easy to prepare, yet pretty to look at, and down right delicious, what’s not to love about this breakfast bake recipe? Bready stratas pair great with all your favorite sweet or savory brunch dishes. Below are some ideas to help inspire:

  • Coffee, Tea, Hot Chocolate: A classic pairing for a reason. If serving guests, consider flavored coffees, such as vanilla and caramel. For tea, try Earl Grey or honey chamomile. And, if you’re looking for cocoa, this decadent hot chocolate and hot white chocolate are where it’s at.
  • Breakfast Cocktails: If you’re serving this strawberry dish for brunch, I recommend making a Mimosa or Bloody Mary for any drinking guest over the age of 21.
  • Fresh Fruit: Fresh fruit is a healthy pairing option for bready breakfasts. Try macerating fruit for the most flavor and serve it over whipped greek yogurt for a simple breakfast parfait.
  • Breakfast Meats: If you’re looking for a decadent pairing option, try this recipe for candied bacon. Otherwise, classic breakfast meats, like sausage links and patties, crispy bacon, and ham all work great here.
  • Eggs: Add some healthy protein to your breakfast or brunch spread and serve scrambled eggs with avocado and toast on the side.
  • Salmon: Prefer fish to eggs? Try this cured salmon recipe that’s sure to impress!
  • Pastries: Don’t forget to offer a sweet ending! My vote goes to the most delicious (and super easy) danish recipe with puff pastry.
Straight on photo of a slice of overnight sweet breakfast casserole.

Storing sweet brunch casseroles

How to store and how long does it keep?

Store leftover sweet breakfast casserole in an airtight container, or covered in the casserole dish, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Assemble the sweet breakfast casserole with strawberries and ricotta the night before and store it in an airtight container in the fridge, ready to be baked and garnished the following morning.

Can I freeze it?

Absolutely! To freeze this baked strawberry ricotta breakfast strata, wrap it in plastic wrap once completely cooled, followed by aluminum foil. Freeze the entire casserole for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the fridge to reheat.

Individual servings can also be wrapped in plastic and foil to be stored in an airtight container or
in freezer-safe bags in the freezer. It’s a great way to thaw the exact amount needed.

Reheating instructions

Once the breakfast dessert casserole has thawed overnight in the fridge, cover the top of the dish loosely with aluminum foil and reheat at 350 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for another 15 minutes or until the strata has heated through. The foil covering will prevent the strata from drying out while reheating.

Dont spend Mother’s day stressing in the kitchen! Instead, ditch the stress of brunch prep with this no-fuss sweet breakfast bake. Get ready to kick back, relax, AND impress this holiday season.

Until next week friends, cheers – to all the wonderful mamas out there!

Cheyanne

Craving MORE? Follow all the deliciousness on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!

More easy breakfast casseroles!

How to make an Overnight Strawberry Ricotta Breakfast Strata at home👇

Overhead photo of a sweet breakfast casserole with ricotta cheese, strawberry jam, and fresh strawberries.

Overnight Sweet Breakfast Casserole

5 from 8 votes
Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 8 servings
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Make mornings magical with this make-ahead Sweet Breakfast Casserole with Berries! This easy recipe features layers of buttery brioche bread, creamy ricotta cheese, and sweet strawberry jam for a delicious and stress-free start to your day!

Equipment

  • 1 8×11-inch OR 9×13-inch Casserole Baking Dish (for baking breakfast casserole)
  • 1 Medium Mixing Bowl (for making egg custard)

Ingredients 

Instructions

  • Make Egg Custard: In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla extract, orange zest and ¼ teaspoon salt.
  • Grease Pan, Add HALF the Bread: Grease an 8×11’’, or 9×13’’ baking dish with the butter. Then, add half of the bread cubes to the prepared baking dish, arranging them to cover the bottom of the dish.
  • Add Half the Eggs: Slowly, and evenly, pour half of the egg-milk mixture (about 2 1/2 cups) over the bread in the casserole dish.
  • Layer in the Good Stuff: Dollop half of the ricotta cheese (1/2 cup) over the soaked bread, being sure to drop the ricotta by the spoonful evenly over the bread. Next, dollop half of the preserves (1/2 cup) over the top of the casserole.
    Repeat the layers: Arrange the remaining bread cubes evenly over top of the preserves. Then, slowly pour the remaining egg-milk mixture over the bread. And finally, spoon the remaining ricotta and jam evenly over the top.
  • Cover and Refrigerate – OPTIONAL: For best results, cover the sweet breakfast casserole tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
    If you have refrigerated the strata, remove it from the fridge and let the strata sit on the counter while the oven preheats to remove the chill. Remove and discard plastic wrap.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Brush Cream on Casserole, Add Almonds, Then Bake: Use a pastry brush to gently brush the top of the casserole with the heavy cream. Then, sprinkle the almonds all over top.
    Bake, UNCOVERED, for 55 minutes – 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the casserole is puffed up, golden brown, and the center is set (meaning, the casserole doesn't jiggle when you shake the pan). (SEE NOTES)
  • Let Cool Slightly, then Garnish: Remove the breakfast casserole from oven and place the pan on a wire rack. Set aside and let cool for 10 minutes before garnishing. Scatter fresh mint leaves and sliced or chopped berries over the top of the casserole and then dust powdered sugar all over the top.
  • Slice and Serve: Use a sharp knife to cut the sweet breakfast bake into squares and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • While I recommend brioche bread for this breakfast bake, you can use any bread you would like. For the most luxurious, rich mouthfeel I suggest a buttery yeast bread similar to brioche, such as challah. But potato bread or Hawaiian rolls work great too.
  • You need stale, day old bread for this strata. Fresh brioche bread will completely disintegrate into the egg and milk mixture.
  • However, if all you have is fresh bread, do NOT worry! You can just toast the bread to get the same results as stale bread. Place the cubes of bread on a sheet pan and toast them in a 250 degree F oven for 5-10 minutes, or until the cubes are just barely starting to crisp on the outside.
  • Dislike ricotta? You can easily substitute goat cheese in an equal amount.
  • If you want a pretty design on top of your casserole, you can use a butter knife to gently swirl through the ricotta and preserves to create a pattern.
  • For the BEST flavor and results, refrigerate the sweet casserole, covered tightly, overnight. Giving the bread time to really soak up the egg mixture makes a world of difference. Nevertheless, you can bake it the same day if needed. Just make sure you let the casserole sit on the counter for at least 30 minutes to soak up some of the flavor while the oven preheats.
  • If the top of the breakfast bake is browned to your liking before the center is set, lightly tent the top of the baking dish lightly with aluminum foil and continue cooking.
  • Got questions? I’ve got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification – please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I’m happy to help when I can!
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 8 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition

Calories: 520kcal    Carbohydrates: 57g    Protein: 19g    Fat: 23g    Saturated Fat: 10g    Cholesterol: 327mg    Sodium: 373mg    Potassium: 282mg    Fiber: 1g    Sugar: 26g    Vitamin A: 895IU    Vitamin C: 4.8mg    Calcium: 239mg    Iron: 1.9mg
Course: Breakfast, entree
Cuisine: American

Did you make this recipe?

Mention @nospoonnecessary on Instagram and tag it #nospoonnecessary!

©No Spoon Necessary.  All images and content are copyright protected. Please do not use any images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe please do not list instructions, instead link directly back to this post.