French Toast with Mixed Berry Compote and Lemon Ricotta Cream

^{This sweet breakfast treat will be hard to turn away when you see how easy it is.  So light and creamy, you can enjoy french toast more often!}

One of the best things I remember about waking up to watch Saturday morning cartoons was usually being served an exciting plate of french toast. This was a favorite for my brother and me on weekends. Whether my mom was baking up frozen french toast sticks or even crafted her own from a leftover dinner baguette, they were always served with tons of syrup and powdered sugar. Now that I think about it, I can see why my mom only offered this once a week, if that.

Even though I’m not the biggest fan of super sweet breakfast dishes, French toast is usually a little savory and sweet. It’s a very versatile combination of literally whatever bread you have on hand. The common ingredients in this recipe include bread, egg and milk which make it an easy crowd pleaser if you didn’t plan ahead. 

Fun fact: I actually catered my brother’s high school graduation brunch (yes – we agreed brunch was more fun). French toast was one of the main dishes I made. It was so easy and uses inexpensive common ingredients. 

For this recipe, I just wanted to stick to something basic but also satisfying. And of course I wanted to lighten it incase someone didn’t want to wait until the weekend to indulge. This is also a clean-out recipe, meaning, I used whatever was on hand to make it work.

Read the substitution portion of this because it’s caters ideas to what you may like and what you may have!

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French Toast with Mixed Berry Compote and Lemon Ricotta Cream

Print Recipe

This sweet breakfast treat will be hard to turn away when you see how easy it is.  So light and creamy, you can enjoy french toast more often!

Prep Time:20 minutes mins

Cook Time:35 minutes mins

Ingredients

Mixed Berry Compote

• 2 cups mixed berries any variety
• 1 orange zest and juice
• ¼ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 packets (.35g) zero calorie sugar substitute

French Toast

• 6 slices reduced calorie grain bread
• 1 cup egg substitute (or 8 egg whites)
• ¼ cup almond milk
• 2 tablespoons fat free half & half
• ½ teaspoon vanillla extract
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 packets (.35g) zero calorie sugar substitute
• 1 dash salt

Lemon Ricotta Cream

• ½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• ¼ cup non fat Greek yogurt plain or vanilla
• ¼ cup low fat cream cheese (optional)
• 1 small lemon zest and juice
• 3-4 packets (.35g) zero calorie sugar substitute

Instructions

Mixed Berry Compote

• In a medium sized sauce pan. Mix all berries, vanilla, orange juice and zest. Cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, covered. 
  
• Take lid off and add sugar substitute. Cook with lid  off for another 10-12 minutes on medium. Stir every 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool while cooking the french toast. Berry compote should thicken and glaze the back of a spoon. 

Lemon Ricotta Cream

• Mix ricotta cheese, greek yogurt, sugar substitute (or 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar), lemon juice and zest. Whisk together and keep cold in the fridge until time to serve. 
  

French Toast

• Preheat oven to 350°
• In a shallow 8”x8” or 9”x9” baking dish, whisk egg substitute, milk, half & half, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar substitute and salt.
• Once all the ingredients are whisked together, lay in bread, two pieces at a time. Allow bread to soak for 15 seconds on either side. If using a thicker slice of bread, allow it to soak for 30-60 seconds on either side. 
• In a frying pan, add non stick cooking spray or lightly coat with butter. Turn to medium-high heat and wait 30-60 seconds for pan to heat before adding 2 pieces of bread at a time. Cook french toast for 2 minutes on both sides until golden brown. Remove and place on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat steps with remaining slices of bread.
• Allow bread to cool and cut in half. Drizzle with berry compote and ricotta mixture.
  

Notes

How long does it last and where?

This can last for about 2-3 days in the fridge. Usually it’s made to order but if you have slices that are not doused in syrup, it can last for a couple days. 

Can you freeze it?

Yes – french toast is such an easy meal to pop in the oven or microwave when you’re on the go. Just make sure that they are cooked, cooled and frozen flat (not stacked). 

Depending on the thickness of the bread, these can take minutes, if not seconds in the microwave. (Now that I am thinking about it, I will be trying these and reheating these in the air fryer!)

Substitutions?

Tons!

• • • Bread – use any bread on hand. When I made these for the party I used a baguette because I knew it would absorb well and not disintegrate for a crowd. I learned this from my mom. I can’t think of a bread I’ve had that wouldn’t work…just know the consistancy and how fast they absorb liquid. The more liquid that you absorb, the longer they can take to cook.
    • Eggs – I used the egg substitute that came in the cartoon. It’s basically egg whites, however, the consistency was smooth and absorbed well in the bread. And you know I loved the idea that it’s lighter. But traditionally using fresh eggs is the go-to.
    • Any creamer or milk is fine with this dish. Non-dairy and dairy can be substituted.
    • Sugar is fine! Use honey even!
    • Topping – There are a lot of fruits that make a great topping to french toast such as bananas, berries, peaches and plums. Also for the stuffing, I have made sugar free fat free boxed pudding and used this as the filling. 
      • This recipe uses frozen blackberries, fresh raspberries, strawberries and blueberries 
      • If you have frozen fruit, you can break it down in a sauce like we did in this recipe!
      • The reason for the ricotta  – I had leftovers! Mix in a little cream cheese to make it more thick and rich if you also have it on hand!

Tips and Tricks

Don’t overthink this recipe. Use what you have! Just know there may be leaner options and you’re good to go!

What to serve with it?

Any breakfast protein is an awesome sweet and salty pairing to this!

Drizzle with a little low sugar or sugar free syrup to keep it classic.  🙂

****Nutrition Information for 3 halves of french toast + 2 tablespoons compote + 1/4 cup Lemon Ricotta cream

Nutrition

Serving: 4g | Sodium: 441mg | Sugar: 11g | Fiber: 7g | Calories: 242kcal | Saturated Fat: 3g | Fat: 6g | Protein: 18g | Carbohydrates: 33g

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Main Dish, topping

Cuisine: Other

Keyword: Bread, Cheese, Egg, Fruit, Less Sugar, Sauce

Servings: 4

Calories: 242kcal

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