A delicious simple yet fancy brunch the whole family will love. Almond Pan Perdu with Sweet Honey Mascarpone and Blackberries is the perfect lazy morning made to impress breakfast.
(Original post date Feb. 19, 2019. Links and post updated Dec. 29, 2021)
So, what is Pan Perdu? In simple terms, it is a fancy version of French Toast. Instead of soaking the bread in an egg wash, you soak it in more thick egg custard.
I was first introduced to Pan Perdu years ago when I lived in Denver. At a little brunch place called Lucille’s. Since I first visited, they have branched out and now have multiple locations, but back then it was a small local business that served up French-style Louisiana breakfast favorites. One of which is Pan Perdu with Spicy sausage. The combination of sweet meets spicy on the plate is what brunch dreams are made of.
When I moved away, I craved this fancy Pan Perdu. So, I started to experiment and one day Almond Pan Perdu was on the plate and I have topped it with everything from apple butter to Carmel sauce, sweet cream spreads to fresh berries to a combination of all the above.
It is always a special weekend in the house for the kids when mom wakes up early and makes this special treat. It has become my daughter’s favorite and my son loves to steal it off the counter before I am even able to plate it.
The bread takes at least 10 minutes to soak in the liquid before you can cook it up. It cooks up in two ways. First, you fry both sides of the bread until it is golden brown. Then it is finished in the oven, it needs to cook all the way through. If you do not put it in the oven the middle will be raw and soggy, which no one wants in the morning.
How to make Almond Pan Perdu
- Slice the stale french bread into 3/4 inch thick slices. Stale bread works best because it will absorb more liquid without getting too mushy. It just holds the shape better.
- In a large bowl whisk together sugar, bourbon, eggs, half and half, honey, vanilla, orange zest, salt, and crushed almonds.
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees
- Pour egg mixture into a 9X2 cake pan. Lay sliced bread into the pan. Allow to absorb 1 minute then turn and allow the other side to rest and absorb the bread mixture for another 3 minutes or until the egg mixture is almost completely absorbed.
- In a large cast-iron skillet melt 1 tbsp butter. over medium-low heat. Take 1/2 the slice of bread from the egg mixture, and place in the cast iron skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Place bread on a baking sheet and allow to finish cooking in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Repeat this step with the other half of the bread slices.
Almond Pan Perdu with Sweet Honey Mascarpone and Blackberries is the perfect brunch dish when you are having your girlfriends over and looking to wow, or when your kid just has an amazing week and you want to treat them to something special. This is a must-have on any brunch menu this year!
More Breakfast Recipes
FAQ and Tips
Common Questions that get asked about the recipe, and tips to save you time and money.
- What else can I top almond pan perdu with?
Syrup, almond butter, carmel really anything you would put on french toast. - What should I serve on the side?
This is a sweet dish, I would recommend something salty like bacon or something spicy like sausage. - Can I reheat the leftovers?
Yes, I recommend reheating on the stove top. Reheating in the microwave can make it tough to chew.
Recipe for Almond Pan Perdu


Almond Pan Perdu with Sweet Honey Mascarpone and Black Berries
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp bourbon
- 6 eggs
- 1 ½ cup half and half
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ½ tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup crushed almonds
- 1 loaf french bread staled or left out overnight
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter you may need more
Sweet Honey Mascarpone
- 1 cup mascarpone cheese
- 2 tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp orange zest
Garnish
- ½ cup sliced blanched almonds toasted
- confectioners sugar to serve
- 1 pint blackberries
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar
Instructions
Prepare Berries
- Combine the blackberries and light brown sugar in a small bowl and set aside
Making the Pan Perdu
- Slice the stale french bread into 3/4 inch thick slices. Stale bread works best because it will absorb the more liquid without getting too mushy. It just holds the shape better.
- In a large bowl whisk together sugar, bourbon, eggs, half and half, honey, vanilla, orange zest, salt, and crushed almonds.
- Preheat oven to 275 degrees
- Pour egg mixture into a 9X2 cake pan. Lay sliced bread into the pan. Allow to absorb 1 minute then turn and allow the other side to rest and absorb the bread mixture for another 3 minutes or until the egg mixture almost completely absorbed.
- In a large cast iron skillet melt 1 tbsp butter. over medium-low heat. Take 1/2 the slice of bread from the egg mixture, and place in the cast iron skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until nicely browned. Place bread on a baking sheet and allow to finish cooking in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Repeat this step with the other half of bread slices.
Sweet Honey Mascarpone
- In a medium bowl whisk together mascarpone, honey, salt, and orange zest.
- Once fully cooked the bread should spring back just like a cake would when you push on the top (be extra careful it will be hot). Remove from bread from the oven, place on a plate, spread with mascarpone mixture top with blackberries, sliced almonds, and confectioners sugar.
Nutrition
Let’s Get Social
Follow Instagram | Facebook to get post updates and behind the scenes craziness
Pin Almond Pan Perdu with Sweet Honey Mascarpone and Black Berries For Later
Looking For More Recipes
Be sure to head over to The Messy Cutting Boards Recipe Box where you will find family-friendly meals no matter what the season.
Oh my lord. This looks mouthwatering!!! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
Perfect for Sunday brunch. My kids will love it!
Enjoy! Let me know what you think!
I honestly don’t know what a lot of the words in this dish even mean, but wow does the result look delicious ? Plus, I’m always up for any kind of dessert that involves fruit – YUM!
As it explains in the post it is just a fancy type of french toast with a spreadable cheese that is like cream cheese put sweeter covered with fruit to make your brunch or Sunday breakfast that much more special!! Thank you for your kind words on the pictures!
This looks amazing! I love blackberries! I’ll have to try this soon!
Thank you! Let me know what you think
I had no idea what a pain perdu was until I got here. It’s something like French toast right?
It looks so, so good and the perfect alternative for an indulgent breakfast/brunch.
Yes exactly but it is thicker and sweeter then traditional french toast! It is a true breakfast treat
Oh my gracious! Now this looks like an amazing treat!! I love anything with blackberries and this is almost too pretty to eat!
Almost too pretty but after the first bit you cant help but devourer the rest lol! I really hope you enjoy!
Oh wow this is my kind of breakfast, though I only had coffee today I guess I need to go eat now.
Hahaha Monday-Friday coffee is my breakfast I think that’s why I look forward to the weekend so much.
I don’t think I had mascarpone before or if I did, I never notice it. But this looks sooooo good!
Mascarpone is like cream cheese but better! You usually find it over by those fancy cheeses near the deli department in your grocery store!
Everything about this brunch dish speaks to me. The flavorful bread with bourbon, mascarpone and of course delicious blackberries. Well done!
Thank you so much!
Thank you for sharing this looks so good a must try in my books!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy!
Oh my gosh, this looks so delicious! I love the fresh berries for a topping…sounds so yummy!
Thank you so much! Fresh berries do make everything better
This looks similar to something I had in a tiny country town in France. I am totally going to try to make it. Thanks
That’s awesome!! I look forward to hearing what you think!
Oh my goodness, this sounds absolutely delicious! I’m such a huge fan of fresh blackberries, so I’ll definitely be giving this a try.
Molly // Miss Molly Moon
I really hope you enjoy!
This looks so fancy! Yum!
Hahaha that is what my mother in law says about my cooking, but for the most part I spend less than 30minutes in my kitchen a day.
Almond Pan Perdu with Sweet Honey Mascarpone and Blackberries looks so delicious – my stomach literally rumbled when I saw this!
Mission accomplished I hope you enjoy and you your rumbles got satisfied!