High-Protein Peanut Butter Chocolate (Print Version)

Protein-rich breakfast featuring bread cubes baked in creamy peanut butter and chocolate custard until golden and set.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread

01 - 8 cups whole grain or brioche bread, cut into 1-inch cubes, day-old preferred

→ Custard

02 - 6 large eggs
03 - 2 cups skim milk or unsweetened almond milk
04 - 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
05 - 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
06 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar or coconut sugar
07 - 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, 2% or higher
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt

→ Toppings

10 - 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts
12 - Maple syrup or honey for serving

# How To:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Spread bread cubes evenly in the prepared baking dish.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, peanut butter, cocoa powder, brown sugar, Greek yogurt, vanilla, and salt until smooth and well combined.
04 - Pour custard mixture evenly over bread cubes. Gently press bread down to ensure all pieces absorb the custard.
05 - Allow mixture to sit for 10 minutes to enable bread to absorb the liquid.
06 - Sprinkle chocolate chips and chopped peanuts evenly over the top.
07 - Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, or until custard is set and top is puffed and lightly crisp.
08 - Cool for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve warm, drizzled with maple syrup or honey if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • You get that custard-soaked, slightly crispy texture everyone craves from French toast, except you're not standing over a hot pan the whole time.
  • The protein count is legitimate—this actually fills you up and keeps you satisfied well past noon, which is rare for breakfast.
  • It tastes like you're eating chocolate peanut butter brownies for breakfast, which feels like getting away with something delicious.
  • Feeds a crowd or provides ready-made portions for the whole week, depending on your mood.
02 -
  • The custard will look slightly underbaked when you first pull it from the oven, which terrifies people; it sets more as it cools, so resist the urge to bake it longer or you'll end up with scrambled eggs.
  • Day-old bread is genuinely not negotiable—fresh bread turns to mush and the whole thing becomes a soupy mess that looks sad and tastes worse.
03 -
  • If you want extra protein without making it taste like protein powder, add Greek yogurt rather than using a supplement—the flavor blends invisibly while boosting nutrition.
  • Slightly underbaked custard tastes richer than fully set custard, so pull it out when the center is barely set and watch it finish setting as it cools; this one technique changes everything.
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