by Holly
Overnight French Toast is an easy breakfast option that can go from oven to table in mere minutes.
French bread is soaked in a delicious homemade custard mixture and topped with nuts this easy dish is prepared the night before for a quick breakfast!
If classic french toast is one of your favorite breakfasts this overnight meal is made for you! Great for Christmas morning, this recipe removes the morning prep and makes an entire batch all at once! Try topping this french toast bake with fresh whipped cream!
Why Make it Overnight?
So I can sleep in is my favorite reason! But, more importantly, so the french bread can soak up all the creamy milk and warm spices while you slumber!
I always make one savory overnight breakfast casserole and one sweet for holiday mornings. All of the work is done ahead of time, it’s great for guests and perfect for a lazy Sunday morning too!
How to Make Overnight French Toast
No need to preheat the oven for this one…at least until you wake up, that is! The best bread for this recipe is a classic French Bread, brioche, or challah.
- Spread melted butter & brown sugar on the bottom of a pan (per recipe below).
- Slice bread and place on pan.
- Whisk together remaining ingredients and pour over bread.
- Sprinkle with chopped walnuts, cover, and place in the fridge overnight.
In the morning remove the French toast from the fridge, preheat the oven and bake. Voila.
My Favorite French Toast Toppings
The sky is the limit with this homemade recipe! The best toppings will really accentuate the sweet/savory flavor of the soaked and baked bread. But here is a list of toppings I like to set out for family and friends!
- All kinds of berries: blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, or raspberries!
- Stove top apple pie filling or peaches (like brown sugar grilled peaches!) or any other stone fruit.
- A light swipe of peanut butter before the maple syrup is oh, so good too!
What to Do with Leftover French Toast
Overnight French Toast can be easily saved for the next day! Simply store it in the refrigerator and when you are ready to reheat, just pop it in the microwave with a paper towel or pan fry a piece or two on the stove top to crisp up the edges!
Yummy Overnight Breakfast Casseroles
- Apple Pie French Toast Casserole – perfectly sweet & savory!
- Sausage Breakfast Casserole – loaded with hearty ingredients
- Blueberry French Toast Bake – with a crunchy streusel topping
- Breakfast Casserole with Bacon – just 20 mins prep!
- French Toast Casserole – light & fluffy casserole
Overnight French Toast
Prep Time 20 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Course Breakfast
Cuisine FrenchIngredients
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 1/3 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 loaf french bread sliced 1" thick
- 12 eggs beaten
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or 1/2 teaspoon maple extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
- whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
Before Bed
- Slice bread into 1" thick slices and let dry on the counter for a couple of hours (or place in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes using caution not to brown the bread)
- Place melted butter and brown sugar on a large rimmed baking sheet (mine was 17.5" x 12.5"). Mix well and spread on the bottom of the pan.
- Arrange bread in the pan over the brown sugar.
- Combine eggs, milk, vanilla extract, maple syrup, cinnamon
- Gently pour the half of the egg mixture over the bread ensuring all of the bread is soaked. Flip the bread and pour the remaining egg mixture over top.
- Sprinkle with chopped walnuts. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight
Morning time:
- Remove the pan from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for 20 minutes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 30 minutes ensuring that the french toast doesn't brown
- Serve with maple syrup and whipped cream
