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Baked French toast casserole combines the best of light, fluffy, and fragrant French toast with the easy prep of a baked casserole!
Featuring cubed bread baked into a sweet custard with a crispy streusel topping, this French toast bake will be a family favorite all year round!
An Easy Make-Ahead Breakfast
- So simple: This overnight French toast casserole recipe is holiday brunch-worthy but couldn’t be easier to make on any day of the week!
- Make ahead: Prep and bake or prep and chill in the pan overnight- this recipe fits into your schedule! Perfect for lazy weekends and brunch guests!
- Switch up: Use your own add-ins and make a new delicious French toast casserole! Or try using cinnamon rolls instead and make cinnamon roll French toast casserole.
Ingredients for French Toast Casserole
Bread – Day-old bread works best for absorbing the custard mixture, so check the bakery for yesterday’s bread. Almost any type of bread will work; try brioche, braided bread, Texas toast, or French bread.
Custard Mixture – An easy egg and cream mixture is sweetened with brown sugar and vanilla and then gently tossed with the bread cubes. This mixture soaks into the bread, adding flavor and the perfect French toast texture.
Topping – A combination of melted butter, brown sugar, and chopped pecans adds a sweet, crunchy layer. Replace pecans with your favorite chopped nuts.
Variations
Perfect as a summer brunch or for Christmas morning breakfast, change the flavor for any occasion. Add bits of sweetened cream cheese.
- Summer/Spring – serve with fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries.
- Fall – Whisk in some pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice, or mashed banana.
- Winter – Stir in, raisins, egg nog, and dried or fresh cranberries.
How to Make French Toast Casserole
- Prepare bread cubes and whisk custard ingredients together until smooth per recipe below.
- Pour the custard over the bread cubes, add the topping and rest overnight.
- In the morning, bake and enjoy.
Storing French Toast Bake
Keep leftover French toast casserole covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat portions in the microwave, oven, or air fryer until warmed through and the topping is crispy again.
More Make Ahead Breakfast Recipes
Did your family love this French Toast Casserole? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
French Toast Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 14 cups bread cubes 1-inch cubes
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups half and half or light cream
- ¾ cup milk
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Topping
- ½ cup butter melted
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
Instructions
- Dry out the cubed bread by leaving it out for a few hours or baking in an oven preheated to 350°F for 6 to 8 minutes.
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish and spread the bread cubes evenly in the dish.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until well combined. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread.
- For the topping, whisk the melted butter and ⅓ cup brown sugar. Stir in the pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gently spoon the topping over the casserole.
- Cover the casserole dish and allow it to sit for at least 1 hour (or up to 48 hours).
- Remove the casserole from the fridge and let it rest on the counter while the oven preheats to 350°F.
- Bake the French toast uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean and is hot.
- Serve warm with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Breakfast, Casserole
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
Looks Delicious! Can’t Wait to Try!
made this this morning and it was delicious. thank you!
Absolutely delicious!!! Made it for a brunch and everyone loved it. I liked that I could prepare it a day ahead and bake it the morning of the brunch. I used French bread and it turned out really good. As always another amazing recipe from Holy!! Thank you
Could I use Kings Hawaiian Bread for this?
Yes, that would work just fine!
I’m disappointed, I miss the old recipe with the vanilla brioche! it was perfect size for smaller family and it was nut free. Any chance we can publish this recipe variation again?
Absolutely, here you are:
8 cups Marketside Vanilla Brioche Bread, cubed and dried as below
5 eggs
½ cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
Topping
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
¼ cup oats
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Cut brioche bread into 1 inch pieces. Place in a warm oven for about 8-10 minutes to dry slightly, or cut and let stand uncovered on the counter overnight.
Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, brown sugar and vanilla in a bowl.
Pour wet mixture over bread and very gently toss to coat. Place in a 8×8″ inch baking dish. Allow it to sit least 1 hour (or overnight).
Combine topping ingredients and incorporate the butter using a fork or pastry blender until crumbly.
Cover the bread mixture with the topping and place in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Serve warm with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.