Baked French toast casserole with custardy brioche and a crunchy cinnamon crust. Toasted bread cubes soak in a sweet, spiced cream mixture and are baked until golden and crisp. It’s a home run breakfast or brunch to feed a crowd.
Recipe Science
- Toasting the bread in the oven dries it quickly, absorbing more custard and preventing a soggy French toast texture.
- For the perfect custard balance, use a ratio of 2:1 eggs to cream and milk. More milk ensures a light, creamy texture.
- Soak the dried bread in the vanilla-egg mixture for at least 4 hours. The remaining liquid binds the casserole during baking.
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Featured Comment 8
“Made this for Christmas Day so that we could open presents and not have to worry about making dinner as well! It was delicious!”—Heather
Why It Works
French toast is an indulgent way to satisfy morning cravings, but dipping and pan-frying each slice of bread takes time. If not eaten right away, it results in cold, soggy pieces, which is not great for feeding a crowd. Thankfully, these issues can be avoided.
I re-engineered the recipe into a baked breakfast casserole that can even be prepared the day before and refrigerated overnight. The key to custardy centers with crunchy tops is to use bread cubes instead of slices and dry them out before soaking. This allows maximum absorption of the sweet and creamy liquid. A cinnamon-sugar mixture is sprinkled on top to add extra crispiness to each slice.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bread: Use brioche or challah bread for heartier, thicker French toast. These are yeast-leavened breads with sugar and eggs added to the dough for a richer taste and denser interiors. I use a similar recipe for Italian Easter bread, which is perfect for this recipe.
- Butter: Used to grease the baking dish to prevent sticking of the french toast.
- Custard: A combination of eggs, brown sugar, milk, heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. The sweetened milk mixture creates a luxurious texture in the toast.
- Toppings: I like to sprinkle powdered sugar, maple syrup, and fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries on top.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
This easy French toast casserole recipe is simple to customize! Try these delicious options:
- Bread Options: Crusty French bread or sourdough loaves can also be used for a less sweet and lighter texture. For dietary restrictions, use gluten-free bread.
- Sweetener Swaps: Try granulated sugar, muscovado, or coconut sugar. For the custard, you can also use maple syrup or honey.
- Toppings: Try my homemade warm berry compote, crunchy nuts like pecans, walnuts, and almonds, or whipped cream.
- Add Pumpkin: Whisk pumpkin puree into the custard for a fall-inspired meal before dipping or spreading on some pumpkin butter.
- Add Apples: Top the french toast with warm apple pie filling, or sprinkle on apple pie spice.
- Make it Dairy-Free: Use non-dairy creamer, canned coconut milk, almond milk, cashew milk, or soy milk. Also, use plant-based butter, margarine, coconut oil, light olive oil, or avocado oil.
How to Make French Toast Casserole
Step 1: Toast the Bread
Cut the bread into about ¾-inch cubes to increase the surface area to help soak the custard. Gently toasting the bread in the oven quickly stales the bread instead of waiting for the loaves to dry out over time. Speed up the process by baking smaller pieces on a sheet tray. The dry heat extracts most moisture and dehydrates the surface, similar to homemade croutons.
Expert Tip: This process prevents overly soggy French toast. Instead, the interior is tender and moist, with some chew. The top of the toast is crispy, the perfect contrast to the soft center.
Step 2: Prepare the Casserole
Butter the inside of a 13×9-inch casserole dish to prevent sticking and add richness. Once your bread is toasted, transfer it to the dish, arranging it in an even layer. This ensures the custard evenly soaks into each piece.
Step 3: Make the Custard
After testing various egg-to-dairy ratios for the custard, I found that 8 eggs to 4 cups of cream/milk is the right combination. Slightly more milk is used than cream, so the custard is creamy but not too heavy. Flavor the custard with vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Quick Substitution: Half and half can be substituted for the milk and cream if you’re in a pinch. I did a savvy calculation to find that it’s just a few grams lower in fat.
Step 4: Soak the Bread
Now that the water has evaporated from the bread, it’s time for the egg mixture to enter. The bread should have ample time to absorb the vanilla-infused liquid and feel a little mushy when poked. Some residual liquid will remain on the edges, which will help lock the casserole together during baking. Soaking requires a minimum of 4 hours.
Make-Ahead Tip: When covered and refrigerated for up to 24 hours, it can be made into an overnight French toast casserole. I prefer this option so I can grab and bake it at the start of the morning.
Step 5: Make the Topping
Mix 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl. Set it aside until you’re ready to bake the casserole for a sweet, spiced topping.
Step 6: Bake
A sprinkling of cinnamon sugar mixture before baking adds warm, sweet aromas. Baking at a moderate oven temperature of 350 degrees ensures that the custard mixture sets. The eggs slowly firm up, and the surface dries just enough to give a crunchy crust after about 45 minutes.
Tips for Perfect Execution: Visually check for the custard to be set. When lightly shaken, it should not be jiggly in the center. A thermometer can also be used to check the internal temperature. Custards are typically ready to eat at 175ºF (80ºC).
Step 7: Cool
Let the casserole cool for about 30 minutes before serving. This makes it easier to cut and allows it to be set. As it cools, expect the casserole to slightly decrease in volume.
Step 8: To Serve
Before serving, sprinkle the casserole with powdered sugar. I like to top with fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries for added sweetness and a pop of color.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, drying out the bread is key to preventing a soggy French toast casserole. Gently toasting the bread in the oven quickly removes moisture, similar to making croutons. This step prevents the casserole from becoming overly soggy, leaving the inside tender and moist with a slight chew, while the top stays crispy for a perfect texture contrast.
Yes, soaking French toast overnight allows the bread to fully absorb the custard, creating a soft, pudding-like texture. It’s also ideal when cooking for a crowd, as it makes prep easier and less rushed compared to making individual slices on the stove.
This baked French toast casserole is beautifully reheated in the microwave. Slice it into pre-portioned pieces for a quick breakfast and reheat for 1 to 2 minutes until warmed. If you like a crunchy top, broil it for a few minutes after microwaving. It tastes delicious for up to 5 days if tightly covered and refrigerated, making it a great meal prep dish!
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If you tried this Baked French Toast Casserole, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Baked French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 16 ounce challah loaf, brioche, French bread, or sourdough
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
- 8 large eggs
- ¼ cup brown sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 ¼ cups whole milk
- 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
- powdered sugar, for sprinkling
Instructions
- Toast the Bread – Set the oven rack to the center position and preheat to 300ºF (149ºC). Cut the bread into ¾-inch cubes. Spread the bread on a large sheet pan or two smaller pans. Bake for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through toasting. The bread should be lightly golden, dry, and crisp. Cool on the tray for 10 minutes.
- Prepare the Casserole – Grease the inside of a 13×9-inch casserole dish with softened butter. Transfer toasted bread to the casserole dish and arrange in an even layer.
- Make the Custard – In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, vanilla, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well combined. Whisk in milk and heavy cream.
- Soak the Bread – Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread. Press the bread into the liquid to submerge. Allow the bread to soak up the custard mixture at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Some liquid will still remain on the edges but the bread should feel slightly mushy.
- Make the Topping – In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon brown sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Set aside until ready to bake the casserole.
- Bake – Set the oven rack to the center position and heat to 350ºF (177ºC). Place the casserole dish on a large sheet pan. Sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar topping. Bake until the custard is set, puffed up, and reaches an internal temperature of 175 to 190ºF (79 to 88ºC) on an instant-read thermometer, about 50 to 60 minutes. If the bread starts to brown too quickly, loosely cover the top with foil after about 45 minutes of baking.
- Cool – Cool for 30 minutes before serving. The casserole will slightly decrease in volume as it cools.
- To Serve – Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving and add desired toppings.
Notes
- Topping Suggestions: Maple syrup, whipped cream, nuts, and fresh fruit like raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries.
- Storing: Cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Portion and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in the microwave for 15 to 30 seconds until hot.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
RJ Rodgers says
I would like to make this for a crowd. I have a 9×13 ceramic pan that is just over 3 inches deep. Is it possible to double the recipe, overnight in the refrigerator, and bake for a longer period of time—maybe 90 minutes?
Jessica Gavin says
The pan is pretty full already with one recipe, I think the most you could go is 1 1/2 times the recipe in the 13 by 9 inch pan. I would check for doneness based the the recipe time, check with a thermometer and add more time is 5-10 minute increments as needed.
Lynn M Morey says
Can this be frozen? If so, how would you suggest defrosting and reheating. I’d like to take this camping and my camper oven has only one shelf.
Jessica Gavin says
Yes, you can freeze the casserole. You can assemble and freeze unbaked, or baked. You can defrost the night before in the fridge, or bake from frozen. Bake until the center reaches 175 to 190ºF if it was uncooked previously. For the pre-cooked casserole, just bake until hot. Cover with foil if the casserole starts to brown too quickly. If baking from frozen, you’ll need more time to defrost and cook when in the oven.
Maria T. says
Made this for New Year’s Day. I did the prep yesterday and baked it this morning. Since there were only two of us I halved the recipe. I didn’t have heavy cream so I did the whole milk cornstarch thing as a substitute. I don’t think anyone (husband) could tell. I used up some brioche rolls for the bread part. Also tasted good. Worked out great! I offered maple syrup, blueberries, banana slices and powdered sugar as toppings. Husband really enjoyed this casserole. He heard someone talking about French Toast Casseroles on NPR yesterday so it peaked his interest. Happy New Year! Looking forward to trying more recipes in 2024.
Heather says
Made this for Christmas Day so that we could open presents and not have to worry about making dinner as well! It was delicious! I might add some orange zest next time for a hint of citrus. I forgot to put the sugar/cinnamon on before it went in the oven, but sprinkled it on after and it was still delicious. Fed my 4-year old and 20-month old as well as my husband and I. Tented it with foil at the 45 minute mark and baked it for an hour. It may have been ready prior, but I was opening presents!
Jessica Gavin says
Oh, what a lovely way to meal prep for the big day! Orange zest sounds like a wonderful addition!
Sherran Lazarus says
all Jessica’s recipes are just divine i tried many of them and believe me its
delicious