French Toast Casserole
This French toast casserole is a delicious prep-ahead breakfast with cubed French bread soaked in a cinnamon egg mixture and baked until golden brown. Ready in 35 minutes (after the overnight soaking), it feeds 8-10 people and uses simple, easy to find ingredients. The bread slowly soaks up the egg mixture and tastes great without getting soggy. It’s perfect for Christmas morning, holiday brunch, or when you have overnight guests and don’t want to stand at the stove all morning!
I’m not going to lie, holidays are stressful, and mornings even more so. Unless you get those few quiet moments with your coffee before everyone else gets up and starts running around asking for breakfast.
If I know that the days are going to be hectic, I try and get a jump start on breakfast so I’m not “Hangry” and mean to everyone as a result. This French toast casserole is the perfect way to get that head start.
And, once it’s baked, you can enjoy your breakfast too. Instead of standing over the stove while everyone else eats in a calm fashion, you can sit with them too.
Assemble the casserole the night before, wrap it up and store in the fridge, and the mornings are easier. While I’m cleaning up the kitchen from the night before, I do this so I can add the mixing bowl to the dishwasher before I run it.
In the morning, heat the oven while you make your coffee, pop it in, and drink while it bakes. Remove when done, just drizzle with maple, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and add some fruit. Breakfast done!
I love serving this with crispy bacon (bake in the oven with the casserole), fresh fruit, or a cottage cheese smoothie for a complete breakfast spread. It’s perfect alongside biscuits and gravy casserole for holiday brunch and this ruffled milk pie!
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Bread – Use a hearty bread like French bread, Challah, Brioche, or even sourdough. Day-old bread works best because it’s slightly dried out and soaks up the custard without getting mushy. Fresh bread can work if you dry it in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes first.
- Cinnamon – I like to use Siagon cinnamon for because it has the best flavor and worth every penny. It’s sweeter, has a more robust flavor, and not as acidic.
- Milk – Use regular, whole, or dairy free milk. Substitute whipping cream or heavy cream for a richer flavor.
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How To Make French Toast Casserole
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Cut the bread into cubes and spread them evenly in the dish. You want bite-sized pieces.
- Beat the eggs in a bowl and whisk in milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth.
- Pour this custard mixture evenly over the bread cubes. Press down gently with a spatula to make sure all the bread gets coated. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is lightly golden and the center is set. Let it rest for 10 minutes before serving so it sets up.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. After that it gets too soupy and the bread breaks down.
Freezer: Freeze baked casserole for up to 2 months. Let it cool completely, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, label so you don’t forget when you made it, and freeze.
Reheating from Refrigerator: Microwave individual portions for 30-60 seconds until warm. You can also reheat the entire casserole covered at 350°F for 15-20 minutes until heated through.
Reheating from Frozen: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat covered at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until warmed through.
Make-Ahead: This is recipe is perfect for making ahead! Assemble the casserole, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Bake the next morning as directed.
Variations
- Stuffed French Toast Casserole: Layer cream cheese cubes or Nutella between the bread pieces before pouring the custard for a stuffed French toast effect.
- Berry French Toast Casserole: Add fresh or frozen blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries between the bread layers. The berries burst during baking and create pockets of fruit.
- Apple Cinnamon: Toss diced apples with cinnamon and layer them with the bread. Top with a brown sugar crumble before baking.
- Banana Bread Style: Mix sliced bananas into the bread cubes and add a handful of chocolate chips for banana bread French toast.
- Pumpkin Spice: Add ½ cup pumpkin puree to the custard mixture and use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon for fall flavor.
- Crunchy Topping: Mix melted butter, brown sugar, and chopped pecans or sliced almonds. Sprinkle on top during the last 10 minutes of baking for a streusel-like crunch.
- Orange Cream: Add 2 tablespoons orange zest to the custard and top with fresh whipped cream before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This recipe is perfect for making ahead of time. Assemble everything, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The bread soaks in all the yummy custard. Just unwrap and bake it in the morning when you’re ready for breakfast.
French bread, challah, brioche, or sourdough are all more “sturdy and hearty” and hold up to the custard mixture without breaking down and getting too mushy. And day-old bread is best because it’s drier and soaks up the custard without getting mushy. If using fresh bread, dry it in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes first.
Absolutely! Just swap out the regular milk for almond milk, oat milk, or any plant-based milk. Just make sure your bread is also dairy-free since some breads contain milk or butter.
Insert a knife or toothpick into the center of the casserole. It should come out clean without any wet egg mixture on it. Give the dish a little shake too. The center should be set and not jiggle around and the top should be a light, golden brown.
Yes! Cool the baked casserole completely, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat covered at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
At least 2 hours but overnight is better. The longer soak time allows the bread to absorb more custard which makes it more flavorful and evenly cooked.
Challah, brioche, sourdough, or even regular white sandwich bread all work. Just make sure whatever you use is sturdy enough to hold up to the custard mixture.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Spray the baking dish well with nonstick spray or the egg mixture will stick.
- Use day-old bread for best results. You can also dry out fresh bread in the oven at 200°F oven for 10 minutes. Slightly stale bread soaks up custard without getting soggy.
- Cut bread into similar sized pieces so everything gets coated and cooks evenly.
- Some pieces of bread will want to float on top. Gently press down on them with a spatula after you pour in the custard mixture so all the pieces get coated.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap while resting in the fridge. This keeps the top from drying out while the rest of the bread has all that yummy custard.
- Let it soak overnight for the best flavor. The bread has more time to absorb all that flavor.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes after baking. The custard sets up and the casserole is much easier to slice and serve.
- Check doneness by inserting a knife in the center. It should come out clean without wet custard clinging to it.
- Add toppings right before serving. Fresh berries, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or whipped cream all taste best when added fresh.
This super easy french toast casserole recipe is perfect for a weekend brunch or a busy morning during the week before school. Full of tender bread, a creamy egg custard, and topped with maple syrup, it’s a full breakfast in a single bite.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
French Toast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound French bread cubed (roughly 10-12 cups)
- 2 cups milk or heavy cream
- 8 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with Non-stick spray and set aside.
- Cut French bread into bite sized pieces, and place into prepared pan.
- In a large bowl, combine milk, eggs, cinnamon, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Pour over top of the French bread.
- Cover with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350F and remove covering from the pan. Cook for 35-40 minutes or until done and lightly browned on the top.
- Remove from oven and top with berries, powdered sugar and maple syrup or your favorite toppings! Enjoy!
Notes
- Use day-old bread for best results. You can also dry out fresh bread in the oven at 200°F oven for 10 minutes. Slightly stale bread soaks up custard without getting soggy.
- Cut bread into similar sized pieces so everything gets coated and cooks evenly.
- Some pieces of bread will want to float on top. Gently press down on them with a spatula after you pour in the custard mixture so all the pieces get coated.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap while resting in the fridge. This keeps the top from drying out while the rest of the bread has all that yummy custard.
- Let it soak overnight for the best flavor. The bread has more time to absorb all that flavor.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes after baking. The custard sets up and the casserole is much easier to slice and serve.
- Check doneness by inserting a knife in the center. It should come out clean without wet custard clinging to it.
- Add toppings right before serving. Fresh berries, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or whipped cream all taste best when added fresh.
Nutrition
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