This French toast breakfast casserole is so flavorful and a family favorite. Whenever it’s baking in the oven, the warming notes from the cinnamon lures the entire family into the kitchen. It’s the ideal way to use up leftover stale bread that you may have lying around the kitchen. Plus, it’s hands-off as you don’t have to flip the bread in the pan, making it a lot easier to feed a crowd.
The top has this crisp, sugary crunch that gives way to the soft, cinnamon custard-soaked bread underneath. You will want to make this every weekend! Need another delicious breakfast recipe for weekend brunch? Try my Fluffy Pancakes, Easy Waffles, or Cinnamon Roll recipes. Or for another decadent bread recipe, try out my Easy Bread Pudding!
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE
Eggs — don’t skimp on the eggs. You’ll want to use all six for a creamy custard. If there aren’t enough eggs, the French toast won’t be as firm or chewy.
Bread – for this baked French toast casserole, you’ll want to use rich, white bread. It’s best when the bread is a tiny bit stale, so it’s great if you’ve got leftover bread lying around. You can tear the bread with your hands or cut them with a knife for more even cooking.
Milk — whole milk is ideal, but you can use 2% or skim milk if that’s what you’ve got on hand. Keep in mind that whole milk will result in a more decadent custard than skim milk.
Brown sugar — light brown sugar does not have as much molasses as dark brown sugar, but it still has a caramel-like flavor. Feel free to use either one. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can follow this post on how to make homemade brown sugar.
HOW TO MAKE FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
1. Dice a large loaf of French bread into 1-inch cubes
2. Add eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
3. Whisk until the egg mixture is well combined.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.
5. Stir in the bread until fully coated.
6. Spoon into the prepared baking dish and sprinkle the brown sugar mixture evenly on top.
7. Dot the top with butter.
8. Bake the French toast casserole for about 30 minutes or until the filling has set and the top is golden brown. Serve with powdered sugar and maple syrup, if desired.
PRO TIPS FOR MAKING THIS RECIPE
- For a more seasonal touch, you can add in different spices instead of cinnamon, such as pumpkin spice or apple pie spice.
- Instead of dusting with powdered sugar after the casserole comes out of the oven, try coating them in cinnamon sugar to change things up. You have to do this while the bread is still warm so the sugar mixture will stick.
- Fresh bread is not ideal for this French toast casserole as it soaks up too much egg mixture, making the casserole soggy on the inside.
- If you only have fresh bread, you can toast the cubes for a couple of minutes to dry them out before soaking them in the egg mixture.
- Make sure your brown sugar is soft and moist. If your brown sugar has hardened, don’t worry, it’s an easy fix! I wrote a detailed post on how to soften brown sugar.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How do I keep this casserole from getting soggy?
Avoid using fresh bread and make sure to choose a sturdy, dense bread such as French bread, brioche, challah, or sourdough bread. If your bread is less dense, cut it thicker to prevent the bread from becoming soggy.
Can I make this French toast bake ahead of time?
You can prepare the casserole the night before by making the egg mixture, adding it to the bread, and allowing it to soak overnight. Add the brown sugar topping the next day before baking the French toast.
Can I freeze this casserole?
You can! I highly recommend using a disposable aluminum foil pan as you don’t want to break your casserole dish from thermal shock. Once you’ve baked the casserole, allow it to fully cool before wrapping it with plastic wrap then aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Bake from frozen at 350F for an hour or until it’s warm throughout.
What can I serve with this breakfast casserole dish?
There are so many ways to serve this French toast breakfast casserole! Here are some of my favorite toppings and sides to go with them:
- Maple syrup
- Butter
- Powdered sugar — don’t have any on hand? Here’s how to make homemade powdered sugar.
- Whipped cream
- Fresh berries such as strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries
- Caramelized bananas
- Jam
- Honey butter
- Apple butter
- Crispy bacon
- Scrambled eggs
- Yogurt
- Banana Pancakes
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Apple Cider Donuts
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this French Toast Casserole recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
French Toast Casserole
Equipment
- 13x9 inch baking pan
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 6 large eggs
- 1¾ cups whole milk (370mL)
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar (55g)
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large loaf French bread cut into 1-inch cubes (about 14 to 16-oz.)
For the Topping:
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar (55g)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup cold butter diced (57g)
To Serve
- maple syrup
- powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking dish with butter.
For the Filling:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the bread until fully coated. Spoon into the prepared baking dish.
For the Topping:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Sprinkle evenly over the bread mixture. Dot the top with butter.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or until the filling is set and the top is golden brown. Cool for a few minutes before serving. Serve with powdered sugar and maple syrup, if desired.
Video
Notes
- For a more seasonal touch, you can add in different spices instead of cinnamon, such as pumpkin spice or apple pie spice.
- Instead of dusting with powdered sugar after the casserole comes out of the oven, try coating them in cinnamon sugar to change things up. You have to do this while the bread is still warm so the sugar mixture will stick.
- Fresh bread is not ideal for this recipe as it soaks up too much egg mixture, making the casserole soggy on the inside.
- If you only have fresh bread, you can toast the cubes for a couple of minutes to dry them out before soaking them in the egg mixture.
- Make sure your brown sugar is soft and moist. If your brown sugar has hardened, don’t worry, it’s an easy fix! I wrote a detailed post on how to soften brown sugar.
