Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Overnight French toast casserole is a delicious way to prepare breakfast the night before. You’ll love this make-ahead version of baked French toast, with no messy skillet or griddle to clean. The flavors are completely irresistible!
How long it takes: 20 minutes of prep, and about an hour in the oven
Equipment you’ll need: a large casserole dish, a saucepan, and a large mixing bowl
Servings: 8
We love French toast at our house! Ben likes to make it for the kids in the morning, using whole wheat bread soaked in lots of milk and eggs. It’s nice and easy, and healthy, too. With a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar and topped with fresh fruit, French toast is a good alternative to the usual bowl of cereal.
Sometimes, though, you want a breakfast that’s a little special. Maybe you have guests coming, or it’s a holiday or birthday, or maybe you just crave a breakfast that’s a little decadent. Enter, overnight French toast casserole!
Easy Overnight French Toast Casserole
This wholesome French toast casserole is perfect for that special breakfast or brunch. Bonus: it smells so good while it’s baking! Be sure to put on a pot of coffee.
Flavorful. My French toast casserole is scented with cinnamon and nutmeg, with a crunchy, sweet buttery base and custardy bread pudding. This oven-baked French toast is heavenly. Truly the best!
Make-ahead. This recipe is made the night before with ingredients you probably have on hand, then baked in the morning, and served with a flourish. You’re going to wonder why you don’t make French toast in the oven more often because it’s so easy and tastes so good.
Company-worthy. French toast casserole is ideal when you have overnight guests. It feeds a crowd, and you won’t be standing over a hot griddle all morning, pining for a chance to sit down.
Ingredient Notes
Here’s a quick look at the ingredients you’ll need to make this overnight French toast casserole recipe. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full recipe amounts and details.
- Brown Sugar, Butter, and Cinnamon: You’ll combine and melt these three ingredients into a delicious, saucy base for your casserole.
- Bread: I like to use a loaf of French bread or challah to make this French toast casserole. Keep reading for more suggestions.
- Eggs and Milk: You’ll whisk up a custard of eggs, milk, and vanilla to pour over your bread to create a “bread pudding”.
- Nutmeg: I add a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to the eggs to enhance the flavors.
What's the Best Bread to Use?
The best bread for French toast is slightly stale, or day old. Texas toast, French bread, and brioche are popular choices. I like to make French toast casserole with challah bread. Challah is a slightly sweet bread, rich with eggs, and it’s traditional for Jewish Sabbath day celebrations.
Whether you’re making a classic version or a French toast casserole, the best choice is an unsliced loaf of bread, which can be easily cut into nice-sized cubes. But don’t worry if your bread is already sliced, it will be just fine!
How to Make French Toast Casserole
Slice up the bread. Take your day-old bread loaf and slice it into bite-sized chunks. If you prefer a rustic look, the bread can also be torn instead of using a knife to slice it.
Make the sauce. Next, mix butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a saucepan. Cook until it’s nice and syrupy. Spread that yummy mixture into the bottom of a baking dish.
Assemble. Arrange the bread pieces in the dish on top of the brown sugar butter mixture.
Make the custard. Combine eggs, milk, and vanilla and pour a mixture over the bread. Nestle those bread chunks right down into the liquid so they soak up all the creamy goodness.
Refrigerate. Cover the pan with plastic wrap or foil, stick the whole business in the fridge, and your work is finished!
Bake. Fast forward to the next morning. Turn the oven on, uncover your casserole, and bake for around 55 minutes. It should be set in the middle (not juicy) and golden brown on top.
Serve. Cut into squares, scooping out nice big pieces. Make sure you get the sticky caramel stuff from the bottom of the pan (it’s the best part). Enjoy with fresh fruit, or bacon, sausage, or ham. Coffee or orange juice is a must!
Tips for the Best French Toast Casserole
Here are some final tips for a dreamy overnight French toast bake:
- Dry, stale bread absorbs the egg mixture better. If your bread is really fresh, don’t despair! Cut (or tear) the loaf into large cubes (approximately 1 inch) and spread the pieces on a baking sheet. Let the bread dry out for an hour or so, or dry it in the oven briefly, for 10 minutes at 275ºF.
- Test for doneness with a butter knife. Just insert the knife near the center and see if it comes out clean. If milky liquid is clinging to the knife, bake it for another 5 minutes, and check it again.
- If your French toast casserole is still a bit soggy, this could be because there’s too much milk and not enough eggs in the custard. Try baking it a little longer. If needed, you can tent the casserole dish with foil to prevent the top from browning too quickly.
Recipe Variations
- You can use a variety of different types of bread. Mix different kinds together if you’d like. Each type of bread will have unique characteristics.
- Adapt the spices to taste. Pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice are good substitutes.
- Add nuts. Up to one cup of chopped walnuts or pecans (toast them first for the best flavor) to the bottom layer of butter and brown sugar.
- Lower calorie option: If you prefer French toast that has less added sugar, simply skip the bottom layer of sugar. Just make sure your pan is well-greased. I’d suggest sweetening the egg mixture with ¼ cup maple syrup instead.
- Want something a little different? Try these chai flavored French toast skewers! Air fryer French toast sticks are also popular with kids. French toast muffins are easy and fun, too. Stuffed French toast is always a hit (it’s stuffed with strawberry cream cheese!).
- Gluten-free alternative: Try my crustless quiche, with lots of flavor options.
Serving Suggestions
We love sprinkling confectioners’ sugar over this French toast casserole after it’s baked. Of course, a drizzle of maple syrup is a must. Sliced fresh strawberries or other berries are wonderful, too.
Wondering what to serve with this oven baked French toast? Round out your breakfast or brunch with proteins like homemade sausage patties and baked bacon (so easy, bake it at the same time as your casserole!).
If you’re looking for more easy breakfast side dishes, try crispy roasted potatoes and air fryer sweet potato hash. For a healthy addition, fresh citrus salad with mint, honey, and lime goes nicely with the rich egg dish.
I love that this oven baked French toast recipe is one you can make ahead; it’s a great meal prep idea. Here’s how to properly store it:
- Fridge: Make this casserole up to 24 hours in advance, refrigerated, covered well with plastic wrap or foil. Bake as directed.
- Freezer: This casserole is also great to freeze before it’s baked. Assemble the casserole as directed, and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, plus a layer of foil. Defrost the casserole in the fridge and then bake as directed.
- Reheat: Leftover baked French toast reheats well although the top is a little less crispy. I would microwave each piece briefly, in 30 second intervals. It heats up rather quickly.
More Breakfast Recipes
Overnight French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark will work)
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- 1 loaf (18 oz.) French bread or challah, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 10 to 12 cups of cubed bread)
- 8 large eggs, beaten
- 1 ½ cups milk (2% or whole milk)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Grease or spray a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Bring to a boil. Cook until butter and sugar no longer separate, about 7 minutes. Pour into prepared baking dish.1 cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- Sprinkle bread cubes over brown sugar mixture in an even layer.1 loaf (18 oz.) French bread or challah, cut into 1-inch pieces
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.8 large eggs, beaten, 1 ½ cups milk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Pour egg mixture over bread, pressing down slightly if needed to saturate all the bread with the egg mixture.
- Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to bake, remove plastic wrap/cover and place cold pan in cold oven. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Bake for 55 minutes or until browned, bubbling, and no longer liquidy in the middle. A butter knife inserted near the center should come out clean, not coated with egg/milk mixture.
Notes
- Bread choices: French bread and challah are my first choices but other breads such as Texas toast, Italian bread, or brioche can be used, as well. Day old bread (slightly dry) is best.
- Make ahead: Can be made up to 24 hours in advance before baking. Cover and refrigerate until ready to bake. This casserole can be frozen before baking. Assemble the casserole as directed, and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, plus a layer of foil. Defrost the casserole in the fridge and then bake as directed.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
sounds delicious!
Thanks Denise!