Easy French Toast Casserole
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This baked french toast casserole could not be easier! Lightly toasted and crunchy top with a soft and sweet center. Bake it right when you make it or refrigerate it overnight for a make-ahead breakfast the entire family will love!
Don’t forget to whip up a fun coffee to go along with your casserole! We especially love a coconut milk latte or Nutella Hot Chocolate with this recipe.
Recipe Features
- Make-Ahead Breakfast: You can make this recipe in advance OR pop it in the oven right away.
- Family Favorite- Voted one of our families go-to sweet treats. We have this on a regular rotation in our monthly menu.
- Quick and Easy- All you need to do is slice the bread, pour in the custard, and bake!
French toast has always been high on my list of favorite breakfast and brunch ideas. It’s simple and sweet, the perfect start to the day. However, it can be a little time consuming when cooking for a crowd. THAT is where this easy french toast casserole comes in.
All of the work is taken out of the recipe and you are still left with a soft and tender french toast that will have everyone raving. Quick, easy, and a great idea for brunch or holiday gatherings.
This french toast is SO GOOD that you will be craving it all year long.
French Toast Breakfast Casserole Ingredients
Like so many other great breakfast recipes on my site, this one calls for minimal ingredients! Here is what you will need to get started:
- Bread- French bread, sourdough, or challah are all amazing options. You actually want the bread to be at least a day old, if not bordering on the edge of stale. This helps to really soak up the custard and still give you a crispy outside but soft center.
- Brown Sugar– You can definitely use granulated sugar in this recipe. However, we have found that the subtle addition of molasses from the brown sugar really sends this over the top.
- Cinnamon– The secret ingredient. SO SO SO good and a big boost to the overall flavor.
- Butter– We use salted butter in almost all of our recipes, but unsalted would work just fine with this breakfast bake.
- Milk– Whole milk is best, but you could use all the way down to 2% milk.
- Eggs– Large eggs.
- Vanilla– Always use pure vanilla extract and avoid imitation vanilla, which can leave a more chemical flavor in your dish.
How to make a French Toast Bake
- Slice the bread into roughly 1 inch cubes. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mist a 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Stir the brown sugar and butter together in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar and butter have melted and combined. This should take no longer than 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and spread into the bottom of your prepared 9 inch dish.
- Add the bread pieces to the top of the brown sugar butter mixture.
- In a separate bowl, or measuring cup, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- Pour over the top of the bread, making sure to coat all of the pieces.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until the top is lightly golden and a knife pulls out clean from the center of the pan.
Need something a little quicker? Try making your french toast inside the air fryer!
How to make-ahead:
- Slice the bread into roughly 1 inch cubes. Set aside.
- Mist a 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Stir the brown sugar and butter together in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar and butter have melted and combined. This should take no longer than 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and spread into the bottom of your prepared 9 inch dish.
- Add the bread pieces to the top of the brown sugar butter mixture.
- In a separate bowl, or measuring cup, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour over the top of the bread, making sure to coat all of the pieces.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 1 hour.
Tips for the Best French Toast Casserole
The three breads we find work the best in this recipe are french bread, sourdough, and challah. Our favorite, by far, is the sourdough. It offsets the sweetness in the most amazing way and tastes incredible with a drizzle of warm maple syrup.
Yes. This recipe is perfect for making ahead of time! We follow the directions through pouring the egg mixture. From there you can cover and refrigerate overnight. To bake, simply pull out of the refrigerator and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
Yes! As if this recipe wasn’t easy enough, you have the added bonus of using a crock pot to help get things cooking. To bake in a slow cooker, prepare the recipe in the ceramic pot that comes with the crock pot. Cook on low for 4 hours or on high for 2 hours.
While most french toast recipes are ideal for freezing, I do not recommend freezing this casserole recipe.
Yes! When cooking for a crowd, simply double the ingredients and bake in a 9×13 pan.
More French Toast Recipes
- Easy Cinnamon French Toast
- Holiday Eggnog French Toast
- Baked French Toast Sticks
- Strawberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast
- Banana French Toast Recipe
- Sugar Cookie French Toast
- Fall Pumpkin French Toast
- Samoa Cookie French Toast
- Baked Coconut French Toast
More Sweet Brunch Ideas
- Cornmeal Pancakes (My favorite!)
- The BEST Buttermilk Pancake Recipe
- Homemade Pancake Mix
- Birthday Pancakes
- Cinnamon and Sugar Waffles
- Puff Pancake
- Chocolate Waffle Recipe
- Red Velvet Pancakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Blueberry Cheesecake Pancakes
- Butter Pecan Syrup
Still hungry? Follow One Sweet Appetite on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!
French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- Half loaf (about 5 cups of cubes of bread- French bread, sour dough, or challah)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Slice the bread into roughly 1 inch cubes. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Mist a 9 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Stir the brown sugar and butter together in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar and butter have melted and combined. This should take no longer than 2 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and spread into the bottom of your prepared 9 inch dish.
- Add the bread pieces to the top of the brown sugar butter mixture.
- In a separate bowl, or measuring cup, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- Pour over the top of the bread, making sure to coat all of the pieces.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until the top is lightly golden and a knife pulls out clean from the center of the pan.
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
