Prepare this Overnight French Toast Casserole at night before bed. Then, in the morning, just bake and enjoy the perfect sweet breakfast!
Make-ahead
Beginner-friendly
You’ll Learn: How to speed up soaking if you’re short on time
Worth It: Keeps the morning simple with prep the night before
Bonus: Easily scalable
French toast reimagined in an easy overnight edition
I LOVE french toast but it can be a little time-consuming to make especially if you have a large crowd to feed. Forget flipping bread on the stove and give this baked french toast casserole a try instead.
French toast is all about cinnamon, vanilla, and buttery bread. This overnight french toast casserole recipe was created with all of those familiar flavors in mind.
All you have to do is prep the baked french toast casserole in the evening, let it soak in the fridge overnight, and then bake it when you are ready to eat. Brunch just got a whole lot sweeter (and easier). Imagine waking up on Christmas morning and all you need to do is pop this into the oven.
Serving Suggestions
Make this french toast casserole at night, store in the baking pan in the refrigerator overnight and bake it up in the morning for a weekend breakfast or holiday brunch. It is the perfect thing to make when you have overnight guests because you wont have to spend all morning in front of a hot stove.
I like to serve it simple with butter and warm maple syrup. To make it a bit fancier, sprinkle the top with powdered sugar and serve it with a bowl of whipped cream and fresh berries like blackberries, blueberries and strawberries.
Breakfast casseroles are the easiest way to cook for a crowd. You can serve this sweet one alongside a savory one like a hash brown breakfast casserole. I also like to make a batch of my oven baked bacon and perfect hard boiled eggs for a boost of protein. Then the only thing missing is a delicious cup of coffee or even a mimosa!
Ingredients
- Challah bread or brioche bread – I find that a soft enriched bread like challah or brioche is best for soaking up the egg and milk custard. You could also use anything thick and soft like Texas toast.
- Salted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon – heat butter with brown sugar and cinnamon to make a simple caramel like syrup. This sweet syrup coats the bottom of the pan before you press the slices of bread into it. You can use light brown sugar or dark brown sugar for this recipe.
- Eggs, milk, and vanilla extract – whisk large eggs with whole milk, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to make a smooth custard. Pour this over the bread before wrapping up the casserole dish. This liquid mixture soaks into the bread overnight resulting in a very tender french toast slice.
Ingredient substitutions
This overnight french toast casserole recipe can also be made gluten-free. Just substitute brioche or challah bread for a gluten-free bread of your choice.
You could also use french bread like a long baguette to make this easy french toast casserole. Just slice the baguette into rounds and arrange them in the baking dish. You can also use sourdough bread, but it will result in a less sweet and firmer french toast.
Lastly, if you have less time to soak the bread in the egg mixture, you could cut the bread into 1-inch cubes. The bread cubes will absorb the liquid faster than the full slices. This allows you to have a delicious breakfast in just a few hours instead of overnight.
To make this breakfast casserole dairy-free, first you will want to make sure you are using a bread that was baked without dairy. Then, use a dairy free butter and dairy free milk. I recommend coconut milk because it will help make the egg custard rich and creamy.
How to make this overnight french toast casserole
Step 1: Prepare the casserole ingredients
To begin, melt butter and brown sugar together. Then, mix in 1 tsp of cinnamon and pour the mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish and spread into an even layer.
Next, slice bread into 1” thick slices and arrange slices in an even layer in the casserole dish. You may need to slice the bread into smaller pieces and smash them in to create an even layer of bread.
Step 2: Whisk together and let it sit overnight
Next, whisk together all of the wet mixture ingredients until you are left with an even mixture and pour over top of the bread.
Then, cover and place in the fridge overnight so the bread can expand as it absorbs the liquid. Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap or tinfoil, whichever you prefer.
Step 3: Bake and enjoy
In the morning, preheat the oven to 400F. Cover the casserole dish with tinfoil and bake covered for 30 minutes.
Then, remove the tinfoil and bake for another 10-15 minutes. The casserole will expand and the top will become golden brown so do not place it too close to the top of the oven.
Once it is done baking, cut this baked french toast casserole into slices and serve with butter and maple syrup. Enjoy!
Storage and reheating
Once prepared, transfer any leftovers to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
To reheat, warm this baked french toast casserole in the microwave or toaster oven. Serve again with toppings of your choice.
How to bake from Frozen
I recommend freezing it before baking. You can then bake it directly from frozen. Bake at 350F for 1 hour covered in tinfoil. Then, remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes to crisp the top.
If you have a sick friend or know someone who just had a baby, drop off a frozen breakfast casserole and they will be so thankful! You can also drop it off alongside this baked ziti with ricotta.
Check out these other Brunch Recipes
Love this make ahead breakfast recipe? Try this Croissant Breakfast Casserole next.
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Overnight French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 15 oz loaf of challah bread or brioche bread
- 1 stick of salted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar – packed
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
Wet Mixture Ingredients:
- 8 eggs
- 1.5 cups milk – I used 2%
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Prepare casserole the night before baking**
- Melt butter and brown sugar together. Mix in 1 tsp of cinnamon and pour mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish and spread into an even layer.
- Slice bread into 1” thick slices. Arrange bread sliced in an even layer in the casserole dish. You may need to slice the bread into smaller pieces and smash them in to create an even layer of bread.
- Whisk together all of the wet mixture ingredients until you are left with an even mixture and pour over top of the bread.
- Cover and place in the fridge overnight. The bread will expand as it absorbs the liquid.
- In the morning, preheat the oven to 400F. Cover the casserole dish with tinfoil and bake covered for 30 minutes.
- Remove the tinfoil and bake for another 10-15 minutes – the casserole will expand and the top will become golden brown so do not place too close to the top of oven.
- Cut into slices and serve with butter and maple syrup.
Recipe Notes
- store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Gently reheat in the microwave, toaster oven or on the stove top.
- Freeze before baking and bake directly from frozen 350F for 1 hour covered in tinfoil. Then, remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes to crisp the top.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
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