French Toast Casserole
French Toast Casserole is an easy breakfast and the perfect amount of sweetness. If you’re looking for a breakfast casserole that will make everyone happy, this overnight French Toast Casserole is for you!
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CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
I love gaudy things. I even have a bottle of gold paint that keep on hand to rub accents on picture frames, lamp bases, easels…you name it (a trick my sisters taught me).
But when it comes to some things, less is more…like this overnight French Toast Casserole. I have tried several other Baked French Toast casseroles in the past and none of them have done it for me.
Paula Deen’s version of baked french toast casserole is decadent and over the top…exactly what I love about her food.
But her French Toast Casserole was soggy on bottom and WAY too sweet. It was like eating candy for breakfast. And although I like my sweets…I don’t start devouring them until after noon.
This overnight brunch dish is simple and elegant with amazing flavors.
The best part is that it can be prepared the night before and then just popped in the oven in the morning. Even though this is called Overnight French Toast Casserole, I have made it the same day, without chilling in the fridge at all. Guess what? It’s still great.
Because all those people that told me I would become a morning person when I had kids lied to me. Now I’m just grumpy in the morning AND I have kids to witness it.
WHAT KIND OF BREAD TO USE
I used challah bread here which really soaks up the sauce but you could use brioche, French Bread, or Texas Toast as well.
- challah
- brioche
- French bread
- Texas Toast
HOW TO MAKE FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
A brown sugar butter mixture is poured on the bottom of the dish.
Layer the bread in the dish and pour the egg mixture on top. Sprinkle the pecans on top. Refrigerate for 4-12 hours.
Right out of the oven….
It’s simple enough that a little drizzle of maple syrup (or this Homemade Buttermilk Syrup) and a little dusting of powdered sugar compliments it perfectly.
TIP:
If you don’t have four hours to soak it, no problem. I’ve made this plenty of times without chill time in the fridge and it works well.
OTHER BREAKFAST RECIPES
- Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Bake
- Soft Cinnamon Rolls
- Confetti Hash Brown Casserole
- French Toast Roll-Ups
- Cinnabon Copycat Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Cream Cheese Casserole
- Soft Cinnamon Rolls
- Blueberry Croissant Puff
- Cheesy Baked Eggs
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter, melted, (4 tablespoons)
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 (14-16 ounces) loaf challah, brioche, French bread, or Texas Toast, (sliced into 1 1/2 inches thick slices)
- 8 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 cup whole milk, (2% milk or cream can be substituted)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup pecans, measured then chopped
- Maple syrup and powdered sugar for topping, (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine brown sugar and melted butter and pour on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.
- Arrange slices of bread in the baking dish cutting and overlapping to fit if necessary.
- Combine milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl and pour evenly over bread slices making sure all of the bread is covered.
- Sprinkle chopped pecans over bread slices.
- Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours.
- In the morning, take the casserole out of the fridge for at least 10 minutes while you are preheating your oven to 350°F.
- Bake casserole for 30-35 minutes. If top starts browning too quickly place a foil loosely over the top of the casserole for the last 10 minutes or so. You want it to cook long enough to make sure the bottom part is cooked but don't dry it out completely.
- Remove casserole from oven and let it cool slightly before serving. Serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Video
Notes
Tip: If you don't have four hours to soak it, no problem. I've made this plenty of times without chill time in the fridge. Just as great!
Serving: 1grams
I made this for the third time this mornin and used what I had on hand, swerve brown sugar and praline pecans chopped : ) I add a little brown sugar to the egg mixture and sprinkle some on top with the pecans.
this is the best casserole ever and I have tried many over the years. Typically, put together on Christmas Eve to have the next morning. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with bourbon barrel aged maple syrup. Never any left. This casserole is meant to be decadent in my book.
Thank you!
This was a HUGE hit for Christmas brunch! Made it with brioche and doubled the recipe. It was *chef’s kiss* and only would have been better if I’d been able to find the pecans I’d misplaced. I felt like I really had to smoosh the bread down and spread the egg mixture on the tops of the slices but not sure if that was necessary, maybe the dry (I let the slices sit out for a day and a half) would have absorbed the liquid all the way through to their tops but otherwise portions would stick up out of the liquid in a 13×9. Even delicious reheated in the oven the next day, especially with the found pecans!
thank you!
This was absolutely delicious! I cut the French loaf bread into chunks and ended up leaving it soaking for 3 days! I did have to bake it twice as long and flipped it after 30 minutes. It turned out perfectly cooked & carmelized! I am making it again tomorrow and plan to put the egg mixture in a bowl to thoroughly soak the bread, then will dump it in the casserole. Hopefully, that will keep me from having to flip it halfway through.
Thanks!
This was easy and turned out great! Used (a few days old) half a loaf challah. Halved the recipe. Used eggnog in place of milk. Sooo good. Only needed a little warm maple syrup Thanks for recipe.
You’re welcome!!
This French toast was a winner! I used French bread and next time I’d try a different one. It looked a bit dry in the morning so I tipped the pan in the morning to pour some of the egg mix into a bowl, and I poured that over the bread again before baking. I topped it with powdered monk fruit and maple seasoned pecans with fruit on the side. Loved how each person can choose the flavors they want on their own plate. It was softer than I would like on the bottom so next time I might try to get the top half of the bread to absorb more.
Thank you!
I made it today at noon and will bake it tomorrow at 10 AM, so almost 24 hours apart. Is that too long to soak?
Not at all!
It is soaking in my fridge right now. It looks beautiful with he specks from the spices all over the top. Can’t wait to have this on Easter morning!
Yum!
I have a family member who doesn’t eat eggs. Can I substitute “Just Egg” or something similar? Or what do you recommend? Thanks! Love this recipe.
Yes, that should work!
I can’t be left alone with a warm cinnamon roll or chocolate chip cookie – ?😆
And I thought that was just me!
Haha
Made it for brunch for my friends . They LOVED it! Really simple and so good . I just used walnuts because that’s all I had
Can this be done with gluten free bread?
It won’t be the same texture but it should work.
Please help
Simple question, what’s the best way to double and bake this recipe. 1 big pan?2 pans?
Temp and time? I’m excited to Make this for the first time for Christmas brunch oh ya can it be refrigerated longer than 12 hrs?
Yes, it can be refrigerated longer than 12 hours. You would need two 9×13 pans unless you have a really big sheet pan. Bake time the same.
Can you cut the bread into squares and add the liquid and toss?
Yes absolutely!
Hi Christy. I’ve yet to try this overnight French toast recipe but I’m excited to give it a try! Question, I want to bring this casserole for a trip away and thought I might cook and freeze in advance to make travel a little easier. Do you have any experience doing this with this or similar recipes? I’m on the fence with either doing this or perhaps premixing the eggs and leaving separate in an airtight container so that I can add the night before baking. Thanks in advance!
If I had a choice I would premix the eggs in a container and add the night before baking.
The easiest and tastiest overnight French toast. I’m baking this right now for Easter morning breakfast.
Yay!
This has become our go-to breakfast on Christmas day. Preparing it the night before so all we have to do is pop it into the oven, in the midst of the chaos of opening presents with three younger children, has been wonderful! Definitely worth the 10 minutes it takes for prep on Christmas eve!
So happy to hear this!
Can I freeze this before I bake it
Since I got a Pingback I am assuming I cannot freeze before I bake
You can freeze this and then bake
If frozen, what temperature and timing should it be thrown in for? Would it be thawed in the fridge before baking?
I would thaw in the fridge for 24 hours then bake as normal.
I wonder if you tried freezing the raw eggs and whether you liked how it turned out?
I can’t WAIT to try this on Christmas morning for my family. I’ll likely use brioche or challah bread, I think my 2 little kids will love it! (And husband as well haha)
This French toast recipe is fantastic!!! Thank you!
Thank you!
Loved the French toast! Made it for Mother’s Day Brunch!! My neighbor had given us some Challah bread..perfect!! The top of bread was tuning a bit dark! I put the aluminum tent on it .. per your advice perfect!
Thanks Again,
Mary H
You’re welcome!
This was delicious! I used a sweet Easter bread, which is called tsoureki in Greece ,cut into squares. I thought that it would be too sweet but it was perfectly balanced. Great recipe!
Glad it worked out!
This dish is AH-MAZING. I prepped it Saturday night for Easter brunch the next day. It was for “the kids” but everyone had it and it was gone in minutes. Every adult asked for the recipe. I used challah. I will make this again for sure. Thank you, girlwhoateeverything!
Aww that makes me soooo happy!!
The flavor was good, but the bottom pieces were terribly soggy and made it sort of gross. I’ll likely try again on a sheet pan with all pieces laid flat, and perhaps cut back on the liquid a bit.
Did you use a 9×13? What kind of bread?
My go to recipe! I have tried so many and this one is my family’s favorite one. I cut back to 6 eggs and also quickly dipped the bread in the mixture before placing it on the pan. Delicious!
Great tips. Thank you!
This came out so beautifully! I only had time to let it soak in the refrigerator for about an hour, and I did turn them over before baking to make sure all was soaked up (didn’t want unabsorbed eggs cooking on the bottom) it was fantastic. I will cook French toast this way from now on! (I didn’t do the topping bc I didn’t have ingredients but will next time)
Thank you!!!
Thank you!
This was inedible. Gross, slimy. Even baked an extra 10 minutes. Bummer.
I had a power outage Christmas morning and had to hold off on cooking it until today, so it soaked for 36 hours and still came out great! The slurry of brown sugar at the bottom did not overwhelm it with sweetness. I used a raisin challah. Great recipe, a keeper!
Thank you!
I prepped this last night for Christmas morning breakfast— it turned out great!! Unlike other overnight French toast recipes, this did not turn out soupy or too eggy (I only used 6 eggs to ensure this didn’t happen). I followed other people’s comments and dipped the bread in the egg mixture before putting it in the pan. The butter and brown sugar part on the bottom was delicious. I’m saving this recipe, for sure!
Not enough liquid to cover bread? Help! Tis’ the night before Christmas and not a creature is stirring, not even that darn mouse to ask for help! Oh wait, out on the lawn I hear such a clatter… Hey Santa?! or one of you reindeer,?!
What do I do if my bread’s not all covered in french toast eggy yummi-ness?!!
I added a bit more milk and flipped the pieces in it to make sure they all got soaked
Sounds like you have too much bread? I’m not sure.
Thank for this recipe! I first made it about 5 years ago for Christmas morning, and it has become our annual tradition ever since. My family loves it! This Christmas may not be filled with all the usual traditions, but at least we will still have our traditional delicious breakfast.
Thank you!
My sister’s local café used to serve Brioche French Toast, and it was her favorite menu go to. Unfortunately, they closed and she hasn’t had it since then. I saw this recipe and decided to surprise her with it, since I was invited for Sunday breakfast yesterday. I messed up on the arrangement of the bread, but other than that it was a huge hit! Love it and will make it again—this time I’ll arrange the bread correctly. Either way, it was delicious, and simple to make.
Aww thank you so much!
This is my go-to company brunch recipe. Everyone always loves it, especially my husband. Sometimes I serve it with blueberries – fresh or frozen – particularly if one of the guests has a nut allergy. My niece has added chocolate chips. Highly recommend!
Thank you! We love it too!
Kudos on this recipe. Tried it this morning and the reviews were great. Everyone enjoyed it. I added some almond & oatmeal based crumble to the top; next time will add blueberries also. Only thing about this recipe was that it tasted a little too eggy so will cut 1 egg out next time and see how that works. Definitely a keeper and one to base more mods on. Thx.
Thank you!
Well this got rave reviews from my crew! I made this yesterday for Mother’s day and it was devoured! This is the best recipe I’ve found…usually they are either too dry or too soggy…this was perfect! I made it with a cinnamon brioche and it was incredible. I doubled the recipe and it worked out perfectly…I also cut the brioche into 1 1/2″ cubes instead of slices and toasted the pecans and had them on the side for the people that don’t care for nuts…(although the pecans were so good with it and added a great texture) I highly recommend this recipe! Thank you:)
Great idea to use cubes! Glad it worked out for you!