An easy make-ahead breakfast bake, this French Toast Casserole is an absolute crowd-pleaser.
French toast casserole is a fairly simple mixture of bread and custard, but the best part about this dish is the crispy cinnamon-sugar streusel topping!
Everything you love about French toast, all in one pan! Made in a similar way as sweet bread pudding, this recipe involves soaking cubes of bread in a rich custard, then baking the mixture with a crunchy topping until it’s golden brown and ready to serve.
Since most of us are probably a bit groggy in the mornings, it’s always helpful to have a few really great make-ahead breakfast recipes.
Recipes like this casserole, savory overnight breakfast casserole, and Bisquick breakfast casserole can be prepared the night before and then baked fresh in the morning.
This makes breakfast french toast casserole ideal for weekends, weekday mornings, or holidays like Christmas morning.
If you’re looking for breakfast recipes that you can make and keep in the freezer, check out my breakfast burritos, baked oatmeal, or zucchini bread recipes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make Ahead – You can absolutely bake this casserole a few minutes after mixing it up, but it can also be stored in the fridge overnight first. This makes it a fantastic option for holidays like Christmas or Mother’s Day or for regular busy mornings.
- Simple Recipe with Options – French toast casserole is pretty fool-proof and very forgiving. Follow the recipe and you’re sure to find success. Also, you can adjust the ingredients here to suit your needs. Make it with sourdough bread, gluten-free bread, or any other variety. Add more cinnamon, nutmeg, or even pumpkin spice to give it a bit more flavor. You can even toss in some chocolate chips!
- Crunchy Topping – The cinnamon sugar topping on this breakfast bake is my favorite part! It reminds me of the perfect topping on my cinnamon coffee cake or pear crisp recipes and it’s absolutely perfect.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make the best French toast casserole:
- Bread: Choose a sturdy variety of bread that can hold up to being soaked in custard overnight. I’m using Brioche, but you can also try this recipe with challah, crusty French bread, Italian Bread, Texas Toast, or croissants like I use for my croissant bread pudding.
- Milk: To make an extra creamy custard, use half heavy cream and half milk, or half and half. Otherwise, whole milk is ideal. Low-fat milk will not give us the right texture.
- Eggs: Use six whole eggs to make the custard for this casserole. Ideally, let the eggs come to room temperature first. They will whisk into the milk best this way.
- Vanilla and Salt: To elevate the simple flavors of milk, eggs, and bread.
- Crumb Topping: Cold, cubed butter, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon come together to make the crunchiest topping.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make French Toast casserole
If you plan to bake this dish right away, start by preheating the oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Cut the Bread: First, butter the inside of a 9×13 inch baking pan. Then, use a serrated knife to cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and add the bread cubes to the pan.
- Mix the Custard: In a bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Pour: Evenly pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes in the baking pan. If baking right away, allow this to sit for 20 minutes at room temperature. During this time the bread will soak up the custard mixture. If you’re making this ahead of time, cover it with plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator until the next morning.
- Make the Topping: Combine the flour with cinnamon, brown sugar, and cold pieces of butter. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to combine the ingredients, creating large crumbs.
- Bake: Sprinkle the topping all over the bread and custard mixture. Bake french toast casserole in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until set. The temperature of the cooked custard should be at least 160°F/70°C.
Tip!
You can make the topping the night before as well! I usually put it in a small ziplock bag and keep it in the fridge. Don’t add it to the casserole until just before baking, or it will get soggy.
Recipe Tips
- Choose the right bread: This recipe won’t work well with regular sandwich bread. It’s too soft. Pick up a loaf of hearty bread like Brioche or Sourdough. It’s best if you get an unsliced loaf so that you can cut it yourself into the perfect cubes!
- Try adding bacon: Bits of crispy bacon, cooked sausage, or ham will add a savory and salty flavor to your breakfast casserole.
- Other add-ins to try: Chopped apple, fresh blueberries, mini chocolate chips, or chopped walnuts can all be mixed in with the bread and custard.
Storing Tips
After baking, you should store any leftover French toast casserole in the fridge. If properly stored in an airtight container it should last for 2-3 days and can be reheated in the microwave or oven.
French Toast Casserole Serving Ideas
The basic requirements for serving French toast casserole are a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a drizzle of real maple syrup!
You can also go above and beyond, and try this with my homemade vanilla creme anglaise sauce.
Other tasty toppings for French toast casserole include whipped cream, chocolate sauce, fresh berries, strawberry sauce, and homemade Nutella.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! This recipe freezes well either before or after baking. Wrap the baking dish with a layer of plastic wrap, then foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Before enjoying, let the casserole thaw overnight in the fridge. Bake for 20 minutes if it’s been already cooked, or follow the recipe instructions if it’s uncooked.
It’s important to bake the casserole long enough so that the eggs in the custard set. You can use a thermometer to check that the temperature is 160°F/70°C. A soggy casserole can also be a result of using too much liquid, not enough bread, or a type of bread that is too soft.
Nope. You can bake this recipe after letting the bread soak for at least 20 minutes at room temperature if you’re ready to eat now.
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes
All Breakfast Recipes
French Toast Casserole is a brilliant and time-saving way to make the best holiday breakfast! It’s great for regular mornings too. Make things easier on yourself and prep this breakfast bake the night before, and don’t forget to save the recipe for next year.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Best French Toast Casserole
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) bread a large loaf. I used brioche, diced into 1-inch cubes
- 2 cups (480 ml) milk you can do 1 cup milk and 1 cup heavy whipping cream for a richer custard
- 6 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the topping:
- ¼ cup (30 g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) (113 g) unsalted butter cold and diced into cubes
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C, or 160°C fan oven if baking right away. Butter the inside of a 9×13 inch (approx. 23×33 cm) baking pan.
- Chop the bread with a serrated knife into 1-inch bite size pieces. Add them to the prepared 9×13 pan.
- In a bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread, and if baking right away allow to sit for 20 minutes at room temperature to soak up the custard mixture. Or, if you’re making this ahead, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until the next morning.
- To make the topping, in a medium bowl combine flour with brown sugar, cinnamon, and cold butter. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to create crumbs. Sprinkle the topping all over the bread, or store in a small ziptop bag in the fridge for later.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or until the internal temperature of the custard is 160°F/70°C and the top is golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar, and serve warm with maple syrup and fresh berries.
Notes:
- Choose the right bread: This recipe won’t work well with regular sandwich bread. It’s too soft. Pick up a loaf of hearty bread like Brioche or Sourdough. It’s best if you get an unsliced loaf so that you can cut it yourself into the perfect cubes!
- Try adding bacon: Bits of crispy bacon, cooked sausage, or ham will add a savory and salty flavor to your breakfast casserole.
- Other add-ins to try: Chopped apple, fresh blueberries, mini chocolate chips, or chopped walnuts can all be mixed in with the bread and custard.
- Make Ahead: Prepare the casserole, cover it with plastic wrap, and store it in the fridge overnight, or in the freezer for two months. Store the topping separately in the same way. Allow to thaw if needed, then bake as directed.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
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.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Debra Baker says
This is similar to the recipe I use, but I add 2-cups of plumped, drained dark raisins. I also make a vanilla cinnamon glaze to drizzle on top when serving. This is a very delicious recipe! Thanks for sharing it with us! Debbe’ 💞💞
Diana says
Love your recipes. Now that fall is here, I can’t wait to bake.
Thanks for all these delish recipes!
Diana