French Toast Casserole

Skip the skillet and prep this French toast casserole the night before—just bake and serve! It’s cozy, custardy, and topped with a buttery cinnamon crumble that feeds a crowd stress-free.

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Why You’ll Love This french toast casserole

• Easy Breakfast or Brunch: Perfect for lazy weekends, holiday brunches, or anytime you want to wow without the work, this baked French toast casserole is a total breakfast win, especially on Christmas morning!
• Prep-Ahead Friendly: It’s a prep-ahead morning meal that takes way less effort than flipping single slices over a skillet—just assemble it in advance and bake when you wake up.
• One Delicious Dish: This breakfast casserole is conveniently baked all in one pan, so cleanup is minimal and there’s no juggling multiple skillets.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• French Bread: Slightly stale French bread cut into 1-inch cubes is key for best results. Do not use fresh bread or your casserole will turn out soggy. Read below for other types of bread that work well in this recipe.
• Large eggs
• Milk: I prefer to use whole milk, but you can use 2% milk if that’s what you have on hand. Whole milk will result in a richer custard. For a more decadent French toast casserole, try a mix of heavy cream and milk.
• Half and half
• Sugar
• Almond extract: You can substitute vanilla extract if you don’t have almond extract on hand.
• Ground cinnamon
• Allspice: Feel free to substitute apple pie spice. If you prefer a more complex flavor, you could also use a blend of nutmeg and cinnamon in place of allspice.
• Salt
• Pecans: You can substitute chopped walnuts for the pecans or leave the nuts out altogether.
• Powdered sugar
• Light brown sugar
• Salted butter

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make French Toast Casserole

1. Cut The Cubes: Cut the bread into cubes and arrange in the bottom of the prepared baking dish.
2. Make The Egg Mixture: In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, half and half, sugar, almond extract, cinnamon, salt, and allspice.
3. Pour Over The Pieces: Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes to soak all the pieces and then sprinkle the chopped pecans on top (optional).
4. Cover In Crumble: In a medium bowl, add the brown sugar, cold butter, and cinnamon. Use knives to cut the mixture together until crumbly, then sprinkle it over the top of the casserole. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
5. Bake: Bake the casserole on the middle rack of the oven uncovered at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 35-40 minutes.
6. Set And Serve: Allow the casserole to sit for 5 minutes to set. Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top and serve with maple syrup. Enjoy!

Tips

• Dish is Done: To ensure your casserole is perfectly cooked, check that the center is set and no longer jiggly. If it’s still a bit wobbly, continue baking and check every 5 minutes until the center is fully set and the top is golden and crispy.
• Get a Golden Top: For a beautifully golden, crispy top, bake the casserole uncovered. This allows the crumble topping to get crunchy and the edges to caramelize perfectly.
• Add Cream Cheese for Richness: For extra creaminess and flavor, layer dollops of cream cheese between the bread cubes before pouring the egg mixture over.
• Mix in Fresh Fruit: Add fresh berries (blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, or sliced strawberries), sliced apples, or even bananas for a burst of sweetness and texture.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

• To Store: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
• To Freeze: Wrap the casserole tightly in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat from frozen, bake at 350°F for about 45-60 minutes, or until fully heated.
• To Reheat: To reheat, place individual servings in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or bake the casserole at 350°F for 10-15 minutes until heated through. Cover with foil to keep it from drying out.

Other Easy Breakfast Recipes

• Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
• Cinnamon Roll Casserole (French Toast Bake)
• The Best Instant Pot French Toast
• French Toast Muffins
• French Toast Roll-Ups

If you tried this French Toast Casserole Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!!

5 from 2 votes

French Toast Casserole

Author — Jennifer Fishkind

Serves — 8

This easy baked French toast casserole is perfect for make-ahead breakfasts! Soft in the center with a crunchy cinnamon topping—just prep, bake, and serve.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Refrigerate Overnight 8 hours hrs

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

• ▢ 10 cups 2 day old loaf of French Bread cut into cubes
• ▢ 6 eggs
• ▢ 1½ cups whole milk
• ▢ ½ cup half and half
• ▢ ½ cup sugar
• ▢ 1 tsp almond extract
• ▢ 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¼ tsp allspice
• ▢ ⅛ tsp salt
• ▢ ½ cup chopped pecans optional
• ▢ Powdered sugar for the top

CRUMBLE TOPPING

• ▢ ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 stick salted butter cold
• ▢ 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

 

• Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray, set aside.
• Cut the 2 day old loaf of french bread into cubes and place in the bottom of the 9×13 baking dish.
  10 cups 2 day old loaf of French Bread
• In a separate large mixing bowl combine eggs, whole milk, half and half, sugar, almond extract, cinnamon, salt, and allspice. Whisk together well.
  6 eggs, 1½ cups whole milk, ½ cup half and half, ½ cup sugar, 1 tsp almond extract, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ⅛ tsp salt, ¼ tsp allspice
• Pour egg mixture over the cubes of french bread in the 9×13 baking dish, making sure to soak all pieces as you are pouring.

  NOTE: If using optional pecans, go ahead and top the bread mixture in the casserole dish with ½ cup chopped pecans.
  ½ cup chopped pecans
• In a separate medium mixing bowl combine the brown sugar, cold butter, and cinnamon. Use two knives to cut the mixture together until crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the french toast casserole.
  ¾ cup light brown sugar, 1 stick salted butter, 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
• When ready to cook the french toast casserole preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Uncover and place on the middle rack in the middle of the oven and cook for 35-40 minutes. Check to make sure the center of the french toast casserole is set and not jiggly. Continue to cook, checking every 5 minutes until the casserole is set in the middle.
• Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes to allow it to completely set.
• Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top of the casserole and serve with maple syrup.
  Powdered sugar for the top

Jenn’s Notes

Storage :

Leftover French Toast Casserole should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I like to make this in a pan that also has a lid with it. That way I can just pop the lid on and stick it in the fridge.

To reheat, simply warm in the microwave and drizzle with syrup!

Nutrition Info

Calories: 462kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 163mg | Sodium: 517mg | Potassium: 160mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 661IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 1mg

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