Name: Instant Pot French Toast
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 95 min
Ingredients: 4 cups of French bread (cut into bite-size pieces and dried (see notes)); 3 eggs; ¾ cup milk; 1 teaspoon vanilla; ¼ cup sugar; ¼ cup brown sugar; 2 teaspoons cinnamon

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Instant Pot French toast tastes like a classic French toast casserole, and I never have to stand at the stove flipping slices. It smells like cinnamon and vanilla as soon as I pull back the foil, and the center is soft and custardy. Scoop it up warm and dig in.

This French toast is a great breakfast or brunch recipe for mornings when I want something warm and comforting. It comes out soft all the way through rather than crisp, so think spoon, not spatula.

I cook this French toast in its own covered dish on the trivet, and that setup is what lets it steam into a soft custard instead of scorching on the bottom of the pot. Once the lid is on, the Instant Pot does the cooking and I leave it alone until the timer goes off.

If you want dinner out of the same pot, my Instant Pot loaded baked potato soup and Instant Pot spaghetti with meat sauce are two to try next. You’ll find the rest in my easy Instant Pot recipes.

NO OVERNIGHT SOAK

Why My French Toast Casserole Skips the Overnight Soak

A lot of French toast casseroles, including the baked ones on my site, sit in the fridge overnight before they ever see the oven. Mine doesn’t have to. I dry the bread cubes in the oven, give them a short soak in the cinnamon custard, and the Instant Pot does the rest, so it’s a French toast casserole I can decide on that morning.

If you’d rather prep ahead anyway, it’ll happily wait in the fridge overnight too.

Here’s How to Keep the Center From Turning Out Wet

A couple of readers have told me their French toast came out soggy or wet in the middle, even after drying the bread. The pot is full of steam, so any condensation that drips into the dish goes straight into the custard.

That’s why I wrap the dish really well. I put one piece of foil over the top, then set the dish on a second piece and bring the edges up around the sides to seal out the moisture. When the dish comes out, tip off any water sitting on top of the foil before you peel it back, so it doesn’t run into the French toast and make the top soggy.

Then look before you serve it. The custard should look set, not liquidy, and the center should be soft and moist but not wet or runny.

Foil-covered pan set inside an Instant Pot on a trivet, ready to pressure cook.

Key Ingredients

French bread, dried: Dry, stale bread is what makes this work. Fresh bread is already soft and turns soggy, which is why I dry mine first. I measure it as 4 cups of cubes rather than part of a loaf, since loaf sizes vary so much.
Cinnamon raisin bread, if you want a swap: A reader asked me about cinnamon raisin bread, and I told her to go for it. The texture can come out a little different depending on the bread you use, but the flavor should be delish.

The Dish That Goes Inside the Pot

You’ll need an oven-safe dish that fits on the trivet inside your Instant Pot. If you have the pan made for the Instant Pot, that works too.

The dish keeps the custard out of the water and away from the heating surface, where a thick egg and bread mixture could trigger a burn warning. The water underneath makes the steam that pressure cooks it.

If you don’t have a dish that fits, my easy baked French toast is the oven version, and it’s assembled the night before.

How to Make French Toast in the Instant Pot

Step 1: Cube and Dry the Bread Cut the French bread into bite-size cubes and dry them on the counter overnight or in the oven that morning. The recipe card has the oven temperature and time.

Step 2: Soak the Bread in the Custard Whisk the eggs in a large bowl, then whisk in the milk, vanilla, both sugars and the cinnamon. Add the dried bread, push it down so every piece is covered, and let it soak for about 10 minutes, stirring now and then. Cinnamon-coated bread cubes soaked in egg mixture, stirred in a bowl with a wooden spoon.

Step 3: Seal the Dish and Set It on the Trivet Spray the dish with nonstick baking spray, add parchment to the bottom if you want an easier release, and dump in the bread mixture. Wrap it in foil over the top and underneath, set the trivet in the pot with 1 cup of water, and set the dish on the trivet. Cinnamon-coated bread cubes layered in a round pan lined with foil, ready to cook.

Step 4: Pressure Cook and Rest Lock the lid with the vent on seal and cook on high pressure for 40 minutes. Cover the vent with a towel, quick release the steam, lift the dish out carefully and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving. Close-up of cinnamon bread cubes packed into a round pan, ready for French toast casserole.

What to Put on Top

I keep the toppings simple on this French toast. Spoon it onto plates while it’s warm, then add a dusting of powdered sugar or a spoonful of whipped cream to each serving.

Tried It and Loved It

A FAB recipe for family brunch!!!

– Shaunda

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How to Store Leftovers

Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until warm.

For longer storage, you can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

Forkful of cinnamon French toast casserole drizzled with maple syrup, held above a plate of more casserole.

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