Easy Baked French Toast

baked french toast in a white baking dish

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This baked french toast is assembled the night before, refrigerated overnight, and baked fresh in the morning until the center is soft and custard-like and the top is lightly golden. It's the recipe I make for holiday mornings when I want a hot breakfast ready with no morning work.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Chill Time8

Total Time9

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 390kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

1 pound French bread loaf cut into ½-¾-inch slices
2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter (to grease the baking dish)
1½ cups whole milk
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1¼ cups light brown sugar packed, divided (¾ cup mixed with the eggs and ½ cup for the cinnamon sugar topping)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Optional garnish

Powdered sugar sifted

Instructions

Place the bread slices out onto a clean counter, or cutting board, in a single layer allowing them to dry out for about 30-60 minutes. The drier bread will hold up better when dipped in the egg mixture.
1 pound French bread loaf
Generously grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with the unsalted butter and set aside.
2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
To a standard blender add the milk, eggs, ¾ cup brown sugar, and vanilla. Blend on high for 10-15 seconds or just until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish or bowl.
1½ cups whole milk, 6 large eggs, 0.75 cups light-brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dip the sliced bread into the egg mixture allowing all sides to become fully coated and the center of the bread to absorb the mixture. Remove, allowing any excess egg mixture to drip back into the dish, and place into the prepared baking dish in a stacked layer. Repeat until all the slices have been dipped and stacked in the baking dish. You should end up with 3 rows of approximately 6 slices per row in your baking dish.
Pour the remaining egg mixture (after all the slices have been dipped) evenly over the rows of bread in the baking dish.
Stir together in a small bowl the remaining ½ cup brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the entire top surface of the french toast.
0.5 cups light-brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Tightly cover the dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours or up to overnight. This will allow the bread to soak up the excess egg mixture.
Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and allow the french toast to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to remove the chill so it bakes evenly.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. If your dish was covered with plastic wrap, remove it and replace with aluminum foil tightly sealing the edges.
Bake for 20 minutes, tightly covered with foil, remove the foil and continue baking for the remaining 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. For a soft crust (not crisp and golden) you can keep the foil on the french toast for the entire bake time.
Allow the baked french toast to cool in the dish for 5-8 minutes before lightly dusting with powdered sugar and serving.
Powdered sugar

Notes

Storage:

Refrigerator: Have leftovers? Simply store your baked french toast in an airtight container in the fridge, where it will keep nicely for up to 3 days. When you're ready to enjoy it again, pop the slices into a 325°F preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes until they're heated all the way through.

Tips:

No blender? No problem, just whisk your egg mixture in a shallow bowl or dish. The key is to whisk really vigorously so the eggs are fully broken up and everything comes together into a smooth, well-blended mixture.
After refrigerating, if your bread hasn't soaked up all of the egg mixture, simply spoon the remaining liquid over the top of the slices before covering with foil and popping them in the oven.
The more time you give the french toast to sit in the fridge, the better! A longer rest means the bread has more time to soak up all that egg mixture, giving you a wonderfully even texture once it's baked.

Nutrition