Easy Baked French Toast Casserole with a cinnamon and brown sugar syrup… DELICIOUS!
A delicious spin on a classic breakfast recipe that can feed a crowd with minimal work and effort. Filled with decadent flavours, prepare our French Toast Casserole overnight OR bake it right away!
FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
Golden, caramelized toasts on the outside; creamy soft and pillowy on the inside with the perfect cinnamon syrup in every mouthful. All of the flavours of your favourite French toast made easy in a baking dish? YES, I’ll take it!
No dipping or flipping or frying, comfort food doesn’t get any better than throwing it in the oven. Imagine a dish full of warm and custardy French toast on a Sunday morning…
HOW TO MAKE FRENCH TOAST OVERNIGHT
It doesn’t get any easier to make a warm French toast casserole when you’re craving a classic French toast without the work. You don’t even need maple syrup to serve it with…it has its own!
Simple French toast prepared in minimal steps:
- Make your own syrup with butter and brown sugar. You can do this on the stove or in the microwave — whatever is easiest for you.
- Pour into a baking dish. I use a 9″ x 13″ baking dish (22 cm x 33 cm).
- Prepare a simple egg wash with eggs and milk. You could also use half and half (half whole milk and half heavy/thickened cream).
- Place bread in a single layer over the syrup in the dish. There’s no need to cube your bread if you don’t wish too. Just place the slices in and arrange them so they fit.
- Pour half of the egg wash over bread and top with a dusting of brown sugar/cinnamon.
- Layer remaining bread over the top and pour over more egg wash.
CAN YOU SOAK FRENCH TOAST OVERNIGHT?
ABSOLUTELY!
Lightly press bread into the egg wash to ensure every slice is evenly soaked in the custard egg wash. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. (If you don’t have time, you can refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes to soak up the custard mixture before baking.)
When ready to bake, take the dish out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before baking to get the chill out.
HOW TO BAKE FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
When ready to bake, take the dish out of the refrigerator at least 20 minutes before baking if it has been in overnight to get the chill out. Bake for 45 minutes and prepare to have your mind blown!
Top with icing sugar or powdered sugar and serve with the syrup from the base of the dish!
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Breakfast Casserole with Bacon or Sausage
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Breakfast Egg Muffins 3 Ways (Meal Prep)
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French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 loaf sliced bread thick, about 2-inches thick
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups milk full fat or 2%
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch icing sugar to dust
- 1 handful strawberries blueberries, blackberries, kiwi fruits, pineapple, bananas or any other fruit to serve.
Instructions
- Lightly grease an oven safe 9"×13" baking dish (22 cm x 33 cm).
- Melt butter in a small pot over low heat. (Alternatively, melt in a microwave safe bowl in the microwave in 15 second increments, stirring in between, until melted.)
- Add 1 cup brown sugar, mixing well to combine. (If on the stove, let simmer for 1 minute to slightly dissolve the sugar.)Pour mixture into prepared dish and spread out to evenly coat.
- Beat together eggs, milk and vanilla. Set aside.
- Combine remaining brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Arrange bread in a single layer over the butter/sugar mixture in the dish.
- Pour half of the egg wash over bread. Top with half of the brown sugar/cinnamon.
- Arrange remaining bread slices over the top. Pour over remaining egg wash and top with remaining brown sugar/cinnamon. Lightly press bread into the egg wash to ensure slices are evenly soaked.
- Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to soak up the custard mixture, or overnight for the best results
- When ready to bake, take the dish out of the refrigerator 20 minutes before baking (if it has been in overnight) to get the chill out. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for a further 15 minutes.
- Top with icing/powdered sugar. Serve with the syrup from the dish.
Jennifer Duckhorn says
OUTSTANDING!! My family loves this french toast! Adding pecans only kicks-it-up a little bit more. 🙂
Rebecca says
I used a loaf of Cinnabon bread and cut the recipe in half. Cooked for 45 minutes covered and flipped and cooked for 10 more minutes which gave it a streusel like topping. A++ will definitely be making again.