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!
LOOKING FOR MORE BREAKFAST RECIPES? TRY THESE!
Red Velvet French Toast
Breakfast Casserole with Bacon or Sausage
Best Fluffy Pancakes or Buttermilk Pancakes
Breakfast Egg Muffins 3 Ways (Meal Prep)
Cheesy Bacon And Egg Hash (Breakfast Skillet)
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.
Jolanta Ganczarczyk says
I made 4 of these for a work breakfast and it was a huge hit! so many people asked for the recipe, this is a very, very easy dish to make and so convenient when you can prepare it the night before and then just pop it into the oven – it’s a no brainer! thanks so much for this recipe, I will be making it at home from now on and we will have it back for brekky again at work too! really good with lots of fresh fruit and berries, yum…
Lee says
This recipe is a 10+ exactly as written and guaranteed to get rave reviews. For this holiday season, I put a twist on it and used Southern Comfort Egg Nog which has a touch of vanilla and nutmeg. Listen. The creaminess of ty egg nog took this french toast to another level of deliciousness for the holidays!!
Karina, you are amazing! Thank you for sharing these delicious, gourmet, restaurant quality recipes. Your site is hands down my first stop when looking for a new recipe.
Jodi says
Looks delicious can’t wait to try! If it is made 24 hours before being baked will it get too soggy or be okay?
Sharon says
Great recipe! This week we got to see our family for the first time in months because of the virus. Your recipe was loved by all. It is easy to set up and pop in the refrigerator the night before. I was able to spend time with my grandchildren, while our breakfast casserole cooked and filled the house with an amazing aroma. Everyone loved it, and you helped make our visit sweet and special.
Holly says
I rarely ever review recipes, even when I love them, I guess it’s a forget-to/don’t-usually-have-time/don’t-think-about-it thing. But when we were eating this (breakfast for dinner), I commented to my husband I think I would have to review this. It’s really simple to do–way faster than standing over a stove labouring over french toast–and it’s SO GOOD. Obviously it’s not healthy but as a treat every once in a while–YUM!!! My kids and husband all loved it. I also loved that it had a built in sauce, I didn’t have to heat up butter and maple syrup which is a pain, and since we only use real maple syrup in our household, it’s expensive when we eat pancakes or french toast. Didn’t have to worry about that with this. Thanks for a fantastic recipe, I will definitely be checking out your other recipes! I literally have it soaking in the fridge right now for breakfast 🙂
Mia says
I used a loaf of Martins potato bread and it was amazing. I left the bread slices out on a cooling rack overnight to make it stale, put it together in the morning, refrigerated 20 min and then baked covered for 30 min and uncovered for another 20-30 min. Definitely a keeper recipe! Thank you!
Ashti says
I’ve made this at least 3 times! Absolute hit for breakfast and brunches! Sometimes I tweak it a bit substituting part of the milk for heavy cream or condensed milk for a richer taste. But definitely a go to recipe!
Shay says
Made this for Christmas morning, and everyone loved it! They said it was the best French toast they ever had. I did make mine about 20 min longer and used Brioche bread. It turned out amazing. Will definitely be making this again.
Xehr says
I made this with my daughter when we’re staying at an AirBNB, found a bag of brown sugar and vanilla essence and cinnamon in the pantry thankfully and we had brought our own eggs and milk. This whipped up really quick and was super easy to make. It also filled the house with delicious brown sugary buttery aromas. I did half the cinnamon because I was a little afraid of it being too over powering, it was fine. Also I halved the milk because I needed it baked on time and didn’t want to risk having to put it in for bake longer and it turned out perfect. I didn’t have time to soak it either so for all these issues and it still turning out great really means this is a cool proof recipe!
David says
Have this recipe saved, this is the closest to what I have been doing for Years. Have not done make ahead French toast in a long time. Putting it together tonight for breakfast tomorrow.
Also saved page to desk top. Seen at least a few others to do.