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If you love our classic French Toast Casserole, this variation with cream cheese will be a new favorite. It has all the same flavors but with cream cheese in the middle!
We Prep French toast casserole with cream cheese ahead for an easy breakfast or brunch. It’s especially perfect for holidays and for weekends when company comes in town.
The sourdough bread is the perfect contrast to the sweet custard-like filling and crumbly cinnamon and sugar topping. It’s mouth-watering and delicious – especially when paired with pops of fresh berries and topped with our famous Buttermilk Syrup.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Quick. With only a 15-minute prep, it’s ready to chill in a jiff!
- Make ahead. Because this breakfast casserole is made the night before, it makes for a simple morning.
- Enjoy all day long. This is perfect for a lovely brunch, a Saturday morning or any busy holiday like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
French Toast Casserole with Cream Cheese Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough bread – Slightly stale bread works best.
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 eggs – Room temperature eggs incorporate best.
- 2 cups milk – We like whole milk, but 2% works as well.
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour – How to Measure Flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter cold and cut into pieces – We used unsalted butter.
- optional toppings – Top with fresh berries, Homemade Whipped Cream, Maple Syrup, Buttermilk Syrup
PRO TIP: Make your Bread Stale
Slightly stale Spread the cubes evenly on a baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 350°F and bake for 5-8 minutes. Or lay the bread out in a single layer for 24 hours on the counter.
How to Make Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole
- PREP. Cut 1 loaf of sourdough bread into cubes and place half of them evenly in a greased 9×13 baking dish.
- CREAM CHEESE MIXTURE. Place 8 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a medium bowl and beat until smooth. Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture over bread cubes, then top with remaining bread cubes.
- EGG MIXTURE. In a medium bowl, whisk 8 eggs, 2 cups milk, ½ cup heavy cream, ¾ cup sugar, and 2 tablespoons vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread cubes. Cover your pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours).
- TOPPING. Mix ½ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Cut in ½ cup butter with this mixture until crumbly.
- Place the topping mixture in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight as well.
- BAKE. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Take the pan and Ziploc bag out when ready to bake. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the bread cubes. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on how soft you like it.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Use day-old bread. Slightly stale bread soaks up the custard better and keeps the casserole from turning soggy.
- Cream cheese pockets. Drop the cream cheese mixture in spoonfuls (instead of spreading it) so you get little creamy bursts in every bite.
- Customize the topping. Add chopped pecans, walnuts, or even a sprinkle of nutmeg to the crumb topping for extra flavor and crunch. You can even add pumpkin pie spice around the holidays to the crumb topping.
Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough bread
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Topping
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, cold and cut into pieces
Instructions
- Cut the loaf into cubes and place half of them evenly in a greased 9×13 pan.
- Place cream cheese powdered sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat until smooth. Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture over bread cubes, then top with remaining bread cubes.
- In a bowl, mix eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover your pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or for a few hours)
- Mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Cut in butter with this mixture until crumbly. Place in a Ziploc bag and refrigerate overnight as well.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Take the pan and Ziploc bag out when ready to bake. Sprinkle crumbly mixture evenly over the bread. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on how soft you like it.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Freeze unbaked, or a cooled baked casserole. Wrap it tightly with plastic and again with foil. Freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge. If unbaked, heat according to the recipe. If baked, reheat in the oven until warmed throughout.
Store leftover casserole, covered, in the fridge for 4-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
Complete The Meal
Sides
Fruit Salad Recipe
1 hr 20 mins
Yogurt Parfait
5 mins
Scrambled Eggs
9 mins
Breakfast Potatoes Recipe
30 mins
French Toast Recipes
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This recipe was originally posted November 2020.
This was so delicious!! Will make again for bible study breakfast !!
I just wanna confirm the 1 1tsp of vanilla is for the crumble and the 2 TBSP is for the egg mixture
Do i need to let this warm up before putting in the oven or does it go from.fridge to oven? Which is preferred metal or glass pan?
I will take it out while my oven preheats and sprinkle on the topping. But you don’t have to let it get completely to room temp. I like to use glass, but either could work.
Made this for Thanksgiving brunch. Phenomenal… so good.
My alterations: I used croissant loafs from costco and added nutmeg to the custard. This will be a staple in our home. My son wants it for Christmas and his birthday now.
How big is a loaf of sourdough suppose to be? Is there a way to estimate how many
oz of bread or cups of diced bread we need?
I used a 16oz=1lb and it was perfect. I used Italian bread.
Made this for Easter. Thought I had powdered sugar but didn’t so I substituted cocoa powder for a chocolate twist. It was the hit of brunch ! Everyone LOVED it. So easy to make, especially the night before then pop in the oven.
Ooh that sounds tasty with a chocolate twist! So glad it still worked out and tasted delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Hi there! I’m curious if I could make this with frozen sliced peaches inside of it? Would you recommend thawing them first? Adding with the cream cheese? Let me know your suggestions!! Thank you!
Yummy!! You can use frozen fruit. That should work just fine! I would add the fruit when you add the crumble topping. Once the bread has all soaked in overnight, you can add the fruit on top and mix it with that top layer of bread. Then add the crumble and bake. Hope you enjoy!
Love that this is make ahead-able
And even love more the taste!!!
Made one according to recipe, and made one with some berries (maybe a cup), next time will add more berries.
Even yummy cold!
Hi, I’m planning to serve this for brunch. I’m concerned that the sourdough loaf won’t provide enough for 2 layers in a 9×13 baking dish. What size loaf do you use?
I used the cut loaf (circle loaf) from aldis. I also was questioning 2 layers, but was plenty. Tastes amazing
Im going to make this for Easter church brunch.if I add blueberries do I just put them on top of the milk mixture then chill overnight .then put the topping over the berries and bake.Do you have a recipe for a blueberry maple syrup?
I hope it turned out yummy for your Easter brunch! I don’t have a recipe for a blueberry maple syrup, although that sounds amazing. Here is a recipe for a Blueberry French Toast Casserole that you may enjoy though: https://lilluna.com/blueberry-french-toast-casserole/
Can you make and bake immediately? Don’t have time to prep stuff and store in our house. Wondered if I could just cook this right away? Thanks
I would recommend trying to let it soak in that custard mixture for a couple of hours at least, but you can try to cook immediately. You may end up with a different texture if you bake immediately. I’d definitely make sure that the bread you are using is stale/dry. You’ll have to let us know how it turns out if you do bake right away.
Made this for our Christmas morning breakfast and it was a hit. My husband and son said “you can make this anytime and we won’t complain!”
I do have a question about making ahead and freezing. Do you recommend baking from frozen or thawing first? I am having surgery next month so trying to find so meals to make in advance and freeze so they are easy for my husband to just pop in the oven.
You can do either! If thawing, I would pop it in the fridge to thaw, add the topping and then bake. But you can also add the topping to the frozen casserole and bake. Best of luck with the surgery!!
If you freeze it, how long does it take to thaw to bake it?
Thank you for this recipe! It’s delicious and very convenient to prepare the night before. I used brioche and it turned out beautifully. Will certainly make again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I love the convenience of preparing the night before as well. Thanks for sharing!
Excellent recipe! This was delicious just the way it was. It was easy to prep and make the next day. The cream cheese adds a nice richness. Topped with berries was my favorite topping. However, you could top it with any of your favorite French toast topping. This is a must in your breakfast line-up. If you have left overs, they keep extremely well, even frozen. This tastes just as good re-heated the next day.
Couldn’t agree more! Thank you for letting me know!
Good post guys!
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
First time making this !
Used Vanilla Brioche Loaf, once it cooled and firmed up in the middle – oh my goodness.
It’s so delish.
TY this recipe is a keeper
Yay! I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! The vanilla brioche loaf sounds amazing for this recipe too.
The sourdough paired really well with the sweetness of the other ingredients. Definitely a keeper!
I made this for Christmas morning used blueberries inside of it and blueberry syrup it was delicious will definitely make again
Happy to hear that!! Thank you for trying it 🙂
Making this for Christmas morning. Thanks Lilluna-I’m sure it will be amazing
You are so welcome!! I hope you think so 🙂 Thank you!
Oh my goodness this looks good! Can’t wait to give it a try!
So good!
This looks amazing amd me and my daughter will have this this Christmas morning. Maybe this will become a tradition.
So yummy! We had never thought to add cream cheese to a French toast bake, so that was a fun twist.
I made individual servings in muffin tins for a family gathering. It was so convenient.
I made individual servings in muffin tins. They were so good! The topping completes it perfectly.
Cream cheese is the star. Love!
We love anything you can put together ahead of time. So good!!!
I would eat this for breakfast or a dessert! It does not last long at our house. Making it for Christmas morning!
Most delicious casserole! I’m making it for dinner tonight. Breakfast for dinner!! However, whoever can actually prep this in 15 minutes is a superwoman.
Thank you! We are all about breakfast for dinner over here, too! 😉
What a delicious, family-friendly recipe!! It was gone within minutes. Made it for family & now everyone wants the recipe.
Ok, I think I could eat this everyday! We love your French toast bake, but adding the cream cheese is even better!