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This make-ahead French toast casserole with cream cheese is stuffed with sweet cream cheese and topped with a sweet brown sugar crumble.
We love This For Brunch or Breakfast!
Prep French toast casserole with cream cheese ahead for an easy breakfast or brunch! It’s ready when you are and feeds a crowd – a sweet way to start the day.
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!!
If you love our classic French Toast Casserole, this variation will also be a favorite.
WHY WE 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.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
REFRIGERATE: 4 hours
COOK TIME: 45 minutes
- 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.
How to Make French Toast Casserole with Cream Cheese
- 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.
French Toast Casserole with Cream Cheese
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.
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!