French Toast Bake

This super delicious overnight French Toast Bake recipe takes French toast to a whole new level! Pieces of sourdough bread covered in an egg mixture, topped with cinnamon sugar, and baked to perfection! This easy French toast casserole is the ultimate holiday or weekend breakfast!!

Overnight breakfast casseroles are my favorite thing to make on weekends, or for holiday gatherings and brunches. This french toast bake is by far my most popular, but people also love my Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake, and for a savory casserole, Breakfast Strata is a winner!

Easy French Toast Casserole

Overnight French Toast Casserole Recipe

I’ve blogged before about my love of breakfast foods. I could eat it any time of the day, and it’s fairly common to come over to the Merkley home on an evening and find us eating Belgian Waffles or Buttermilk Pancakes.

Breakfast recipes are just that great! I feel like we don’t get to eat them often enough in the mornings since we’re usually in a rush, but we occasionally get to enjoy them on the weekends and holidays. One holiday we always have breakfast is on Mother’s Day. And usually I’m not the one that has to bake it!! 😉

One of my favorite recipes to enjoy on this day is French Toast, and more specifically, today’s French Toast Bake. This breakfast bake is simple to make and is beyond delicious!!

This french toast casserole is made from pieces of sourdough bread, covered in an egg mixture, and topped with a buttery cinnamon sugar topping. Talk about DELICIOUS, right?!

Cut up sourdough bread for french toast bake

What is the best bread for french toast?

This baked french toast casserole recipe calls for sourdough bread, which is my personal favorite (and the only kind I’ve ever used). But if you don’t have sourdough on hand, there are a few other options you could try!

The main idea is that you want the bread to be sturdy enough that it will hold up after being combined with the egg mixture. Thinly sliced or squishy bread (think wonder bread) can fall apart while cooking after being soaked in the egg mixture. It’s also a bonus if it’s available in an uncut loaf, because then you can slice and cube it perfectly. Here are some other options:

  • Brioche
  • Challah
  • Pullman Loaf
  • French Bread

If you try any other breads, you’ll have to let me know how it turns out!

I think what makes it so good is the sourdough bread… oh, and the butter and the cinnamon and the sugar. It’s definitely one of our favorite dishes to make for holidays and weekend breakfasts!

French Toast bake brown sugar topping

How to Make French Toast Bake:

This recipe takes a few steps but is quite simple. To begin, cut your bread or loaf into cubes and place into a greased 9×13 pan.

In a bowl, mix together eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover your pan with cling warp and refrigerate overnight.

Make streusel topping by mixing together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with this mixture until crumbly and place in a Ziploc bag. Refrigerate this mixture overnight as well.

When ready to bake, sprinkle crumbly mixture evenly over bread and bake.

Variations:

For a more savory casserole add: ham and cheese, chorizo, green chile, sausage or crumbled bacon.

For a sweet casserole add: thinly sliced apple, orange zest, sliced apricots, sliced pineapple, blueberries, chopped pecans

Overnight French Toast Bake Process Pic

TIPS, TRICKS, and FAQ

Why is my french toast bake soggy? This casserole should be soft on the bottom and crisp on the top. If you find your casserole comes out too soggy try some of these tips:

  • Soak the bread in a separate bowl: If there’s too much egg in the pan it may be left a little soggy. One way around this is to store your bread mixture overnight in a bowl. In the morning transfer the bread to the baking dish leaving behind the extra liquid.
  • Choose the correct bread: choose a dense bread such as Brioche, Challah, Pullman Loaf, or French Bread.
  • Use a lipped cookie sheet instead of a 9×13 baking dish. You will have to adjust the bake time and watch carefully.
  • Not soaking the bread long enough: You want the egg mixture to seep deep into the bread for a soft custardy center. If the mixture doesn’t have time to soak into the bread it may end up creating a soggy mess.

Can you freeze it? Yes, you can choose to freeze it before or after baking. Wrap dish with plastic wrap then foil. It can keep for up to 2 months in the freezer. When you’re ready to eat thaw overnight in the fridge, remove all the wrapping and bake. If it been prebaked cook at 350 degree F for 20 minutes. If it has not been pre-baked, cook according to recipe directions.

Can french toast casserole be cooked in crock pot? Yes make according to recipe directions. Refrigerate for 6-10 hours in the ceramic crock pot. Place the ceramic pot into the heating base, cover and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.

French Toast Casserole in baking dish

what to serve with french toast bake:

For more french toast recipes, check out:

French Toast Casserole Recipe

4.99 from 1199 votes
This best-loved overnight French toast casserole is perfect for making ahead of time! It's eggy with a hint of cinnamon.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Refrigerate Overnight or 4 hours 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours
Servings 8
Calories 564 kcal
Author Lil' Luna

Ingredients

French Toast

  • 1 loaf sourdough bread or brioche, challah or French bread
  • 8 large eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup sugar

Topping

  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter cut into pieces

Instructions
 

  • Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and scatter evenly in a greased 9-x-13-inch baking dish.
  • In a medium bowl, mix eggs, milk, heavy cream, vanilla, and sugar together, then pour evenly over the bread.
  • Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
  • To make the topping, mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a medium bowl. Cut butter into this mixture until crumbly. Place the topping in a small resealable plastic bag and refrigerate overnight as well.
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Unwrap the baking dish and sprinkle the topping evenly over the bread.
  • Bake, uncovered, for 45–60 minutes, depending on how soft you like it.

Video

Notes

Make ahead of time. This bake can be prepared through step 4 and frozen; store the topping separately and add it once the bake is thawed. It can also be frozen after baking. Wrap the dish with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and store for up to 2 months in the freezer. When you are ready to eat it, thaw it overnight in the fridge. Remove all the wrapping and bake at 350°F. If it had been prebaked, bake for 20 minutes; if not, bake according to the recipe directions above.
Variations.
o For a more savory casserole, add ham and cheese, chorizo, green chilies, sausage, or crumbled bacon. 
o For a sweet casserole, add thinly sliced apple, orange zest, sliced apricots, sliced pineapple, blueberries, or chopped pecans.

Recipe from Mormon Mavens in the Kitchen.

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About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Comments:

  1. I let the mixture sit in the refrigerator for two days without cooking it. Is it still ok to add the topping and bake??

    1. You should give it a try and see! I haven’t ever left it that long, so I’m not totally sure. You’ll have to let us know.

  2. 5 stars
    It was delicious. Tasted just like a really good french toast. No syrup needed as it’s very sweet already!

  3. 5 stars
    My husband and I loved, loved, loved this recipe. I don’t like dry French Toast, so baking it for 45 minutes produced a soft, eggy result that reminded me of bread pudding. The vanilla in the custard, and the cinnamon crumble on top gave it the perfect layers of flavor and contrasting textures. Fantastic!

    I used a large loaf of Italian bread from a local bakery, and because the dry cubes filled the 15″x 10″ Pyrex glass baking pan
    I increased the amount of ingredients to make 10 servings instead of the 8 in the original recipe. Perfection!

  4. 5 stars
    I doubled this recipe and served it at a bridal shower this past weekend. It was a big hit! I can see this becoming a regular feature on our family gatherings. The overnight casserole is such a time saver in the morning as well.

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