This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This best-loved French toast casserole is perfect for making ahead of time! It’s perfect for holidays and gatherings and is delicious.
This French toast casserole is by far my most popular, but people also love our Cinnamon Roll French Toast Bake, and for a savory casserole – Sausage Breakfast Casserole.
WE Love it + You Will too!
We love 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 this French Toast Casserole, which we LOVE.
Here is why you’ll love it too:
- CASSEROLE OF A CLASSIC. Everyone loves French Toast and this casserole version is even better, especially served with Buttermilk Syrup.
- MAKE AHEAD. This recipe is best when made the day before but also makes crazy days even more simple.
- HOLIDAY + SPECIAL DAY FAVORITE. It’s a great recipe for special days but since it’s made ahead of time, it makes cooking for holidays (like Christmas) so much easier!
It’s also great for brunch and baby showers. 😉
Best Bread TO USE?
This oven French toast bake calls for sourdough bread, which is my personal favorite.
The main idea is that you want the bread to be sturdy enough that the bread cubes will hold up after being combined with the egg mixture.
Here are some other options:
- Brioche
- Challah
- Pullman Loaf
- French Bread
PRO TIP: For any of these breads, you can slice and toast or let slices sit out for 24 hours to make them more stale and sturdy.
How to make French Toast Casserole
This baked French toast takes a few steps but is quite simple.
- BREAD. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and scatter evenly in a greased 9-x-13-inch baking dish.
- EGG MIXTURE. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, milk, heavy cream, vanilla, and sugar together, then pour evenly over the bread.
- CHILL. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- 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.
- BAKE. 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.
SeRVING TIP
This French toast bake is delicious when drizzled in maple syrup, but here are a few more tasty ideas.
- Buttermilk Syrup
- Cinnamon Buttermilk Syrup
- Whipped Cream and sliced strawberries
French Toast Bake Recipe Tips
This baked French toast casserole should be soft on the bottom and crisp on the top.
Too soggy. If 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.
- 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.
Variations
Change up your French toast casserole recipe with these delicious twists:
- For a more savory casserole: ham and cheese, chorizo, green chiles, sausage, or crumbled bacon.
- For a sweet casserole: thinly sliced apple, orange zest, sliced apricots, sliced pineapple, blueberries, raspberries, and chopped pecans.
- You can also swap ingredients, like milk for almond milk, cinnamon for nutmeg and more!
Be sure to also check out our: Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole, Blueberry French Toast Casserole and our Pumpkin French Toast Casserole.
How TO Store French Toast Casserole
- FREEZE. Freeze this easy French toast casserole before or after baking. Wrap the dish with plastic wrap then foil and freeze for up to 2 months.
- When you’re ready to eat, thaw overnight in the fridge, remove all the wrapping, and bake.
- If it has been prebaked, cook it at 350°F for 20 minutes. If it has not been pre-baked, cook according to the recipe directions.
- STORE. If you have any leftover baked French toast casserole, cover the pan with plastic or divide it into individual airtight containers. Keep it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave.
More French Toast Recipes:
French Toast Casserole Recipe
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 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 degrees 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
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe from Mormon Mavens in the Kitchen.
This recipe is easy and so good!! I make my own sour dough bread so when I have an abundance, I use the bread and make this recipe. I’ve brought it to work and my colleagues loved it that now they have started making it too.
That’s so great! I am so glad everyone likes it! Thank you so much!!
Made the French Toast Bake for a New Year’s Brunch. Substituted raisin cinnamon bread instead of the sourdough because of availability due to Covid. Was absolutely delish. Would like to try with the sourdough bread as well. Recipe is a keeper.
That is a great option! So happy you like it! Thank you so much!
It was delicious. Exactly what I was looking for. Traditional cinnamon French toast flavors but with delicious crumble on the top!
Happy you found it! Thank you for letting me know!
A great hit for Christmas brunch! Very sweet but so delicious and easy!!
It sure is!! Thank you for trying it 🙂
Amazing!!! Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfect.
Yay!! Thank you!
Absolutely DELICIOUS! I made this for Christmas morning breakfast and it was just amazing. I’m used to putting maple syrup French toast casseroles, but this one didn’t need it – it was both sweet enough and moist enough without it. I would consider adding some cinnamon and nutmeg to the custard mixture before adding it to the bread for a little extra spice but it certainly wasn’t “missing” anything without it. We liked it so much that I’m going to make it again for New Years Day breakfast too and I expect it’s going to become a regular around here! Thanks so much!!
Yay!! I love to hear that! Thank you for sharing that!
Delicious! Made it for the 1st time last night for my Friendsgiving Brunch today. Not to sweet. I thought the mixture was too much but it was perfect. Definitely recommend it. For the comment about the topping not being to crumbly, did you let it sit overnight in the fridge with the French toast?
If too soggy she may have not taken the cover off!
I wish my family loved French toast as much as I do! I would eat this every day. I used a local bakery sourdough loaf and it had a lot of crunch from the thick crust, I also let it dry out most of the day. It is a super easy recipe that a french toast lover should try!
More for you 🙂 Thank you for sharing that!
Yay!! I am so glad you tried it! Thank you!
My family loves this recipe!
I am so glad they do!! Thank you!
I just made this for breakfast/ brunch. Soo amazing!
SAME DAY
1) I Heated the oven to 350, cut the bread into pieces and placed them on a cookie sheet to lightly toast it.
2) while preparing the egg mixture I turned the oven down to 170, what this is doing is drying out the bread.
3)I put the bread pieces in the egg mixture and placed it in the freezer for about a hour.
4) cooked it on 350° for 1 hour. No sogginess whatsoever.
We enjoyed every bite!
Thank you
I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing what you did!
Ok i made this last night for Christmas brunch. It was easy and everyone raved about it. I am a believer
Glad to hear that! Thank you!