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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.
I added some chopped ham and cut the sugar in half for the egg mixture and to the topping I added chopped pecans and increased brown sugar a hair. Delish
Yummy!!
Love this!
Wow, such magical dish. I made 3 little ones instead of one large and they came out beautifully. Thank you! I followed the recipe exactly using the challah bread drying it cut in cubes for 6 hours while doing other stuff then pored the egg mix on. Turning it once before bed and soaked (all together) overnight. Then separated into 3 small 4by7 foil pans and cooked the full hour for a welldone middle and crip topping.
So yummy.
Ok wow! This is the BEST French toast casserole I’ve ever made and will definitely be a keeper in regular rotation. I didn’t have enough bread so I adjusted the amount of eggs and milk. So easy to put together, easy to bake and delicious. We didn’t need any syrup at all. Thank you!
Anyone unprepared like me and not do the soaking overnight or for 4 hours and have it more like 30 min and have it still turn out okay?
We love this recipe so much!!! Does anyone have experience using gluten free bread???
I made a few for the freezer (first French toast casseroles I’ve ever made lol) for postpartum meals and we just pulled one and ate it! It is great! I purchased a few loaves of GF sourdough from a local baker.
I have also made similar things in the past using canyon bakehouse hawaiian bread which have also turned out well!
Everyone Loves this recipe. I make it for all overnight guests and for Holidays. It is always requested when they return. Super easy and great to not have to do anything in the morning besides make coffee!!
I’m don’t have 4 hrs either. Dying to know how it turned out with less soak time. I have 2 hrs.
Made this for the first time today. It came out absolutely amazing and delicious!! I used half and half instead of heavy cream. I used sourdough bread and I let it soak overnight. I brought it to a ladies brunch this morning and everyone loved it!! I had to leave a 5 star review cause it was that good!
Because of time and resource constraints, I ended up using about 3/4 of a loaf of denser white bread and let the egg mixture soak on top for maybe 5 minutes before throwing it in the oven. I am here to say… it was AMAZING! I’ve never seen a casserole go so fast. It was such a hit! Thank you!
I don’t like to use heavy cream in anything. Can I substitute it for half and half or anything else? Thank you.
I have made this recipe so many times and it’s always great. I never have heavy so I cut the amount of sugar and then substitute the cream for coffee creamer. It adds a new flavor profile and always comes out great.
That sounds tasty! Thanks for sharing what you do.
Yes you can! Lots of people have shared in the comments different things they have used that have turned out too, if you need any other ideas.
Does anyone have any experience with freezing this recipe? Was it better frozen before baking or after baking? THANKS!!!!