Oven French Toast Recipe

4.91 from 11 votes

Oven French Toast Recipe

Oven French toast is custardy, topped with buttery cinnamon sugar and is an easy make-ahead breakfast perfect for weekends and holidays.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

chill1

Total Time2

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Kristyn Merkley

Ingredients

1 large loaf day old bread, brioche, challah, crusty sourdough or French bread
6 whole eggs
1 cup whole milk
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
dash nutmeg
4 tablespoons butter, plus more for greasing the pan

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter and set aside.
Slice the bread into 1-inch thick slices (½-inch to 1-inch thick) and then cut in half.
Mix together eggs, milk, cream, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.
Dip each piece of bread into the milk mixture and then place in a baking dish, overlapping as you go.
Pour remaining milk mixture over the bread and cover with foil for at least 1 hour (or overnight).
Preheat oven to 350°F when ready to bake. Keep French toast covered and bake for 30 minutes.
Prepare cinnamon sugar topping by mixing together 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Take off foil and pour melted butter over the top and then sprinkle on cinnamon/ sugar mixture.
Bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve warm.

Notes

Recipe Tips.

Dried Bread is Key. Dried bread absorbs the liquid and flavors much better than fresh, moist bread. If you don’t have stale bread or forgot to set the bread out to dry overnight, then you can dry it out in the oven before assembling the French toast bake.
Chill time.This is super important so that the toast can fully absorb the custard. If you didn’t make it the night before, then chill it for at least an hour before baking.
Toppings. Aside from butter and maple syrup, there are many other delicious toppings you can use for this dish, including Whipped Cream, fresh berries, Strawberry Sauce, Buttermilk Syrup, and Lemon Curd.

Freeze ahead. Assemble the entire casserole as directed, then cover it tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze it for up to 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before baking as usual.

Store leftovers in an airtight container(s) in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also wrap each piece in a sandwich baggie and freeze them together in a Ziploc for up to 2 months.

Reheat. If you’re just heating a couple of slices, use the microwave or toaster. For several at a time, heat in an oven set to 375°F for about 5-8 minutes or until hot.

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