Baked French Toast Casserole

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The best Baked French Toast Casserole recipe is an easy & delicious breakfast. French bread is combined with a sweet vanilla egg & milk mixture and topped with a buttery streusel topping.  This overnight French toast casserole is made at night and baked in the morning so it’s easy to prepare and enjoy! 

front view of syrup being poured onto a piece of Baked French Toast Casserole


I love breakfast recipes that are prepared the night before so I can enjoy the mornings with my family without being too busy in the kitchen. This overnight French toast casserole is the perfect recipe to make for any special occasion. 

I took my famous French toast recipe and turned it into a baked French toast casserole that is out-of-this-world delicious. In this recipe, french bread is combined with a sweet vanilla egg & milk mixture and topped with a buttery streusel topping – all prepared the night before and baked in the morning. 

front view of Baked French Toast Casserole in a baking dish with a piece removed

French Toast Casserole Recipe: Ingredients & substitutions

overhead photo of the ingredients in this overnight Baked French Toast Casserole recipe
  • French bread. You can choose your favorite hearty bread variety. My favorites (besides French bread) are brioche, cinnamon swirl bread (from Kneaders especially), and sourdough. 
  • Eggs. There is no substitute for the eggs in this baked french toast. 
  • Whole Milk. You can use 2 % milk in place of whole milk, or you can use all half and half. 
  • Half and half. You can replace half and half with whole milk, but I don’t recommend any other substitutions. 
  • Pure Vanilla Extract. This is a key ingredient in this french toast casserole recipe, don’t leave it out!
  • Brown sugar. dark or light brown sugar can be used with excellent results. 
  • Granulated sugar. You can choose to replace the granulated sugar with brown sugar, if desired. 
  • Salted butter. unsalted butter can be used in place of salted. 
  • All-purpose flour. use unbleached, all-purpose flour for the best results. 
  • Ground Cinnamon. Choose a high-quality cinnamon for the best taste! 
front view of a piece of Baked French Toast Casserole

How to make French Toast Casserole

This baked French toast is easy to make! We will walk through how to make baked french toast step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video. 

Whisk together egg mixture

First, make the egg mixture. Todo this, whisk together eggs, milk, half and half, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt in a large bowl. This is most easily achieved when the ingredients are all at room temperature. 

two photos showing how to make Baked French Toast Casserole

Pour over bread cubes

Next, evenly spread the bread cubes in a prepared baking dish, then pour the egg mixture over the bread pieces and stir to combine.

Chill Overnight

Once the bread and egg mixture are combined, cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight. 

two photos showing how to make Overnight Baked French Toast Casserole

Make the crumb topping

In a medium bowl, use a fork, pastry cutter or your hands and mix together the butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and sea salt until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or use a bowl with a lid) and store in the refrigerator overnight.

two photos showing how to make Baked French Toast Casserole

Putting it together

In the morning when you’re ready to bake, remove the French toast casserole and crumb topping mixture from the refrigerator and evenly sprinkle the streusel over the top. 

Bake

Next, bake the french toast casserole until the top is lightly golden brown. The filling will bubble slightly and feel set when touched. 

two photos showing how to make French Toast Casserole

Serve

Let the casserole cool slightly and then serve it warm with a drizzle of maple syrup. We also love whipping up a batch of this cinnamon honey butter or homemade whipped cream to serve on top! 

Store

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days and reheat in the microwave or oven on warm. 

To freeze

You can freeze the entire baked French toast casserole by letting it cool completely then covering it with plastic wrap and foil and putting it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and then bake it loosely covered with foil according to the recipe instructions. 

You can also freeze this baked french toast in individual pieces so you can pull them out one at a time to enjoy. Simply cut the cooled casserole into individual servings. Place the pieces on a baking sheet and flash-freeze until hardened. Then wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-friendly, airtight container for up to 2 months. 

Overnight Baked French Toast Casserole in a baking dish

FAQs about French Toast Casserole

How do you keep French toast casserole from getting soggy?

Use a hearty bread that will hold up when it soaks in the liquid in this recipe, like french bread, sourdough, etc. Also, make sure to follow the recipe exactly and your casserole shouldn’t be soggy!

What type of bread is best for French toast casserole?

I suggest the following: French bread, brioche, sourdough, a sturdy artisan bread, challah, cinnamon swirl bread, or Italian bread.

More delicious breakfast recipes

If you’re looking for more breakfast inspiration, here are some of our favorite breakfast recipes

a piece of Baked French Toast Casserole on a plate with syrup

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Overnight Baked French Toast Casserole

Laura
The best Baked French Toast Casserole recipe is an easy & delicious breakfast. French bread is combined with a sweet vanilla egg & milk mixture and topped with a buttery streusel topping.  This overnight French toast casserole is made at night and baked in the morning so it's easy to prepare and enjoy! 
5 from 29 votes
Course Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine American, French
Servings 20 Servings
Calories 216
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time55 minutes

Ingredients 
 

Baked French Toast:

Streusel Topping:

Instructions 

Make the French toast bake:

  • Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish, set aside.
  • Spread bread cubes evenly in the prepared baking dish.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, half and half, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt.
  • Pour mixture over bread pieces in the prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Make the streusel topping:

  • Add butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and sea salt to a medium bowl. Use a fork, pastry cutter or your hands and cut in the ingredients to combine until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  • Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight.

Putting it together:

  • When you’re ready to bake the French toast, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Remove the French toast bake and crumb topping mixture from the refrigerator and evenly sprinkle streusel over the top.
  • Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the French toast is set and the top is lightly golden brown.
  • Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.

Video

Notes

Ingredients & Substitutions

  • French bread. Choose your favorite hearty bread variety. My favorites (besides French bread) are brioche, cinnamon swirl bread, and sourdough.
  • Whole Milk. You can use 2 % milk in place of whole milk, or you can use all half and half. 
  • Half and half. You can replace half and half with whole milk, but I don’t recommend any other substitutions. 
  • Pure Vanilla Extract. This is a key ingredient in this french toast casserole recipe, don’t leave it out!
  • Brown sugar. dark or light brown sugar can be used with excellent results. 
  • Granulated sugar. You can choose to replace the granulated sugar with brown sugar, if desired. 
  • Salted butter. unsalted butter can be used in place of salted. 
  • All-purpose flour. use unbleached, all-purpose flour for the best results. 
  • Ground Cinnamon. Choose a high-quality cinnamon for the best taste! 

Store

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days and reheat in the microwave or oven on warm. 

To freeze

Freeze the entire baked French toast casserole by letting it cool completely then covering it with plastic wrap and foil and putting it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and then bake it loosely covered with foil according to the recipe instructions. 
Freeze this baked french toast in individual pieces by cutting the cooled casserole into individual servings. Then, place the pieces on a baking sheet and flash-freeze until hardened. Next, wrap the frozen pieces in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-friendly, airtight container for up to 2 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1piece | Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 242mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 309IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!

The photos in this post were taken by Jamie from Dishing Out Health! 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase a product through a link you clicked on here, I receive a portion of the sale. Thank you for supporting JoyFoodSunshine! 




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Recipe Rating




12 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was so amazing! I served this at a bunch for my friends today. I used 1 and a half loaves of Krogers Private Selection brand of Croissant bread. It is already sliced and I cubed it up. I also added 2 tsp of orange extract to the custard. I had run out of milk so I used heavy whipping cream in the custard as well. Oh my goodness, this was fantastic!

  2. I just put it together and the topping came out doughy . First time this has happened .Not sure how to make it crumbly>

  3. 5 stars
    This is the best recipe I found that is so delicious you just can’t stop eating it!!. At least I have that problem that’s why I make 2. One to eat and one I freeze in individual servings. For my late night sweet tooth.

  4. 5 stars
    This was great! I made it for our family holiday brunch today and it was a hit. It fed 6 adults and 2 kids. And best of all I got to spend time with the guests rather than cooking. I followed the recipe exactly and used French bread.

  5. 5 stars
    Thanks, Laura. I added a bit of maple syrup in the mix for added flavor. This was quite yummy and my family enjoyed it. Best part? It’s makes for lots of leftovers!