French Toast Casserole

This french toast casserole soaks thick cubes of brioche overnight in a vanilla cinnamon custard then bakes into a custardy crispy topped breakfast for a crowd. ♡

An overnight french toast casserole solves every problem with stovetop french toast: no standing over the pan flipping slices one at a time, and every bite is evenly custardy all the way through. I use a mix of brioche and challah for richness and build it the night before so the bread fully absorbs the custard. A brown sugar cinnamon streusel on top bakes into a crackly crust while the inside stays pudding soft.

This is my go-to easy breakfast for holidays, Mother’s Day, or any morning with overnight guests. The oven does all the work, the casserole serves 8, and you can put it together in 15 minutes the night before. Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

French Toast Casserole

• 1 lb brioche or challah bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (about 10 cups)
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp butter for greasing

Cinnamon Streusel Topping:

• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1.5 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Optional add-ins:

• Fresh or frozen blueberries (2 cups)
• Sliced bananas
• Cream cheese pockets
• Chocolate chips
• Maple syrup and powdered sugar for serving

How to Make French Toast Casserole

1. Grease. Butter a 9×13 baking dish generously on the bottom and sides. Spread the bread cubes in an even layer, piling slightly.
2. Whisk. In a large bowl whisk the eggs, milk, half and half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until fully combined. Make sure the cinnamon is blended in, it loves to float.
3. Pour. Slowly pour the custard over the bread, making sure every piece gets coated. Press the bread down with a spatula to help it absorb the liquid.
4. Chill. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. In a pinch 2 hours is the minimum.
5. Streusel. In the morning, whisk flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until it looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in pecans.
6. Top. Heat the oven to 350F. Uncover the casserole, sprinkle streusel evenly over the top, and press lightly so it sticks.
7. Bake. Bake 45 to 50 minutes until the top is deeply golden and a knife in the center comes out mostly clean (a little custard is fine). Let cool 10 minutes before serving with maple syrup.

Why This Recipe Works

Using brioche or challah is the difference between a great french toast casserole and a soggy one. Both breads are enriched with eggs and butter, which creates a firm crumb that drinks up custard without falling apart. White sandwich bread turns to mush because it has no structure. A rustic sourdough is too dense and never fully absorbs the liquid.

An 8 hour overnight soak is what transforms cubed bread into a custardy baked french toast casserole. During the long soak, the egg and milk slowly penetrate the center of every cube rather than pooling at the bottom. A quick 30 minute soak leaves the tops dry and the bottoms drenched. Overnight gives you even custard throughout.

The streusel topping does double duty: it adds crunch on top and insulates the custard underneath so the top layer bakes into a caramelized crackle while the inside stays soft. Without streusel, the top of the bread dries out and burns. The cold butter in the streusel is key because it creates pockets of steam that lift the crumbs into a shatter crisp texture.

Tips

• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. It actually tastes great cold straight from the container.
• Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 45 seconds or reheat the whole pan covered with foil in a 325F oven for 15 minutes.
• For a make ahead option, assemble the whole casserole including the streusel the night before, cover, and bake directly from cold in the morning (add 10 minutes to bake time).
• Use day old bread, not fresh. Stale bread soaks up more liquid and results in a better custard.
• Common mistake: skipping the overnight soak. Fix: always plan ahead, 8 hours is the minimum for the best texture.
• If you are short on time, toast the bread cubes at 300F for 15 minutes to dry them out, then soak for 2 hours.
• For a lighter version, swap the half and half for more whole milk.

Variations

• Blueberry french toast casserole: sprinkle 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries between the bread layers.
• Stuffed french toast casserole: dollop 8 oz softened cream cheese mixed with 2 tbsp sugar into pockets in the bread.
• Cinnamon roll casserole: use diced cinnamon rolls instead of brioche for an extra sweet version.
• Pumpkin spice french toast: add 1/2 cup pumpkin puree and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice to the custard.
• Peanut butter french toast: swirl 1/2 cup peanut butter through the custard before pouring.
• Savory french toast bake: skip the sugar and cinnamon, add shredded cheese, bacon, and green onion.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Using fresh soft bread. Turns to soup. Fix: use day old brioche or challah, stale is best.
• Skipping the soak. Uneven custard. Fix: 8 hours minimum overnight.
• Not pressing bread down. Top layer stays dry. Fix: press with a spatula after pouring custard so the top bread touches the liquid.
• Baking too hot. Streusel burns before custard sets. Fix: 350F is the sweet spot.
• Slicing too soon. Custard oozes. Fix: let rest 10 minutes after baking so the egg fully sets.

French Toast Casserole

A delicious homemade french toast casserole recipe.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 8 servings

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: French

Calories: 440

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 loaf thick-cut brioche or challah bread, cubed
• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup maple syrup plus more for serving
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons butter for greasing

Method

 

1. Cube. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes and spread evenly in a buttered 9x13 baking dish.
2. Mix. Whisk eggs, milk, cream, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl until smooth. Pour evenly over the bread cubes and press down gently so every piece soaks.
3. Soak. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The longer it soaks, the better the texture.
4. Bake. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered at 350F for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden and the center is set.
5. Serve. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup and fresh berries.

Notes

Day-old bread absorbs the custard better than fresh bread. Brioche or challah give the best rich, tender texture. Let the dish sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking for even cooking.

Looking for more easy breakfast recipes? Try my blueberry lemon ricotta pancakes, spinach feta egg cups, egg in a hole toast, or a bowl of acai smoothie bowl. For food safety on custard based dishes see the FDA safe food handling guide.

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