French Toast Casserole

4.94 from 15 votes

This French Toast Casserole is a simple, make-ahead breakfast made with cubes of bread soaked in a rich cinnamon-vanilla custard and finished with a buttery crumble topping. Prep it ahead, bake it fresh, and serve it warm with syrup and berries for an easy brunch or holiday breakfast.

Prep Time15

Cook Time1

Refrigerator time4

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: baking, Breakfast, brunch, comfort

Servings: people

Calories: 350kcal

Author: Sally Humeniuk

Equipment

9 x 13 baking or casserole dish

Ingredients

French Toast:

Butter, for greasing baking dish
1 loaf French bread or sourdough
10 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
½ cup half and half or whipping cream
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar packed firm
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Topping:

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup brown sugar packed firm
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg, freshly grated
¼ tsp salt
½ cup butter cold, cut into pieces

Topping options for serving:

Warm syrup
1 cup fresh blueberries
whipped cream
chopped pecans
melted butter

Instructions

For the French Toast:

Generously grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish with butter. Cut 1 loaf French bread or sourdough loaf into 1-inch cubes and distribute evenly in the casserole dish.
Butter, for greasing baking dish, 1 loaf French bread or sourdough
In a large bowl, add eggs, milk,half and half, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whisk together until well combined. Slowly pour the egg mixture over all of the bread. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator so the egg mixture can finish soaking all of the bread; at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
10 large eggs, 2 cups whole milk, ½ cup half and half or whipping cream, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 Tbsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the Topping:

Mix flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a separate bowl. Stir together with a fork. Add ½ cup cold butter cubes and with a pastry cutter, mix it all together until the butter is broken up into pea-size crumbles. Store covered or in a resealable plastic bag in the refrigerator until ready to bake the casserole.
½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ½ tsp nutmeg,, ¼ tsp salt, ½ cup butter

Bake the French Toast Casserole:

When you're ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 325° F. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator, uncover it, and evenly sprinkle the topping mixture over it. Bake the casserole for 45 minutes if you like a softer bread pudding texture, or for one hour if you want the top more crisp and the French toast to be more firm (both are excellent).
Remove the casserole from the oven and cut into individual servings or just scoop out with a large spoon. Top with melted butter, warm syrup, and 1 cup fresh blueberries.

Options for additional toppings or add ins:

Additional toppings include freshly whipped cream for more of a dessert option; toasted or candied pecans, chopped. Any other berries are great including raspberries or cranberries (Cranberries are excellent if you add it to the chopped bread before pouring the egg mixture over. Then the cranberries soften and kind of melt into the custard. This is possible with the blueberries too, if desired).
Warm syrup, 1 cup fresh blueberries, whipped cream, chopped pecans, melted butter
Leftovers will keep wonderfully for about three days in the refrigerator, though if the top of the casserole was crisp at first baking, it softens up in storage. Reheat in the oven or microwave.

Notes

The French toast casserole is equally good when refrigerated for four hours before baking as it is if refrigerating for 24 hours beforehand. Four hours is the minimum to help the egg mixture to soak the bread.
Delicious with fresh berries sprinkled on top at serving, the casserole is also great if you add some berries into the casserole with the bread cubes.
If you like nuts, add some to the topping before baking for added crunch and flavor.

Nutrition