French Toast Casserole

Total Time

Prep: 15 min. + chilling Bake: 45 min.

Makes

12 servings

Updated: Jan. 06, 2024
Topped with cinnamon and sugar, this overnight French toast casserole is my favorite way to make this breakfast favorite. Since you assemble this baked French toast the night before, you save time in the morning, and if you have an extra hungry crowd, it's easy to bake up a few batches. —Sharyn Adams, Crawfordsville, Indiana

Ingredients

  • 1 loaf (1 pound) French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 8 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3 cups 2% milk
  • 4 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • TOPPING:
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • Maple syrup, optional

Directions

  1. Place bread cubes in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
  2. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Dot with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top.
  3. Cover and bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with maple syrup if desired.
French Toast Casserole Tips

Which type of bread is best for this French toast casserole?

We recommend using classic French bread! If you don't have any on hand, sourdough or challah bread are both great options, too.

Can you use regular bread to make French toast casserole?

You can also regular bread, but you’ll need something that will hold up to the soaking. That means skipping any brand of super-soft sliced bread and going for a denser, heavier loaf instead. Leave the bag open for a day before assembling the French toast casserole, because you’ll want your bread to be slightly stale. Some readers have used fancier, flavored loaves to make this dish, such as cinnamon-raisin bread or cranberry walnut bread. The same caveat applies, though—make sure the bread is dense instead of fluffy, and is slightly stale. If you don’t have a couple of days to spare, cube your bread and bake at 200°F for 10 to 15 minutes to dry it out first.

How can you make French toast casserole your own?

Swap the white granulated sugar out for brown sugar. You can also play with the spices: Think ginger, nutmeg and cardamom, or something a little spicier. Once it’s out of the oven, you can forgo bottled syrup and use a homemade salted caramel sauce, butter pecan syrup or another homemade syrup of your choice. Finally, add some chopped nuts for crunch! For more inspiration, check out our selection of French toast recipes.

How can you tell when the French toast casserole is done?

The knife test is the easiest and safest way to tell if the casserole is done. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean.

What can you serve with French toast casserole?

This dish has sweet and starchy flavor profiles covered—so think about serving this breakfast casserole with a salty breakfast protein. Try making your own sausage patties either with pork or chicken. Or, if plain bacon isn’t quite enough, try dressing it up—glazed bacon or pecan bacon give a nice mix of salty and sweet that would go well with this French toast casserole.

How should you store leftover French toast casserole?

You can store this breakfast casserole recipe in an airtight container for up to 4 to 5 days in the fridge. To reheat, warm in the oven at 350° for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Can you freeze French toast casserole?

Yes, you can freeze fully-baked French toast casserole. To freeze, wrap a freezer-safe dish with both plastic wrap and aluminum foil. It'll keep for about 2 to 3 months when stored this way. To reheat from frozen, place in the oven at 350° for about 20 to 30 minutes.

—Christina Herbst, Taste of Home Social Media Editor and Hazel Wheaton, Taste of Home Book Editor

Nutrition Facts

1 serving: 223 calories, 7g fat (3g saturated fat), 151mg cholesterol, 484mg sodium, 29g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 1g fiber), 11g protein.