On a weekend morning, there’s nothing quite like enjoying a stack of custardy, cinnamon-y French toast doused in maple syrup. However, when it comes to actually making the French toast, the dreaminess fizzles out. Cooking batch after batch while juggling to keep the finished ones warm isn’t exactly our idea of a stress-free morning. But fret not: Our French toast casserole forgoes all these cons.
As an overnight recipe, everything is tossed together the night before and then baked all at once the next morning. This means no more flipping, no more standing over a hot griddle and no more timing everything just right—all you need to do is assemble, bake and devour.
French Toast Casserole Ingredients
- French bread: We recommend using a classic French bread for this overnight French toast casserole. You could also use sourdough, challah or brioche—just make sure that no matter which bread you use, the bread is super dried out so it can soak up all the custardy goodness.
- Eggs: You’ll need a lot of eggs for this recipe; be sure to store your eggs properly so they don’t go bad.
- Milk: If you’re trying to cut back on calories, 2% milk is the perfect choice, but feel free to use whole milk or buttermilk if you have it on hand.
- Vanilla: Just 1 teaspoon vanilla will help enhance all the flavors in this casserole.
- Cinnamon: Sweet cinnamon, combined with sugar and butter, makes our overnight French toast casserole warm and cozy. If you’re an avid baker, get to know the other types of cinnamon to add nuanced flavor to your baked goods.
- Maple syrup: Forgo the corn syrup-based pancake topper and get the real stuff. We made a list of the best maple syrup brands you can buy at the store. No lackluster syrup should touch the perfection of this French toast bake.
Directions
Step 1: Assemble and chill the casserole
Scatter the French bread cubes in a greased 13×9-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt.
Editor’s Tip: Make sure the eggs are completely beaten into the wet ingredients or you’ll find bits of scrambled eggs in your French toast bake. An immersion blender does a great job of really blending these ingredients together.
Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread cubes. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and refrigerate for eight hours or overnight.
Step 2: Prepare the casserole for baking
Remove the pan from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking, and preheat the oven to 350°F. Dot the top of the casserole with butter.
Editor’s Tip: Don’t discard the aluminum foil. Save it for baking in the next step.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon, and evenly sprinkle the mixture over the top.
Step 3: Bake and serve the casserole
Cover the pan with the aluminum foil, and bake the casserole until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let the French toast casserole stand for five minutes. Slice it up and serve it warm, with maple syrup if desired.
Recipe Variations
- Add mix-ins: Crunchy pecans, fresh or dried fruits, and indulgent chocolate chips make wonderful flavorful and textural mix-ins for this French toast casserole.
- Sprinkle in baking spices: Play around with warming fall spices to make this French toast bake feel even cozier. Think zippy ginger, bold nutmeg, spicy cardamom and comforting allspice.
- Finish with a garnish: Once the French toast bake is out of the oven, you can forgo bottled maple syrup and use a homemade salted caramel sauce, butter pecan syrup or another homemade syrup of your choice.
How to Store French Toast Casserole
You can store this French toast bake in an airtight container for up to four days in the fridge. To reheat, warm the casserole 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 it in a freezer-safe dish with both storage wrap and aluminum foil. The casserole will keep for about two months when stored this way. To reheat from frozen, place the casserole in a 350° oven for 20 to 30 minutes.
French Toast Casserole Tips
Can you use regular bread to make French toast casserole?
You can use regular bread, but it will need to hold up to the soaking. Skip any brand of super-soft sliced bread and go 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, such as cinnamon raisin bread or cranberry walnut bread, to make this dish. The same caveats apply 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 it at 200° for 10 to 15 minutes to dry it out.
What can you serve with French toast casserole?
This dish has sweet and starchy flavor profiles covered, so think about serving this overnight French toast 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 gives a nice mix of salty and sweet that would go well with this French toast bake.
