French Toast Casserole

French Toast Casserole is a straightforward make-ahead breakfast that’s excellent for holidays, brunch, or weekend mornings at residence. With cozy cinnamon-vanilla taste and a buttery topping, it’s a straightforward recipe everybody will love.

slice of French Toast Casserole on a plate with berries

Taste: Wealthy cinnamon-vanilla custard soaks into the bread and bakes up smooth and candy, completed with a buttery brown sugar pecan topping that provides the right heat, crunchy chunk.
Really useful Instruments: A 9×13 baking dish, a mixing bowl, a whisk, and a bit of foil for masking the casserole whereas it rests.
Time-Saving Tip: For a fast shortcut, use pre-cubed bakery bread or dry the bread cubes within the oven for a couple of minutes to avoid wasting time.
Serving Options: I like serving it heat with maple syrup, whipped cream, or recent fruit. After I’m feeding a crowd, I wish to set out a easy topping bar with berries and whipped cream so everybody can construct their very own plate.

brown sugar , milk , pecans , eggs , cinnamon , bread , butter and vanilla with labels to make French Toast Casserole

French Toast Casserole Components

Bread: Use a sturdy, dense bread like brioche, challah, braided bread, or a thick-sliced bakery loaf for one of the best custardy middle, and dry the cubes first in order that they take in the custard with out getting mushy.
Custard Combination: Whisk the custard components at room temperature for a clean, lump-free combination, ensuring to beat nicely so that you don’t get any “egg pockets.” Utilizing half-and-half or gentle cream makes the casserole wealthy and bakery-style, however be happy to swap for milk.
Variations: Make it nut-free by skipping the pecans and including a streusel or coarse sugar topping. Toss in blueberries or sliced strawberries for a fruity brunch twist, or stir in orange zest for a shiny, bakery-style taste.

adding spices to egg mixture to make French Toast Casserole

mixing pecan sauce to put on top of French Toast Casserole

Learn how to Make French Toast Casserole

Dry the bread cubes. Add to a greased 9×13 dish.
Whisk the custard and pour it over the bread.
Combine the buttery brown sugar topping and spoon it excessive.
Cowl and chill. Bake (full recipe under).

To bake: If frozen, thaw the casserole within the fridge in a single day and bake as directed.

Holly’s Ideas For Implausible French Toast

For completely dry bread: 6 to eight minutes in a 350°F oven helps the custard soak in evenly and prevents a gummy center.
Press to soak: After pouring custard, gently press bread down so the highest layer will get moistened too.
Chill time issues: One hour is the minimal, in a single day is even higher for a cohesive, custardy slice.
Keep away from a too-brown prime: If the topping is getting darkish earlier than the middle is scorching, loosely lay foil on prime for the final 10 to fifteen minutes.
Know when it’s performed: The middle needs to be scorching and set, and a knife inserted within the center comes out clear.
Scaling: This recipe halves nicely for an 8×8 dish, but it surely bakes quicker, so begin checking early.

baked French Toast Casserole in the dish

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating

Maintain leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days.

Freeze parts in an hermetic container with parchment between items for finest separation. Thaw in a single day within the fridge, then heat within the oven or air fryer. Reheat within the oven at 325°F lined with foil till warmed via (finest for protecting it fluffy).

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image of Everyday Comfort cookbook by Holly Nilsson of Spend With Pennies plus text

Prep Time 20 minutes

Prepare dinner Time 30 minutes

Chill Time 1 hour

Whole Time 1 hour 50 minutes

Dry out the cubed bread by leaving it out for just a few hours or baking in an oven preheated to 350°F for six to eight minutes.
Grease a 9×13 inch baking dish and unfold the bread cubes evenly within the dish.
In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the eggs, half-and-half, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon till nicely mixed. Pour the egg combination evenly over the bread.
For the topping, whisk the melted butter and ⅓ cup brown sugar. Stir within the pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gently spoon the topping over the casserole.
Cowl the casserole dish and permit it to sit down for no less than 1 hour (or as much as 48 hours).
Take away the casserole from the fridge and let it relaxation on the counter whereas the oven preheats to 350°F.
Bake the French toast uncovered for 40 to 50 minutes or till a knife inserted within the middle comes out clear and is scorching.
Serve heat with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

Any sort of bread will work on this recipe, we want dense bread akin to brioche or different thickly sliced bread.
Leftover French toast casserole may be refrigerated for as much as 4 days. Reheat parts within the microwave, oven, or air fryer till heat.
Optionally available Streusel Topping: If desired, the pecan topping may be changed with a streusel topping. Mix 3 tablespoons every brown sugar, flour, and butter with ¼ cup oats, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Combine till nicely mixed and sprinkle over the casserole.

Vitamin info offered is an estimate and can range primarily based on cooking strategies and types of components used.

Course Breakfast, Casserole

Delicacies American

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