French Toast Casserole
Make mornings absolute perfection by serving this sweet, cinnamon-y, and incredible French Toast Casserole! Everyone will love to dig into this delicious dish.
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Make breakfast a breeze with this sweet and satisfying breakfast casserole! It’s one of my favorite recipes for when I have guests over, plus it’s great for meal prep since the flavors develop even more after it’s refrigerated.
Why You Will Love This French Toast Casserole
Ingredients Needed for Overnight French Toast Casserole
Ingredient quantities for this breakfast casserole recipe are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- Bread (any white bread will work, or you can use French bread or a similar crusty bread)
- Heavy whipping cream
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Powdered sugar
- Salt
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Maple syrup (for topping)
- Whipped cream (optional, for topping)
Want to make this casserole even more flavorful? Use cinnamon bread! (If you like raisins, cinnamon-raisin bread works too.)
How To Make French Toast Casserole (Quick Overview)
The steps below are just a quick overview of how to make the French Toast Casserole. The full process in detail is located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
This recipe is super easy. Let me show you how it’s made!
Because one of the steps of this recipe requires a three-hour – or overnight – soak, it can be best to start this casserole prep the night before.
Add prepared bread to the bottom of a casserole dish (I used a 9″ x 13″ dish).
Why This Recipe Calls for “Stale” Bread
I know it may seem a bit strange to use stale (dried) bread that is then soaked in batter, but there’s a method to the madness! Bread that has been dried out will better suck up the batter, making each bite absolutely delicious.
Here’s how to dry out your bread:
In a mixing bowl, combine heavy whipping cream, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, powdered sugar, and salt. Use a wire whisk to mix everything well.
Pour the egg mixture over the cubed bread and refrigerate for at least three hours (or overnight).
After your casserole has soaked up the egg mixture, now it’s time to bake it. Use the baking time to prepare the topping.
Here’s what it looks like baked, pre-topping…
And here’s what it looks like with the topping added:
Return to the oven and bake again until the topping is browned and bubbly. I tend to leave mine in on the longer side because I love the caramelized crunch of the edges, but feel free to pull yours out earlier, when the topping is golden brown.
Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes, then slice, serve, and enjoy! This casserole tastes great drizzled with maple syrup and/or dusted with powdered sugar, or take it to the next level by serving it with whipped cream.
More Breakfast Casserole Recipes
Breakfast casserole recipes are perfect to add to your Thanksgiving menu, Christmas foods menu, and even Halloween menu for entertaining family and friends!
- Add to your breakfast recipes with this easy breakfast casserole with bacon, eggs, cheese, and broccoli 🥚🧀🥦
- And you can make this delicious sausage, egg, and cheese casserole for the entire family!
Although I love ALL of this casserole, I just can’t get enough of the crusty edge where the cinnamon, sugar, and butter crystalize into total heaven. 😍 I hope you love this recipe!
More Family Breakfast Recipes
- For family events, holidays, and even as an appetizer, try these delicious egg muffins!
- Crispy bacon in the air fryer is made easy with this easy recipe!
- Sweet Air Fryer Cinnamon Toast Bites are a great treat that both adults and kids will love.
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French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
Casserole Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter
- 14 oz dried bread (see notes; about 14 slices of regular white bread, or you can use French bread or a similar crusty bread)
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 6 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
Topping Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Grease a casserole dish (I used 9" x 13") with the butter.
- Cut the prepared bread into approximately 1" cubes and spread them evenly across the bottom of the dish.
- In a mixing bowl, combine heavy whipping cream, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, powdered sugar, and salt, mixing until well blended.
- Pour the egg mixture uniformly over the bread in the casserole dish and refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours (or overnight).
- When you're ready to bake, remove the casserole dish from the fridge and preheat the oven to 350°F. (If you're using a glass casserole dish, make sure the glass reaches room temperature before placing it in the oven.)
- Place the casserole dish in the preheated oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- While the casserole is baking, prepare the topping by mixing the Topping Ingredients in a bowl until well combined.
- Once the casserole is done baking, take it out of the oven and sprinkle the topping evenly over the French toast mixture.
- Return it to the oven for an additional 15-25 minutes, or until the topping is golden brown to brown and bubbly.
- Optionally serve topped with dusted powdered sugar, maple syrup, and/or whipped cream.
Notes
- To make sure the bread sucks up the batter, the bread needs to sit out to become slightly “stale” or firmer before soaking it in the batter.
- To firm up fresh bread, spread the bread on cooling racks (or baking sheets) and let it sit for four hours, then flip it over and leave it for another four hours. Alternatively, you can dry the bread in the oven for 5 minutes on each side at 275°F.
Nutrition Estimates (Per Serving)
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition Estimates are per serving and included as a courtesy only. They are accurate to the best of our knowledge based on the ingredients and brands used, but their accuracy is not guaranteed.
