Love a sweet breakfast? Try this Easy Cinnamon Roll Casserole, this Pumpkin French Toast Casserole, or this Overnight Apple Crisp French Toast next! We are big breakfast lovers here! It doesn’t matter if it’s breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner — if breakfast is on the table, we’re all in! There was no struggle to eat when this French Toast Casserole was on the table 😉 Adding to our list of favorites today is this easy French Toast Bake, which I love most because you can prep it completely the night before you need it. The center is soft and tender like a bread pudding, but I love a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar on mine just for that fun texture! This recipe is everything you love about French toast without the hassle of individually cooking each slice!
Why we love this French Toast Casserole recipe
Perfect for any occasion: Whether hosting a weekend brunch or serving this up on Christmas morning, this French Toast Casserole is a winner. Make ahead: No need to stress about what to make for breakfast! You can easily assemble this casserole and bake the next morning. Simple ingredients: This recipe only requires a few basic ingredients that you most likely have in your pantry already!
French Toast Casserole Ingredients
French bread: or any type of bread you like. Just make sure it’s stale, or else the casserole can become soggy. If I don’t have stale bread, I like to toast slices briefly to dry them out before adding them to my pan. Eggs: this is the base of our custard mixture and helps bind the bread cubes together. Milk: this is for making the egg custard mixture to go over the casserole and for making the optional glaze. Use 2% or whole milk for the creamiest texture! Maple syrup: sweetens up the custard mixture. Pure maple syrup works perfectly for this recipe but you can also use regular pancake syrup or granulated sugar! Cinnamon: A classic spice that brings cozy comfort to every bite. We use it in both the custard and the crunchy topping for maximum flavor. Vanilla extract: adds a depth of flavor by enhancing the other flavors in this recipe! Granulated sugar: sweetens up the topping and caramelizes on top for the perfect crunchy finish. Powdered sugar: this is the base for the glaze. Powdered sugar is super fine so it blends seamlessly with the milk to create the ultimate dreamy glaze!
How to make French Toast Casserole
Here are some step-by-step instructions for making this easy make-ahead French Toast Casserole! For the full recipe, scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Start with your bread — cut it or tear it into small pieces (1-inch cubes or pieces), and throw it into a greased baking dish. Whisk up your egg mixture and pour it over top of the cubed bread. Make sure all the pieces are thoroughly coated.
Stir up the cinnamon sugar mixture. Throw it on top of the casserole. At this point, you can refrigerate to bake the next day (if you’re doing this, you may want to leave off the cinnamon sugar and add it in the morning so it stays crisp), or you can let it sit for a couple hours and bake right away.
Serve warm or at room temperature — my kids even love the leftovers for lunches! If you like, you can make a powdered sugar glaze to drizzle over the top of the casserole for a sweet surprise!
Variations on this baked French Toast Casserole
To make this French Toast Casserole dairy-free, substitute the dairy milk for almond or coconut milk, and be sure that your bread doesn’t contain dairy. For a super decadent swap, you can use heavy cream in place of the milk. You can swap the maple syrup for brown sugar for a different flavor profile. Add in chocolate chips, swirls of peanut butter, fresh or frozen berries, chopped bananas, nuts, or chunks of cream cheese if you want! This recipe is really an awesome one for adapting and having fun with. Let your mind go wild! If you’re feeling fruity, use a fruit-based syrup like strawberry or blueberry or serve with fresh fruit for a fun twist.
Make Ahead Option
Assemble the entire casserole except for the topping. Refrigerate it for a max of 12 hours to prevent it from getting soggy. You can also bake the entire casserole ahead of time and serve it over the next 3-4 days. You can make the topping ahead of time and store it at room temperature until ready to serve.
What size baking dish do I need for this recipe?
I use a 9×13 pan for this recipe! If you want to gift one to a neighbor, you can also make it in two 8×8″ pans and bake for 10-15 minutes less.
What’s the best bread for French toast?
Stale bread is best for French toast because it’s a little drier and will soak up that egg mixture before baking. In reality, you can use almost any leftover bread or baking you have to make French toast! Brioche, or Brioche buns, leftover croissants, donuts, pancakes, challah bread, sourdough bread, and cinnamon raisin bread would all be amazing, and I’m all for using up leftover bits before they’ve gone bad.
How do I store this French Toast Bake?
I recommend storing individual slices in an airtight container for easy serving or wrapping the entire casserole dish in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. It will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days. The best part about this breakfast casserole is that you can freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat it, let it thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat using the instructions below.
How do I reheat French Toast Casserole?
Preheat your oven to 325ºF, cover the casserole dish with foil, and bake for at least 20 minutes or until warm. The air fryer also works great if you have one! Reheat individual slices for 2-4 minutes. If you’re in a pinch, you can reheat in the microwave but it might not be as crispy on top.
Serving suggestions
This French toast recipe doesn’t need much for side dishes, but I love serving it with smoothies (this Healthy Strawberry Smoothie recipe and this Pineapple Smoothie are favorites) or fruit salad (this Creamy Fruit Salad Recipe, Hawaiian Fruit Salad, and Christmas Fruit Salad are fun ones depending on the season!), to create a more balanced meal.
Some our best French toast recipes
Overnight Caramel French Toast — a decadent weekend breakfast! Baked Overnight Pumpkin French Toast — a fall twist. Crockpot French Toast Recipe — when you need something hands off! Overnight Peanut Butter French Toast Casserole — because we are all peanut butter lovers here!
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