This easy French Toast Casserole recipe can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight so it’s ready to bake and enjoy in the morning. It has an incredible cinnamon sugar topping that takes it to the next level!
Looking for more breakfast recipes to make in advance? Try my Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, Overnight Breakfast Casserole, or Strawberry Overnight Oats!
Why I love this recipe:
- The Topping – The easy topping really sets this recipe apart from others and makes it the best french toast casserole. It adds the perfect crunchy texture on top, and tastes incredible!
- Make Ahead – Nothing beats a breakfast recipe that I can just throw in the oven when I wake up. I love how I can do all the prep the night before!
- Crowd Pleaser – This Baked French Toast fills a 9×13 pan and I always get so many compliments on it! Everyone loves the flavors of french toast, and this is an easy way we can all enjoy it without standing at the stove making them.
How to make French Toast Casserole:
Slice Bread: Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9×13” baking dish. Cut bread into 1 inch chunks and place in dish.
Make Batter: Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cream and milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and mix well. Pour evenly over the bread cubes.
Combine and Refrigerate: Gently toss the bread around to make sure the top and bottom pieces all get dipped in the egg mixture. Spread out evenly, cover dish, and refrigerate overnight.
Make Topping: Place brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and stir to combine. Cut cold butter into small chunks and add to the bowl. Use a pastry cutter or your hands to combine the mixture until crumbly. Cover and refrigerate until morning.
Bake: Sprinkle the topping evenly over top of the french toast casserole. Bake for 40-50 minutes or until top is golden.
Serve: Allow french toast to cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares. I love eating this just with berries. But you could also top with homemade syrup, maple syrup, or whipped cream.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Make this french toast casserole and topping the day before and keep covered separately in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, sprinkle the topping on and bake.
To Freeze: Baked french toast can be frozen before baking. Cover very well with plastic wrap and tinfoil and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge then sprinkle on the topping and bake.
More Breakfast Favorites:
- Classic French Toast
- German Pancakes
- Breakfast Quesadillas
- Buttermilk Pancakes
- Egg and Sausage Breakfast Taquitos
- Cheesy Egg, Avocado, and Ham Breakfast Sausages
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Recipe
French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 pound loaf of brioche, challah, french bread, or white bread
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups milk
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
For the Topping:
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar , packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 Tablespoons cold butter , cut into pieces
Instructions
- Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9×13'' baking dish. Cut bread into 1 inch chunks and place in dish.
- Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cream and milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and mix well. Pour evenly over the bread cubes.
- Gently toss the bread around a little to make sure the top and bottom pieces all get dipped in the egg mixture. Spread out evenly, cover dish, and refrigerate overnight.
- For the Topping: Place brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and stir to combine. Cut cold butter into small chunks and add to the bowl. Use a pastry blender or your hands to combine the mixture until crumbly. Cover and refrigerate until morning.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover french toast pan and sprinkle the topping evenly over top. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until top is golden and casserole is set.
- Allow french toast to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Top with homemade syrup , berries, whipped cream or any other toppings you'd like.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
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*I originally shared this recipe in June 2014. Updated December 2018 and March 2023.
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I’m excited to try this! It’s in the oven. I was looking for a baked French toast recipe and was excited when you had one. I made this with some white bread I baked also from your site. I figured if my kids favorite bread recipe was yours- they also would like your French toast.
Hi, i made this over the holidays as is no changes. Instant hit and most left with the recipe. thanks for sharing
Deanna
I’ve made this before and loved it! However I broke my 9×13. If I separated it into two 8×8’s what kind of cooking instructions would I use?
Wonderful breakfast casserole, really easy to make.
This was the hit of Easter brunch! Simple to make and delicious.
I made this for our annual New Year’s Brunch. It was terrific. I used a dense loaf of cinnamon bread from Aldi and decreased the amount of cinnamon in the recipe. All our guests loved it
I’ve made this multiple times for holidays and am making it again for Mother’s day brunch. It’s wonderful as is, with double topping and with blueberries baked in too. Great option for a crowd and makes those busy holiday mornings less chaotic. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!
At the last minute, I made this for family brunch–I was already cooking a bunch of stuff and was so busy, and this was the easiest and quickest thing to make. It was a huge hit–the one thing on a table of some impressive dishes that everyone raved about! I just doubled the topping. Thank you so much!
Excellent recipe! I’ve tried several baked French toast recipes with lackluster results. Your’s is amazing & came out perfectly – thank you!
made this for easter! awesome for a relaxed morning when you make it the night before. mm mm mm yumma yumma yumma
I LOVE this recipe for brunches! Done multiple times for different brunch potlucks and thought I ought to rate it 🙂 Everyone loves it and I always get people asking for the recipe. Only mod I do is that I add nutmeg to the egg/milk mix as well as in the crumb topping. Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Was beautiful when I took it out of the oven. Baked it for the full 50 minutes and it was definitely set but within 1 minute of coming out of the oven it completely deflated and fell. Now it looks rediculous. 🙁
I made this for a ‘breakfast for lunch’ potluck at work. It was a huge hit and my friend, who is notoriously picky about food, confided that she had thought she wouldn’t like it when I offered to bring it earlier I the week. She said it was delicious and that she was going to make it for her husband!
I followed the recipe exactly but added a step of drying out the bread cubes in a 200 degree oven. So easy and delicious!
Made this a few times, it’s a favorite. Everyone that has tried it loves it, it’s been described as decadent!!
I think this is wonderful as is butter I used kings Hawaiian rolls as the base and think it was even better. Thanks for the recipe
Made it for my staff today. Rave reviews. Love the topping as it gives a nice crunch. Nothing was changed in the recipe, just made it as is.
Should this be baked the whole time uncovered? Or covered?
I’ve made this recipe several times and it is always a big hit with family and friends. I sometimes add more topping so that each piece is crunchy and sweet.
I’ve made this three times now and we love it!! So, the first time I made it I read the topping ingredients wrong and had added 4 tablespoons of butter before realizing my mistake…..so instead of letting it be a mistake I doubled the rest of the topping ingredients. My husband has decided that’s the correct amount of topping so that’s the way I’ve made it every time. I also used Hawaiian dinner rolls, we had quite a few left over from Christmas and I looked for a french toast casserole to use them in and this is the one I decided on!! Love love love it!
It’s baking now and smells delicious. Can I individually freeze portions to be reheated for quick breakfast during the school/work week?
Yes, I think that would work fine!
Do you have to refrigerate overnight or can you just throw in the oven
It does need some time for the bread to soak up the liquid–I’d allow at least 30 minutes before baking.
Going to go ahead and give it a 5, I know it will be this good….but do you have a recipe for the “Buttery Bourbon Sauce to serve on the Side) plus someone said they soaked the golden Raisins in the bourbon too…..I imagine this would make it so much better….(but maybe not serve to kids….it may be too strong eh?) I would love to have this recipe too….
Thanks (1/8/20)
Can this recipe be baked (or partially baked) a day ahead of time to speed up serving time in the morning?
Sure, that would be fine.
I served this last night for a crowd and it was a hit! I used the big crescent rolls from costco and used a few extra, like 8 total for a deep dish 8 x 11 so that it was really full. I baked it as directed and served the buttery bourbon sauce on. The side. Oh, and I used golden raisins and soaked them in the bourbon. Ill make this again for sure!!!!
Can this be done with brioche bread? Or does it need a tougher bread like French? Thanks!
That would be fine–you may want to dry it out a little first 🙂
Can I prepare this 24 hours ahead and refrigerate
Yes. Enjoy!
Can I prepare this two days ahead?
Can you assemble and refrigerate this the night before in a metal baking dish instead of glass ? Then bake the next morning? My Pyrex is fairly old so am hesitant to put a cold glass dish into the hot oven but have a brand new 9 x 13 metal casserole pan
Thank you !
Yes thats fine! Enjoy
Great recipe
Made it with French Bread I picked up on the day old rack at WalMart for just .50 each – was so good I will pick up bread at that price again & freeze just to have it on hand. I did add some left over nuts & a bit of oatmeal to topping!! I might even try it with the ever popular “”pumpkin spice” !! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Two questions, could you bake this with chopped apples in it, and could it be frozen after baking, or before?
Can this be frozen? I want to take this to our cabin this weekend and wondered if I could make ahead and freeze so I don’t have to take all ingredients with me. I can’t wait to try it!
Yes, I haven’t tested it but think it would work fine!
Everyone from the youngest grandchild to grandpa loved it! (and some are really picky)
It is great just the way it is but I could see myself adding fruit to it in the future.
I made this a couple of weeks ago at hunting camp.
Everyone was in aw, they were surprised how good it was. Couldn’t get enough. They talk about it everytime I see them. This will be on the menu at camp for a long time to come.
Thank you for sharing.
What a great recipe to use at camp! Thanks for sharing!
What if I only have time to let this set for 3 hours?
That will be fine 🙂
Tried a ton of baked french toast casseroles. This was without a doubt the best 5 stars ?l
I’m so happy you liked it so much! Thanks for coming back to comment.
We had a tragic family gathering grandfather passed. Family had to go to funeral in Oklahoma as soon as we could get there…so I decide to host a breakfast for those flying out that morning. This was the best idea yet..everyone feed and on their way to safe travels and we cheared each other up. This turned out to be a fantastic dish I served breakfast meats on the side and coffee and juices. But the hit of the gathering was this oven French toast. No fuss and fast.
I’m so glad it was enjoyed by your family. What I nice thing to do to bring a little joy at a difficult time.
I was searching for an easy baked french toast recipe when i came across your site. While i used another site’s recipe for the bread mixture, I tried your crumble topping part of the recipe and it was phenomonal! i added pecans for some extra crunch and next time i think i’ll add some oats for extra nutrition too (kind of like apple crumble! yum!).
I substituted half and along with buttermilk because I had no whipping cream and it came out wonderful
Made this for an Easter brunch for 80 staff and volunteers at church. It was a HUGE hit. I used French bread and Pepperidge Farm cinnamon bread and probably used about 1 1/2 lbs.
Many people said our buffet was as a good as a high end restaurant brunch.
Can you freeze this dish
Sure! Prepare the casserole up until baking it (don’t bake). Cover it well with tinfoil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then bake as directed.
Hi, this recipe looks so good and I want to make it. I’m thinking of adding bananas to the top. Should I add those at the same time of the topping?
Sure, if you want the bananas to get cooked (and they will brown). Or you could serve them fresh sliced over the top at the end.
Do i have to refrigerate over night..can i bake right away
Hi Tabitha, I’d at least give it an hour or more to soak into the bread, before baking, if possible.
Could it be done in a Crockpot?
I’ve never tried it so I couldn’t say to cooking time, but it would probably work fine 🙂
This has good flavor but is way too sweet for my family. We like what I refer to as European sweet. In Europe sweets have a lot less sugar than American sweets. I loved the crunchy topping so I think I will omit the sugar in the batter the next time I make this.
WOW! I made this with a loaf of cinnamon chip bread for Christmas morning & it was phenomenal!
My family lived this! I made two versions, one per the recipe and one with an egg substitute for an allergic person. One note on the egg substitute version, use less liquid than called for.
Ingredients says cream, instructions say half and half. Safe to assume either is fine?
Yes, either will work fine 🙂
Can you substitute challah bread for the french bread?
Sure, that would be fine 🙂 Hope you love it!
Fun recipe! Everyone loved it.