French Toast Casserole
Make your mornings special with this easy French Toast Casserole. It has everything you love about traditional French Toast, and is baked all in one pan!
When I was growing up, my older sisters did a lot of the cooking. They each had their own specialties, and my younger brother and I always looked forward to their meals.
One of our favorites is French Toast, and to this day my sister makes it better than anyone I know. Since we are separated by lots of land, I don’t get to scarf down her French Toast as much as I would like.
But I have found that no matter if you’re missing your family or simply just the food of your memories, sometimes the only solution is to head to the kitchen and get a little creative.
I’m telling you right now that this French Toast Casserole is so good, you may find yourself wanting it for not only breakfast, but also for your lunch, midday snack, dinner, and dessert as well!
You will make the bottom layer with brown sugar and melted butter, and it is just absolutely swoon-worthy!
Ingredients to make French Toast Casserole
- french bread
- butter
- brown sugar
- eggs
- milk
- vanilla extract
- cinnamon
- powdered sugar
How to Make French Toast Casserole – Step by Step
- You’ll start out with half a loaf of French Bread and then cut it into cubes. I am going to be a stickler for this one, because while you could substitute other breads, it really just won’t have that perfect flavor and texture. After you chop up the bread, then next melt some butter in a small sauce pan and stir in a cup of brown sugar. This is the bottom layer of your French Toast Casserole and it gives it an amazing caramelly flavor once it’s been baked.
- Next you’ll add in your bread cubes, then pour a mixture of eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla over the top.
- Pop it into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, and you are on your way to one of the most yummy breakfasts you’ll ever sink a fork in to! Really, I mean it!
Tips and Notes
Which bread is best for French Toast Casserole?
I prefer to use french bread, and it’s best if the bread is dry and not too soft. This allows it to soak up the yummy sauce from the casserole better and prevents the the french toast from becoming too soggy. If time allows, cut your french bread into cubes and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet over-night or for around 12 hours to help the bread dry out before baking.
You could also use sourdough, brioche, or Italian bread in this recipe, but like I said french bread is my favorite!
Can French Toast Casserole be Frozen?
Yes! Make the casserole in a freezer safe baking dish (such as a disposable aluminum foil pan) and bake as directed, then allow it to cool completely. Wrap in both plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to three months. Allow the casserole to defrost completely in the refrigerator for roughly 24 hours before baking. Reheat the casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
Can this be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes, and that’s one reason why I love it for the holidays! It makes a great Christmas morning breakfast because you can prepare it in advance and pop it in the oven to bake while you open presents! Simply prepare as directed up until the final baking step. Cover the unbaked casserole with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight, then bake as directed in the morning!
Gluten Free and Dairy Free Options
This recipe can be made with gluten free french bread, and can also be made dairy-free by substituting the butter and milk. You can replace the butter with either coconut oil or dairy free butter, and the milk with your favorite dairy free substitute like almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk. All of these substitutions would be a 1:1 ratio.
More Delicious Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
Recipe: French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- ½ a loaf of French bread, (about 8 oz) cut into cubes
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, for topping
- powdered sugar for topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Butter a 13x9 inch baking pan and set aside.
- In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Once butter has melted, stir in brown sugar until dissolved and mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 pan and spread evenly.
- Add bread cubes to the pan, spreading over the top of the brown sugar/butter mixture.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Pour egg mixture over the top of bread cubes, insuring that all pieces of bread are saturated. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Best Bread to Use: I prefer to use french bread for this recipe, and it's best if the bread is dry and not too soft. This allows it to soak up the yummy sauce from the casserole better and prevents the the french toast from becoming too soggy. If time allows, cut your french bread into cubes and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet over-night or for around 12 hours to help the bread dry out before baking. You could also use sourdough, brioche, or Italian bread in this recipe, but like I said french bread is my favorite!
- Freezer Option: This can be frozen by making the casserole in a freezer safe baking dish (such as a disposable aluminum foil pan) and bake as directed, then allow it to cool completely. Wrap in both plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze for up to three months. Allow the casserole to defrost completely in the refrigerator for roughly 24 hours before baking. Reheat the casserole, uncovered, at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.
- Make Ahead Option: This recipe can be made in advance and makes a great holiday breakfast or a great option for busy mornings. Simply prepare as directed up until the final baking step. Cover the unbaked casserole with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight, then bake as directed in the morning.
- Gluten Free and Dairy Free Options: This recipe can be made with gluten free french bread, and can also be made dairy-free by substituting the butter and milk. You can replace the butter with either coconut oil or dairy free butter, and the milk with your favorite dairy free substitute like almond milk, coconut milk, or soy milk. All of these substitutions would be a 1:1 ratio.
I cannot find gluten free french bread. Can I use sliced sourdough gluten free bread? Would it get too soggy? Would directions be the same? Thank you.
Hi Liz, I know others have commented that they have used sourdough bread with success. Directions and time would be the same!
Can you use frozen bread?
Yes, but you would need to thaw it first.
This is so good and easy to make!!! Don’t change a thing!
Delicious!!! Based on the comments, I omitted the bottom of the pan butter sugar mixture to avoid burning it and the clean up. Instead, I just coated the pan with butter. I also omitted all the sugar in the egg mixture, I added 1.5 cups of milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream and 4 eggs. I also baked at 375 degrees to avoid burning. I topped with a cream cheese whipped cream and raspberries. It tasted like restaurant quality French toast, absolutely delicious!
Sooooooo good for dessert
Good every time I make it. I add fresh or frozen blueberries in too and it’s the best! I also used blueberry bengals and regular white bread
Recipe was delish! I had some leftover homemade bread that I needed to use up. I used 1 cup 2% milk and 1 cup heavy cream, and I skipped the step of melting brown sugar and butter to pour on bottom of baking dish bc I didn’t want it to be a disaster to clean up. So I just mixed everything together in a bowl and poured it over the cubed bread pieces. Still turned out absolutely delicious!
This was tasty but, did not come out as expected. The 425° was too hot. The top got nice and brown and the middle was still very wet and undercooked. I did double the recipe so if I tried it again I’d probably cut back on the milk/egg mixture. I wouldn’t call this a French toast bake. More of a bread pudding. I like bread pudding so it works out but, I’ll be looking for more of a French toast recipe in the future.
Hi Tianna, if you doubled the recipe, you should have used two separate pans. Baking a double amount of this recipe in one 13×9 inch pan is the reason it did not bake properly.
Very delicious, I loved it and will make it again.
Loved the recipe! Fantastic flavor! If I double it and put it in a 9×13 pan, how long does it need to bake?
Hi Sharon, if you double it, I’d recommend using two pans instead of one. Otherwise it will be too much and not bake properly.
Excellent recipe. Tasty, possibly a little sweet for breakfast but still very good.
**Just a note for anyone who doubles the recipe. Don’t be stupid like I was and assume you can still use a 9×13 pan. Go bigger. Excuse me while I go scrub the burnt caramel off the bottom of the oven.
Great recipe, but more like a super sweet bread pudding to me than a fluffy French Toast. Be sure to generously butter your pan, and consider removing it from said pan while still warm. (I have it cooling in pieces on parchment right now.) The butter and brown sugar on the bottom caramelize and bubble into the bread, and it also sets up as caramel as it cools. I had half a loaf of homemade white bread that was too firm and dry for sandwiches and used it, as it made the 8 ounce requirement. Added a couple of homemade bagels as there was enough custard (my eggs were very large.) However I think adding the bread to the custard and then placing over the sugar would have been the way to go. Would I make it again? Yes, but for a special dessert, and i would use 6 well buttered ramekins. Its very good and I rated it 5*, but “too much” sugar and caramel for me as a breakfast item.
My family loved this. I toasted the bread cubes for two minutes in the preheated oven while spreading the brown sugar butter mixture in the pan, and they worked well. Thank you!
I made 1 1/2 times the recipe. I used 8 French Steak Rolls that we had left over, and added left over cinnamon honey butter to make up the butter.
My babies were craving French toast and this seemed so much better than cooking individual slices of toast. So glad I tried it! We were out of vanilla and we definitely didn’t have a loaf of French bread lying around, but we did have a package of leftover hotdog buns and some maple syrup to substitute. I toasted the buns in the air fryer and they worked great. The top baked nice and crispy, while the center was nice and custardy. Absolutely loved the brown sugar butter mixture on the bottom.
I used French bread. I followed it except used 1-1/2c milk and added 1 cup fresh blueberries. Baked at 400 degrees first 20 minutes , placed foil over it and then 425 degrees last 20 minutes. I made sausage patties too. I brought it to a brunch with friends and all was gone. Everyone loved! This recipe is a keeper!!