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
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 made this for my husband’s birthday breakfast and it was Amazing!!! The whole family loved it, especially how the bottom butter/sugar layer turned into caramel goodness, delicious!
Made this recipe almost exactly as written (baked at 400 instead of 425). The french bread puffed up beautifully. The brown sugar/butter mixture made this casserole. It’s delish!!!! Thank you for this easy, delicious recipe. I will be making it often.
This is my second time making this. Both times I halved the recipe except for the bread and vanilla extract. Using a 10-11 inch pie/tart plate. First time a little too sweet, may have overshot the butter sugar mix. Used soft white bread. However, one person ate more than half the pie (won’t say who).
This time I’m using exactly half as much sugar and a bit more butter because yum. Didn’t sprinkle any sugar on top, same 2 tsp vanilla extract. Using croissant bread.
No syrup is needed. This is delicious. And using 8 oz of bread for half the recipe works.
I used this recipe with the ingredients I had on hand. I also added canned peaches.
Substituted 2 cups of milk with, 1 cup of juice from the canned peaches and a cup of caramel macchiato creamer… lol! I also omitted the vanilla extract because, there was not a drop in the house. It turned into an awesome peach bread pudding. The syrup in the bottom was drizzled on top. No powder sugar needed!! If I could give you a
10 I would. Thanks.
Hi I’m about to make this and I’m very excited how it turns out. I will be serving this on the morning after the 4th.
Do I need to mix the bread w the sugar mixture??
I wasn’t sure so I tossed the bread into the camrmel mix before adding eggs and milk mixture
Made exactly as directed, absolutely delicious. Served with fresh fruit. Maple syrup not necessary! Will definitely make again.
Make sure you clean your baking dish promptly to get the caramelized sugar off before it become indestructible. 😉
Big hit at the breakfast table. Made it same day and it literally took 10 minutes to put together. I made it in an 8 x 8 glass pan and it was fabulous!
Easy peasy and so good. Others I tried were way too sweet. This one is waiting for syrup or sweetened fruit topping. Second batch I used dark brown sugar and a scrape of nutmeg. Next time I plan to add some brandy.
Family and Friends Favorite! This is the most requested dish I’ve ever made. I use Challah bread instead of French bread, and I increase the amount using about 16oz of bread. Enjoy!
I used 3, four day old biscuits (canned) and did everything else exactly the same. I was worried because my brown sugar and butter was separated a bit and didn’t look smooth and creamy like Ashlyn’s video. 🥲
I couldn’t tell at all. Delish!!!
This is the easiest and best french toast bake I have ever had!!
I made it a few times last year and my husband is more than happy with it.
He said if I didn’t make it for dinner tonight he wouldn’t come home from work.
I just spent over an hour looking through recipes on line trying to find yours again.
I now have it pinned, printed and sent to my email.. Thankyou so much for sharing.. ❤️
Wonderful recipe and maybe it was my prep, but the bottom became a hard shell of sugar & butter. A couple of other reviews mentioned the same thing.
Was it something I did that I can correct? Do you think “massaging” the wet bread into the brown sugar/butter mixture a bit would help keep the caramelization from hardening?
Thanks for your recipe and tips!
I’m wondering if I can use 3 day old cinnamon raisin bagels
Super simple and tasty! I used unsalted butter (because that’s what I had), used up a 1/2 cup of leftover ricotta + whey and counted it as part of the dairy, and added a 1/4 tsp of almond extract. It was a solid B+ result, but just a little flat flavor-wise. I think using salted butter would have made a big difference.
Next time I could see adding a pinch or two of salt to the milk/egg mix, sliced almonds, and fruit (like diced dried apricots) to give it a pop. Maybe adding half and half in place of some of the milk or cubed cream cheese to up the “creaminess” factor?
Seriously, though, you will not be disappointed if you try this as written!
I’ve tried to read all the reviews but can’t seem to find an answer. Can I bake this then reheat it to serve the next day or possibly two days after originally baking it without compromising too much of the texture? I’d like to make this for a wedding brunch but would like to get it all ready and just be able to reheat it the next day (day after the wedding).
I appreciate any guidance, this looks delicious I just know it will be a busy wedding day and a late night. Not sure I’ll be able to get up early enough to prepare from start to bake, plus I need to transport to another location where ideally I can reheat this..
Thank you!
Hi! Yes you can definitely do that. I’d reheat it in the oven at a lower temp, around 300, until it’s warm.
Made this recently for family on our beach trip. Everyone loved it, even the picky uncle! Followed the directions exactly. Made the night before and just popped in the oven in the morning. Some added maple syrup others loved it just as is. I will make this again for sure
My granddaughter’s eyes lit up when she saw the casserole. Delicious french toast casserole recipe! I made it exactly as written. Thank you for this fantastic recipe.
This is amazing and so easy. Made with gluten free bread and almond milk. I might sub coconut milk next time for higher fat content but this was incredible. Will be making again and again!
Best French Toast Casserole recipe I have tried! It was delicious, came out perfectly, and was a big hit with our family. I made it the night before and used a little less than half of a 24-oz loaf of crusty sour dough bread (so it was about 12 oz of bread). I did set the bread slices out to dry for a few hours in the afternoon before assembling the casserole. This recipe is a keeper!
Sounds yummy but not sure the macros are right- I don’t believe that there are 48 G protein per serving
Rave reviews from our family! It’s now on regular rotation for events
So good!! And so nice I didn’t have to stand at a cooktop I could visit while it cooks. Thanks
Just made this for breakfast. I used a few days old cinnamon raisin bagels. Came out really good. I left out the last cinnamon and brown sugar toppings because I didn’t want it to be that sweet. Thank you for the recipe.
My favorite Breakfast treat. I found it by accident; I thought if I could do this as a casserole it’d be si much easier & everyone would get it warm at the same time. I’m so excited , it sounds exactly like what I was looking for. I’m buying my French bread today & make it ahead of time . What a wonderful breakfast I’ll have in the morning. Great, thanks!!!
Can I freeze this before cooking?.& cook the day I thaw it
Yes, you can freeze it!
Amazing! My whole family loves this easy, sweet, French toast.
Dear Ashlyn, this was so delicious and easy! I made it for family that was visiting and every bit of it was eaten. I was dubious at what seemed to be such a small amount of bread (1/2 loaf of 1-lb. french bread) in a 13×9 pan but with the eggs and milk, the recipe puffs up like a giant souffle so if you want more, make another half recipe or so in a different baking dish.
I made the recipe exactly as written, including letting the bread pieces sit out overnight. Fabulous. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Not sure where I made a mistake. Followed directions exactly. Mine turned out very tasty but the bread was a complete soggy mush.
Will try again. I really want this recipe to work for my family! I have 4 teen boys to feed every morning!