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.
Starting to panic….
Doubled the recipe but didnt see that you should use two pans
This recipe was wonderful As someone else mentioned, I put it on the top rack. I preheated the oven to 425 degrees but lowered it to 400 for most of the baking time. Not sure it made a difference but it worked for me. The morning I was baking it, I loaded it with blueberries (about 3/4 a pint but next time I will use all if it). The blueberries made it for me. They cut down on the overall sweetness and added great flavor. The bottom mostly absorbed into the bread….never was gooey. It was absolutely delicious and I will definitely be making this again!!
This was delicious and perfect for Christmas morning. The bottom came out a little chewy but I actually kind of liked that, made it like a crust.
Made for Christmas 2023. My 23 year old son who was only going to have a taste before he went back to bed ate about 1/3 of a double batch. Kept going back for more and told me it was delicious and he doesn’t usually like anything I make. Made the double quantity following the recipe w exception of 1 c milk and 3 c almond milk, only because I didn’t have enough milk. With 4 of them eating it only a small portion remained. Highly recommend! I’m only sad I couldn’t eat it (gluten intolerant)
Delicious! This is my first time making a French Toast casserole. I made it primarily for our grandson on Christmas morning. We loved it! Syrup not needed as the brown sugar made it sweet, but not too sweet. A definite keeper!
Sooooo good, perfect for holiday brunch!
I baked exactly as directed and it was amazing! I had no trouble with the bottom. I did worry about the brown sugar-butter layer so I baked it in my Le Creuset 9×13. Perhaps use some kind of stoneware if you have it. Anyway, it was the perfect Christmas morning treat!
This is the perfect Christmas morning breakfast for my family of 6! Thank you so much for sharing! Best french toast casserole I’ve ever made! We ended up using Cinnamon swirl bread mixed with French toast flavored bread and topped it with some Ghirardelli sea salt caramel sauce and it. Was. Amazing! I definitely will be making this again!
I make this for our family’s Easter Brunch and Christmas Day breakfast. I sub the French Bread for Brioche. The family loves it.
This is my go-to Christmas morning recipe a couple years in a row now. It’s absolutely the best French toast casserole and easy to make.!
I make this every year for Christmas breakfast and it’s always a hit! This year I am doubling the batch. Will this recipe work well as a doubled batch?
Yes, but I would recommend using two pans!
I made this with a few adjustments. I used egg nog instead of milk and stale cinnamon raisin bagels for the bread. I baked it in a 12 cup Bundt pan for 1 hour. It was delicious! It got a little crunchy on top, I would leave it covered for half the baking time next time. I would also bake it at a lower temp like others commented so the sugar doesn’t carmelize as much. It was a hit and everyone loved it!
Turned out perfect for me!!
I used a glass dish and put it on a higher rack in the oven and cooked as directed.
It wasn’t chewy on the bottom either.
Did I miss the measurements to this recipe? All I see are the directions.
They are all located in the recipe card in the bottom of the post.
I really wanted to love this but it is so sweet! All that brown sugar, I’ll give it another try with only a quarter cup brown sugar and a couple tbsp butter. Mix it in with the egg mixture and put over top. Definitely a kids dream recipe, but not for my family.
Made last yr for Christmas brunch and they scraped the dish clean! I’m making 2 pans this year, lol. Thank you🤎
Can I use egg beaters instead of real eggs? if so, how much egg beaters do I use?
I totally agree with other comments about being too hot. I make versions of this a lot, but with this I ended up with a slightly dry casserole on top of a layer of French toast chips . I went back and checked some previous ones I had done and they were all ~350 albeit for much longer. I think in future I will just go lower & slower with the French Toast casserole. Flavor of the top part was fine.
I love this recipe- just made it for my daughter’s birthday!! The only thing is, in order to get the brown sugar/ butter mixture to “pour” I have to add about 2 extra tablespoons of butter. Do you think I am packing the brown sugar a little too much? (Of course, a little extra butter won’t stop me from making it! 😉)
Hi Ann! A little extra butter is fine. You might also let it heat for a shorter period of time.