This overnight French toast casserole is a perfect option for leisurely weekend breakfasts or special holiday breakfasts. It's a crowd-pleasing breakfast dish that combines the flavors of traditional French toast with rustic sourdough bread. Its straightforward preparation makes it an excellent option for a stress-free morning in the kitchen. Give this family favorite a try today!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe:
Simple Ingredients: This French toast bake requires only a few simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand!
Make-Ahead: This recipe is an easy breakfast that you can prep the night before and bake the next day. See the recipe card below for full make-ahead instructions.
Easy to Make: Take a few steps out of the classic French toast recipe and make this easy baked French toast casserole instead! With only 10 minutes of prep time, you can throw together this casserole in a breeze and bake it the next morning for an easy and delicious breakfast!
Ingredient Notes:
- Sourdough: Homemade sourdough bread is the best bread to use for this recipe. But, you can also use French bread, hearty sandwich bread, or another sturdy kind of bread. This recipe is the perfect way to use day-old sourdough because it soaks up the egg mixture without becoming soggy.
- Maple Syrup: There is just enough real maple syrup in this recipe to give it a hint of sweetness and maple flavor. You can omit it from the egg mixture and just drizzle it on top for serving instead.
- Whole Milk: Full-fat milk gives a rich quality to this breakfast bake, but if you want to make it even more rich, you can use half and half or heavy cream. Some type of milk or cream is necessary to keep the eggs from becoming rubbery.
Step by Step Instructions:
How To Make French Toast Casserole:
Follow the simple steps below to make this easy French toast casserole recipe!
Grease a 9-inch square baking dish or casserole dish with butter. Set aside until ready to use.
To a medium bowl, add eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt.
Whisk until well combined.
To the prepared baking dish, add ⅓ of the pieces of bread in a single layer. Top with ⅓ of the butter cubes.
Repeat 2 times until all of the bread and butter cubes are in the pan.
Pour the egg and milk mixture over the bread cubes.
Press the bread cubes down into the egg mixture to make sure all of the bread is coated. Cover with a piece of greased aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours before baking.
The next morning, place the covered pan in a cold oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and bake for 50 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the top of the casserole is golden brown, the butter is bubbly, and the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
Remove the pan from the oven and let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes before serving. Serve hot and drizzle with maple syrup. Enjoy!
Pro Tip: Refrigerating the casserole overnight allows the bread to fully absorb the egg and milk mixture, resulting in a more decadent and custardy texture.
Recipe Variations:
There are numerous ways to customize French toast casserole. See below for a few ideas to switch it up!
- Spices: Incorporate additional baking spices such as cloves, nutmeg, and allspice, along with cinnamon, to enhance the warmth and depth of flavors in the dish. Alternatively, you can add a splash or two of chai tea concentrate for a similar outcome.
- Fresh Fruit: Diced apples, blueberries, peaches, pears, and more can be added to give this dish some natural sweetness. 1-2 cups of fruit works great.
- Citrus: Add some orange zest or lemon zest to the egg mixture to add a pop of bright flavor. 1-2 teaspoon of zest works perfect for this recipe.
- Pumpkin Spice: Add ½ cup of pumpkin puree and swap out the cinnamon for pumpkin spice for a seasonal breakfast treat. To add a little extra decadence, add cubes of cream cheese (about 4 oz) to the bread and butter cubes before pouring the egg mixture over the top.
- Streusel: For a simple brown sugar streusel, mix together ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¼ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup melted butter, and a pinch of salt. Sprinkle the streusel over the casserole just before baking. For extra crunch, add ½ cup of chopped nuts too!
What to Serve with French Toast Casserole:
No French toast is complete without a drizzle of warm maple syrup. This tasty breakfast dish is delicious on its own or served with fresh berries, breakfast sausage, or among other brunch dishes for special occasions. No matter how you choose to serve it, this is sure to be your new go-to make-ahead breakfast!
Recipe FAQ's:
Using a sturdy bread like sourdough can help keep French toast casserole from becoming soggy. Additionally, using the right ratio of bread to egg mixture helps keep it from getting soggy. You want enough egg mixture to coat the bread with a little extra to be soaked up overnight.
French toast works well with either milk or cream. Opting for cream will impart a more indulgent texture to the eggs, although milk is also a fantastic choice.
Preparing French toast in butter will provide a toastier and richer flavor compared to using oil.
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Recipe:
Sourdough French Toast Casserole
Equipment
- 9-inch square baking dish
Ingredients
- 8 cups sourdough bread cubes (¾"-1")
- 6 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- pinch salt
- ¼ cup butter, cut into ¼"-½" cubes
- butter for greasing the pan
Instructions
- Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with butter. Set aside until ready to use.
- To a medium bowl, add eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
- To the prepared baking dish, add ⅓ of the pieces of bread in a single layer. Top with ⅓ of the butter cubes. Repeat 2 times until all of the bread and butter cubes are in the pan.
- Pour the egg and milk mixture over the bread cubes. Press the bread cubes down into the egg mixture to make sure all of the bread is coated.
- Cover with a piece of greased aluminum foil. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or up to 24 hours before baking.
- The next morning, place the covered pan in a cold oven. Heat the oven to 350°F and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the top of the casserole is golden brown, the butter is bubbly, and the internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let the casserole rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
- Serve hot and drizzle with maple syrup. Enjoy!
Notes
- Homemade sourdough bread is the best bread to use for this recipe. But, you can also use French bread, hearty sandwich bread, or another sturdy kind of bread. This recipe is the perfect way to use day-old sourdough because it soaks up the egg mixture without becoming soggy.
- There is just enough maple syrup in this recipe to give it a hint of sweetness and maple flavor. You can omit it from the egg mixture and just drizzle it on top for serving instead.
- Full-fat milk gives a rich quality to this breakfast bake, but if you want to make it even more rich, you can use half and half or heavy cream. Some type of milk or cream is necessary to keep the eggs from becoming rubbery.
- Refrigerating the casserole overnight allows the bread to fully absorb the egg and milk mixture, resulting in a more decadent and custardy texture.
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