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French Toast Casserole Recipe is a delicious overnight breakfast casserole. This recipe is simple enough for busy mornings but so delicious that you will want to serve it to guests.
We just made this delicious overnight French toast casserole recipe the other day for “brinner” (breakfast for dinner) and I almost forgot how good it was. The entire family loved this quick and easy breakfast recipe.
French toast is a staple to make for the holidays. Making the night make it so much to enjoy a warm breakfast with my family. It makes the perfect addition to your Easter Brunch Recipe.
Table of Contents
- What is Overnight French Toast?
- Ingredients
- Variation Ideas
- How to Make French Toast Casserole
- Recipe Tips
- What is the Best Bread for French Toast?
- What to Serve with French Toast Bake?
- Add your Favorite Toppings
- Can you Freeze Overnight French Toast?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Overnight French Toast Casserole Recipe
What is Overnight French Toast?
The best French toast casserole is when it is made overnight. The bread is separated in small pieces and placed in a casserole dish. Then a milk mixture consisting of milk, egg, cinnamon and sugar is added to the bread.
This casserole is then placed in the refrigerator and the bread has time to soak up the mixture overnight. Then the casserole is then baked and the best French Toast casserole is made.
Ingredients
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.
Variation Ideas
- Breads – Try using other types of bread. Some ideas include: raisin bread, french bread, Italian bread, texas toast, sour dough bread and more. French toast bake with texas toast is my favorite bread to use.
- Additions – Add raisins and nuts to the french toast mixture. You can also add in some ham and cheese or sausage or bacon for a savory French toast bake.
- Drizzle Sauce – Drizzle caramel or chocolate for delicious variation.
- Add Frosting – Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is amazing on this French toast casserole.
- Orange – Mix in orange zest for a delicious flavor.
How to Make French Toast Casserole
- Step 1 – Heat Oven – First preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Step 2 – Prepare Pan – Spray bottom of pan with cooking spray or coat with melted butter.
Step 3 – Cut Bread – Cut the French bread into chunks and spread evenly in a 9×13 pan.
Step 4 – Mix Ingredients – Next, mix together eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and salt, and vanilla.
Step 5 – Pour over bread – Pour egg mixture over bread cubes. Mix bread with egg mixture to coat. I find that it works best if I mix with my hands. This ensures that all the bread is coated.
Step 6 – Mix sugar and cinnamon – In a small separate bowl mix together 2 Tablespoons of sugar and 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon.
Step 7 – Top on casserole – Sprinkle this mixture over the entire baking dish until it is gone.
Step 8 – Place in the Fridge – If wanting to eat now, cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerate overnight. We love it much better when it sits overnight, but you could cook it immediately.
- Step 9 – Bake Casserole – The next morning bake the casserole in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes to 45 minutes until golden brown. You can cover with aluminum foil if the bread starts to burn.
Recipe Tips
- Top with Butter – If you are afraid it may dry out, place a few tabs of butter on top when you bake it.
- Drizzle Maple Syrup – When serving I have drizzled with maple syrup right before serving, or I have sprinkled with with powdered sugar. Either way is fabulous.
- Add Brown Sugar – Mix in some brown sugar and cinnamon for a different flavor.
- Heavy Cream – You can also use some heavy cream in place of milk or do half and half.
- Whipped Cream – Serve with Whipped Cream on top.
Everyone will be well fed and your budget will be better as well. Give some of these tips a try!
What is the Best Bread for French Toast?
When choosing the best bread for your overnight French Toast, you want to choose bread that is sturdy. Thinly sliced or really soft bread doesn’t hold and can fall a part when baking.
These are my favorites bread options.
- French Bread
- Sourdough Bread
- Brioche Bread
- Challah Bread
- Pullman Loaf
What to Serve with French Toast Bake?
There are many food items that go great with this overnight French toast. Here are some of our favorites:
- How To Cook Bacon in the Oven
- Sausage
- Over Hard Eggs
- You might also like to add some fruit. We love this easy Tropical Fruit Salad.
Add your Favorite Toppings
We love to add different toppings to this French toast bake.
- Our homemade pancake syrup on top and then sprinkle powdered sugar is a family favorite.
- Dried Cranberries
- Sliced Almonds
- Cinnamon and Sugar
- Butter
- Slice Apples
- Blueberries
- Pecans
The options are endless as to what to add.
Can you Freeze Overnight French Toast?
Yes, you can freeze Overnight French toast bake. Freezing this French toast bake is easy to do.
- Prepare the French Toast as indicated in the recipe.
- Make sure to cover with foil and freeze.
- When you are ready to bake, thaw overnight in fridge. Cook in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
Frequently Asked Questions
You want the baked French toast casserole to be moist on the inside but have a drier crispier top. If you find that the inside of the French toast casserole is too soggy, try reducing the amount of milk or using a thicker more heartier style of bread.
Store leftover French Toast Casserole in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Reheat the leftovers in the microwave or the oven depending on how much you have leftover.
More Easy French Toast Recipes
Quick and Easy Breakfast
French Toast Muffins
Quick and Easy Breakfast
Nutella French Toast
Quick and Easy Breakfast
Pumpkin French Toast
Quick and Easy Breakfast
Overnight French Toast Recipe
We love to hear from you. If you make this French toast casserole overnight recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.
Overnight French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French Bread
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 4 Tablespoons Sugar (divided)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Spray bottom of pan with cooking spray or coat with melted butter. Cut bread into chunks and spread evenly in a 9×13 pan.
- Mix together eggs, milk, 2 Tablespoons of sugar, salt, and vanilla. Pour over bread. Mix to coat to coat the bread in the mixture.
- In a small separate bowl mix together 2 Tablespoons of sugar and 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture over the entire pan.
If wanting to eat now:
- Cover and place in fridge over night. (you could cook immediately, but it is much better if you let it sit over night) The next morning cook in 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown.
If wanting to freeze:
- Cover with foil and freeze. When you are ready, thaw overnight in fridge. Cook in 350 degree oven for 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown.
As long as the pan is oven safe and the correct size it should work for this recipe. I would use parchment paper or a non-stick cooking spray on the pan for easy clean up.
Can I use a Teflon pan? My glass one is too small ? Would I put parchment paper in the pan?
It was a delicious breakfast. I ended up making a double recipe, I have four kids. I put frozen peaches and I used a tablespoon of cinnamon. It was a big hit with the kids and my husband loved it!!
I just love watching and learning all your cooking techniques and tricks.
Happy holidays!
Was delicious, I also used cinnamon raisen bread and diced ham. Recieved many compliments
one of the best ways make a family have brunch delicious together.
Yes, I think that would work great.
Hi, could I make this in my enameled dutch oven.
My kids love French toast and they loved this. I love how easy it is to make and with 3 children running around it is great. Makes a quick breakfast for all those busy mornings.
Good Morning! Merry Christmas! We just finished the casserole and just wow!
I kinda tweaked a little. I used 1cup heavy cream (had to use it up). Then when it came out of the oven I dolloped honey butter over the top and then crumbled bacon.
Loved it
I’ve made this recipe several times and I use 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
Oh wow! That’s a great deal! I hope you enjoy this recipe with them!
Just picked up some dinner rolls on grocery yesterday for a .25 a pack! Think I’ll try this with them
Is the cinnamon and sugar topping 1 tablespoon or 1 tewaspoon each? The directions contradict.Making it tonight! Mary
I make this during the holidays using sweet Hawaiian bread & egg nog. It’s delish!
I want to make this! Could you clarify the amount of cinnamon in this recipe. The ingredients list says 1 tsp. But the directions say 1 T. Thanks.
In the instructions it says 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and above in the ingredients it says 1 teaspoon… i was just assembling with the instructions so we will be blasted with cinnamon in the morning
The ingredients state 1 TEAspoon of cinnamon but the recipe states 1 TABLEspoon. Which amount should be used in this recipe?
I would allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then cover for the first 30 minutes of the cook time with foil. Thank you!
I usually do not but you could to keep some of the moisture in.
I made this last night and let it sit in fridge overnight. When I put in the oven this morning I took off the foil. It was a little dry when done cooking. Should I have baked it with the foil on? Other then being a little dry it was delicious.
From frozen, do I bake covered or uncovered?
Yes, I think that would be fine.
Can this be refrigerated for 2 nights?
Janet – I have never made it in the crock pot before. We do have a post for crock pot cinnamon rolls that are amazing! I usually bake this one in the morning. I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Is there a way to make this in the CrockPot or Slowcooker? I am thinking putting it on before bed and have it for breakfast when we all get up.
So any suggestions on how to add the pumpkin purée? Do you think I need to lessen the milk?
I’m so glad you loved it Marissa!
I made this the other day for my family and everyone (including me) gobbled it up super fast! So yummy! Now I’m getting ready to make some for the freezer of a friend about to have a baby. I also just happened to open a can of pumpkin purée this morning for some pumpkin muffins. So my question is, if I want to add pumpkin to this recipe how should I go about it? Reduce the milk maybe? Or would that not matter? Thanks fur this recipe and any suggestions you may have!
Woohoo! I love it.
Made your recipe this morning and before we finished breakfast
My husband said “This is a keeper.” This has that original french toast
flavor and thats just what I wanted. Having some in the freezer makes it
a good option for a yummy warn meal for your family. Thank you!
Sorry Melody, I’ll fix it. Thanks!
Yes, definitely.
Can you make it and put it in the fridge overnight?
Kim, I just put it together and then froze it. I let it thaw overnight and then baked it.
Did you cook it before you froze it or just make it and freeze it?
Hi! I found this recipe on Pinterest and am making some freezer meals since I’m late in my pregnancy. When I bake this, do I take the foil off and bake uncovered or leave it on? Also, the recipe list says to use one TEAspoon of cinnamon but then in the recipe itself, it says to use one TABLEspoon. Is it teaspoon? That’s what I used 🙂 Thanks!
This sounds Fabulous!!! LOVED it. And liked the adding of butter part. Even I was thinking of the drying out part.