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A breakfast to remember! French Toast Casserole is both comforting and crowd-pleasing. It’s perfect for the holiday breakfast table on Christmas Day. It has everything you love about traditional French Toast, and is baked all in one pan!
French toast is one of my favorite breakfast foods (next to pancakes). The typical French toast is fluffy and buttery, but I decided to play with some flavors and turn it into a casserole. Custard-soaked bread is flavored with sweet cinnamon and nutmeg, topped with a sweet crumble topping, and baked until golden. How much better can this get? Oh, with maple syrup, it can! It’s also a perfect make-ahead casserole for the next morning, which usually is the case when it’s a big holiday such as Christmas or even Easter. You may find yourself wanting it for not only breakfast, but also for your lunch, midday snack, dinner, and dessert as well!
How to make French Toast Casserole
This casserole easily fits a 9×13 pan and is super comforting. What sets this recipe apart from the others is the addition of a brown sugar & butter base and a sweet crumbled topping. You’ll be asked (or begged) to make this again, even if it’s not the holidays. (Full ingredient amounts and complete instructions are available in the recipe card down below).
- Challah or Brioche Bread: Both work very well for French toast. This bread soaks up the custard better than any other loaves.
- Heavy Cream, Milk, Brown Sugar, Vanilla Extract, Cinnamon, Eggs: This is the custard base for the French toast.
- Butter & Brown Sugar: This is combined and spread on the bottom of the baking dish for extra flavor!
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Butter, Brown Sugar, Granulated Sugar: This is the crumbled topping. I highly recommend making this. It makes the casserole so much better.
Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepot. Stir in 1 cup of brown sugar until it is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and spread it onto the bottom of the baking dish. Add the bread cubes on top. Whisk together the eggs, then whisk in the heavy cream, milk, remaining brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Pour the mixture over the bread and gently toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Make the Topping: Stir together all of the topping ingredients except for the butter. Use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut in the butter pieces until the mixture is crumbly. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When you are ready to bake it, preheat the oven to 350F. Uncover the baking dish and sprinkle the topping evenly over the casserole. Bake, uncovered, until the top is golden and the casserole is set. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving so the casserole doesn’t fall apart.
Tips & FAQs
- Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Allow the casserole to cool completely. Transfer the casserole to a freezer-safe dish (or bake it in an aluminum foil tray and allow it to cool). Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the casserole to defrost completely in the fridge(about 24 hours) before baking. Reheat, uncovered, for about 30 minutes.
Want the recipe? Click print below! Let me know how it came out for you by tagging me on Instagram (@missravenskitchen) and using #missravenskitchen! Follow my Facebook page for updates as well! Let me know if I need to tweak anything.
French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
- 1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar, divided
- 1 lb loaf challah or brioche bread, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 8 eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
- Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepot. Stir in 1 cup of brown sugar until it is completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and spread it onto the bottom of the baking dish. Add the bread cubes on top.
- Whisk together the eggs, then whisk in the heavy cream, milk, remaining brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. Whisk until combined. Pour the mixture over the bread and gently toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Make the Topping: Stir together all of the topping ingredients except for the butter. Add in the butter; use a pastry cutter or a fork to cut in the butter pieces until the mixture is crumbly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- When you are ready to bake it, preheat the oven to 350F. Uncover the baking dish and sprinkle the topping evenly over the casserole. Bake, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden and the casserole is set.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving so the casserole doesn’t fall apart.
Notes
**Inactive time is for refrigerating the casserole and topping overnight; it’s also for allowing the casserole to cool.
Storage: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Allow the casserole to cool completely. Transfer the casserole to a freezer-safe dish (or bake it in an aluminum foil tray and allow it to cool). Cover tightly with plastic wrap, then cover with aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the casserole to defrost completely in the fridge(about 24 hours) before baking. Reheat, uncovered, for about 30 minutes
Nutrition Facts
Calories
493.79Fat (grams)
23.76 gSat. Fat (grams)
14 gCarbs (grams)
64.5 gFiber (grams)
2.24 gNet carbs
62.25 gSugar (grams)
44.63 gProtein (grams)
7.32 gSodium (milligrams)
367.36 mgCholesterol (grams)
63.26 mgThe nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and the brands of ingredients used.
Miss Raven's Kitchen 
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