How To Make French Toast Casserole – Easy Overnight Brunch for a Crowd

French toast casserole gives you everything you love about classic French toast, without standing at the stove flipping slices. You prep it once, then your oven does the work. It is the kind of breakfast that feels special, but stays low-stress.

With this recipe, we start off with a buttery brown sugar layer that melts into a caramel-like sauce as the casserole bakes. Then you add bread pieces soaked in a simple egg custard. A cinnamon sugar topping finishes it with that familiar French toast flavor.

Make it the night before, chill it overnight, then bake it until golden and set. Serve it warm, and spoon a little of that caramel from the bottom over each slice. This French toast casserole is perfect for brunch with family. It’s big enough for a crowd and guaranteed to impress every time.

How To Make French Toast Casserole Step by step

  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 (8-ounce) crusty French bread, cut into bite-sized pieces, or brioche bread
  • 2 cups milk
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping:

  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste

1) Make the caramel base

  • I love a french toast casserole with a caramel base bt you don’t have to. This step is totally optional/

  • Start by melting butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.

  • Stir in brown sugar until it dissolves and looks glossy.

  • Pour the caramel mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish and spread it out.

2) Add the bread

  • Cut the French bread or brioche bread into bite-sized pieces

  • Scatter bread pieces evenly over the caramel layer.

  • I highly recommended to use bite sized cubes so everything soaks and bakes evenly.

3) Whisk the custard, then pour

  • Whisk eggs, milk, and vanilla until smooth.

  • Pour custard evenly over the bread.

  • Press the bread down gently so that all even the top layer starts absorbing the custard right away.

4) Chill overnight for the best texture

  • Cover tightly with foil or a lid.

  • Refrigerate 8 hours to overnight. This is crucial for the perfect french toast casserole. This soak helps prevent dry pockets.

5) Add topping, then bake

  • Remove from fridge 30-minutes before baking.

  • Heat oven to 350°F.

  • Mix brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it evenly over the top.

  • Bake until golden and set, about 50 to 60 minutes.

  • If the top browns too fast, cover it with foil for the last part of baking.

6) Rest, then serve with the built in caramel

  • Rest 15 to 20 minutes before serving so it slices cleanly.

  • Scoop a little caramel from the bottom of the dish and spoon it over each portion.

French toast variations (same method, different flavor)

Fruit add ins

  • Blueberry French toast casserole: scatter blueberries between bread layers. Serve an extra layer of blueberries at top.  Be warned, don’t overdo it with blueberries as you don’t want to water down the casserole.

  • Apple cinnamon: add thin apple slices and a pinch of cinnamon with nutmeg, serve with extra caramel.

Cream cheese version

  • Add small cubes of cream cheese across the bread layer before pouring custard.

  • It bakes into little cheesecake like pockets.

Chocolate chip version

  • Sprinkle chocolate chips over the soaked bread right before baking.

  • Add some more chocolate chips after chilling so they do not melt into the custard overnight.

Holiday flavor twists

  • Pumpkin spice: add pumpkin spice to the custard, serve with whipped cream.

  • Orange vanilla: add orange zest and extra vanilla for a bakery style aroma

How To Make French Toast Casserole - Easy Overnight Brunch for a Crowd

French toast casserole gives you everything you love about classic French toast, without standing at the stove flipping slices. You prep it once, then your oven does the work. It is the kind of breakfast that feels special, but stays low-stress. With this recipe, we start off with a buttery brown sugar layer that melts into a caramel-like sauce as the casserole bakes. Then you add bread pieces soaked in a simple egg custard. A cinnamon sugar topping finishes it with that familiar French toast flavor.
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Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup brown sugar ( for the custard base )
  • ½ cup unsalted butter ( for the custard base )
  • 8 oz crusty French bread ( cut into bite-sized pieces )
  • 2 cups milk
  • 6 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
Topping
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar, or to taste
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon

Method
 

  1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Stir in brown sugar until it dissolves and looks glossy. This will make caramel base
  3. Pour the caramel mixture into a greased 9×13 baking dish and spread it out.
  4. Cut the French bread or brioche bread into bite-sized pieces
  5. Scatter bread pieces evenly over the caramel layer.
  6. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla until smooth
  7. Pour custard evenly over the bread.
  8. Press the bread down gently so that all even the top layer starts absorbing the custard right away.
  9. Cover tightly with foil or a lid and chill overnight for the best texture
  10. Remove from fridge 30-minutes before baking and preheat oven to 350°F.
  11. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it evenly over the top.
  12. Bake until golden and set, about 50 to 60 minutes. ( If the top browns too fast, cover it with foil for the last part of baking )
  13. Once timer is up, pull from oveen and rest 15 to 20 minutes
  14. Serve and enjoy