This Easy French Toast Bake is the perfect breakfast casserole for Christmas morning, Easter morning, or a lazy weekend brunch. It's made with simple ingredients like French bread, eggs, maple syrup, and everyday baking spices and can even be made the night before.
Looking for more French toast recipes? Try this Mixed Berry French Toast Bake, Pumpkin French Toast, Apple Cinnamon French Toast Bake, or this yummy Coconut French Toast Bake.
Jump to:
Easy French Toast Bake Casserole
Looking for a delicious breakfast that is easy to prepare? This overnight French Toast Bake casserole is perfect for busy mornings, or when you have guests staying over.
It's got sweet and buttery oven-baked French toast topped with cinnamon and brown sugar streusel. This recipe is warm, inviting, easy to throw together, and tastes great with other breakfast recipes like mini quiche, a fruit tray, or oven-baked bacon.
You can make this a couple of days ahead of time, but if you're in a time crunch, I'll give you some tips on how to make it the day of too. Add some homemade buttermilk syrup, berry syrup or sweetened strawberries and whipped cream and you've got yourself a breakfast feast that everyone will love.
Classic French Toast Bake Video Tutorial
Ingredients You Will Need
- French Bread - day old bread works best because it soaks up liquid better
- Milk - any kind that you have on hand will work.
- Eggs - this is what binds the whole casserole together.
- Maple Syrup - you can also substitute an equal amount of brown sugar.
- Vanilla - pure vanilla extract has the best flavor.
- Spices - warm baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg taste amazing with the brown sugar streusel. Ground ginger would also be great.
- Butter - for the streusel, cut the butter into small cubes before adding it to the mixer.
- Brown Sugar - light brown sugar or dark brown sugar will taste good.
How to Make This French Toast Bake
- Add the bread to a baking dish. The day before you want to serve this, spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Cut or tear the French bread into 1" pieces and place them evenly in your baking dish. The bread should be about even with the top of your baking dish.
- Pour the custard over the top. In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and whisk to break them up. Add the milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and whisk again until all the ingredients are combined. Pour your egg mixture evenly over the bread, covering as much of it as possible. Use a fork to gently stir your bread and egg mixture together.
- Refrigerate overnight. Cover with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 4 hours to allow time for the bread to soak up all of the liquid.
- Make the streusel topping. In a medium-size mixing bowl, add the room temperature butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Stir or mix with a fork until the streusel has ¼" pieces. You can also use a standing mixer with the paddle attachment on low speed, making sure to stop the mixer once you have ¼" pieces.
- Preheat the oven. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take the baking dish out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
- Bake. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the bread and egg mixture. Bake in your preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the top and edges are light golden brown.
- Serve. Remove from the oven and cool slightly before slicing. Serve with whipped cream, berries, or your favorite syrup. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several types of bread that will work for this recipe. French bread (day old works best), Challah bread, Cinnamon Rolls (day old), or Texas Toast.
Last minute guests coming over for breakfast? No problem! You can easily whip up a delicious French toast bake in just a few simple steps. First, preheat your oven to 350°F. Make according to directions, but after assembling and adding the streusel topping, let it sit for a few minutes to soak up the liquid, then pop it in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.
Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup. Voila! A tasty breakfast dish that's sure to impress your guests.
You can use this recipe to make as an overnight French toast bake recipe. Your prepared breakfast casserole can sit in the refrigerator overnight so all you need to do in the morning is pull it out to room temperature, preheat your oven, and bake. I've even made this 48 hours in advance, and it still turns out perfectly.
Storing and Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerator: If you have any leftovers, wrap well in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, you can warm individual portions in the microwave, or else cover the top with aluminum foil (so that it doesn't brown too much) and reheat in a 325-degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Classic French Toast Bake Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 slices French bread or about 1 loaf, cut into 1" pieces
- 12 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Streusel Topping
- 6 tablespoons butter room temperature, cut into cubes
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- The day before you want to serve this, spray a 9" x 13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cut or tear the French bread into 1" pieces and place them evenly in the bottom of your baking dish. The bread should be about even with the top of your baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and whisk to break them up. Add the milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and whisk again until all the ingredients are combined.
- Pour your egg mixture evenly over the bread, covering as much of it as possible. Use a fork to gently stir your bread and egg mixture together.
- Cover with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 4 hours to allow time for the bread to soak up all of the liquid.
For the Streusel Topping
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, add the room temperature butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Stir or mix with a fork until the streusel has ¼" pieces. You can also use a standing mixer with the paddle attachment on low speed, making sure to stop the mixer once you have ¼" pieces.
How to Bake Overnight French Toast
- In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Take the baking dish out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the bread and egg mixture.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the top and edges are light golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and cool slightly before slicing. Serve with whipped cream, berries, or your favorite syrup. Enjoy!
Notes
- Refrigerator: wrap leftovers well in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To reheat, warm individual portions in the microwave, or cover the top with aluminum foil (so that it doesn't brown too much) and reheat in a 325-degree oven for about 15 minutes.
Nutrition
More Overnight French Toast Recipes
- Mixed Berry French Toast Bake with Cream Cheese
- Coconut French Toast Bake
- Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast Bake
- Apple Cinnamon French Toast Bake
- Strawberries and Cream French Toast Bake
- 4th of July French Toast Bake
- Blueberry French Toast Bake
- More Breakfast Casseroles
- More Easy Breakfast Recipes
This Overnight Baked French Toast uses simple ingredients like French bread, eggs, maple syrup and everyday baking spices and is easy-peasy to put together ahead of time, or just make and bake. This baked french toast casserole makes for the perfect Christmas morning breakfast, or brunch during any time of the year.
Nancy
Have made this in the past but recently made it for my sister and brother-in-law who were visiting from another state. They were here for 10 days and after I made it the first time my brother-in-law asked if I would make it again. It is all set and ready for the oven in the morning. I added chocolate chips this time since my sister likes them and I am sure it will be as good as ever.
Sally
Absolutely delicious! Everyone at Christmas brunch loved it!
Patty
HELLO - I absolutely love this recipe!! I must have done something wrong the 2nd time I made it because the bottom was still soggy when we ate it. If I reheat this, can I fix the soggy bottom somehow? I hope there's something I can do because I don't want to throw out the remaining casserole. I hope to hear from you soon. Thank You for your time & for the great recipe.
Jill Baird
It cooks best when the casserole has had a chance to come to room temp before cooking. Did you maybe cook it when the casserole dish was still really cold? Also you can just bake it for longer so it's not soggy. If the top is getting a little dark, just loosly add a sheet of alluminum foil to the pan and bake until the bottom is a custardy texture. Hope this helps! Best wishes!
Karen
My grandsons love thiis! So do the rest of us. I made it for Christmas brunch this year and last. It was so good the boys asked me to make it this year, and they all had a second helping. They are 11, 7, and 4, best breakfast ever Grandma.
Thanks!
Kelsi Heiberger
Looks delicious! Can this recipe be halved and put into a 9 x 9 pan?
Jill Baird
You bet!
Renee
Hi, I’m wondering if this would work? Can I put this all together in baking dish, then freeze for a few days? Then thaw, put streusel on top and then bake? Or could I bake it completely, freeze, and reheat in a few days?
Christine
Can I freeze this and then defrost, add the topping and bake?
Jill Baird
I don't see why that wouldn't work great!
leslie
do you cover it when u out it in the refigerator before you bake it and if so with what
Jeanne
This recipe is delicious! First made it during the COVID pandemic and my family loved it - a memory we will always share! I just made it again today. Thanks for sharing!
sarahK@thecarefreekitchen
Hi Jeanne,
So glad to hear that you liked it!
leslie
do you cover it when you refrigerate it before you bake it and if so with what
The Carefree Kitchen
Leslie,
Yes - you can cover with either aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
Thanks!
Shasta
Can you use Brioche bread for this recipe?
sarahK@thecarefreekitchen
Absolutely! Brioche would taste great.
Jessica
How far ahead can I make this - is 24 hours too long?
The Carefree Kitchen
24 hours is great. You could even do 48 hours.
Pam
My hubby like his casserole very wet. This one was promising but not to his level of wetness. That being said the other people at the table lived it. Served it with a choice of coconut syrup and maple syrup.
Kim
Perfect breakfast for Mother’s Day! Thanks!! Family LOVES it!
The Carefree Kitchen
Hooray! So glad you love it as much as we do!! ??
Candice
Could this be baked ahead, then reheated?
Martha
Yes, I ‘be done this and it’s still delicious!
sarahK@thecarefreekitchen
Hi Candice, we've updated the recipe with an answer for you!