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.
Easy French Toast Bake Casserole
Looking for a delicious breakfast that is easy to prepare? This overnight French toast casserole is perfect for busy mornings, or when you have guests staying over.
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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.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The cinnamon-brown sugar streusel makes it extra special. The buttery topping bakes into a sweet, slightly crisp layer that contrasts perfectly with the soft, custardy French toast underneath.
- Maple syrup is baked right into the custard. Along with vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, it gives the French bread plenty of warm, cozy flavor before you even add syrup at the table.
- It’s perfect for making ahead. Assemble it the night before—or even up to 48 hours ahead—then add the streusel and bake in the morning, making it especially convenient for holidays and brunches.
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
- Prepare the bread. Place 1″ pieces of French bread evenly in a greased 9″ x 13″ baking dish.
- Add the custard. Whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour evenly over the bread and gently stir to coat.
- Refrigerate overnight. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
- Make the streusel. Mix the butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon with a fork until crumbly.
- Bake. Let the casserole come to room temperature while the oven preheats to 350°F. Sprinkle with streusel and bake for 45–50 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
- Serve. Cool slightly, then serve with whipped cream, berries, or maple syrup.
French Toast Casserole Variations
Once you’ve made the classic version, it’s easy to switch things up. Here are some of our favorite ways to change up this French toast casserole:
- Pecan streusel. Add ½ cup of chopped pecans to the streusel topping for extra crunch.
- Mixed berry. Scatter 2 cups of fresh or frozen berries between the bread pieces before pouring in the custard. Or try my Mixed Berry French Toast Bake with Cream Cheese.
- Apple cinnamon. Add 2 cups of diced, sautéed apples, perfect for fall. Here’s my full Apple Cinnamon French Toast Bake.
- Pumpkin spice. Whisk ¾ cup of pumpkin puree and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice into the custard.
- Chocolate chip. Sprinkle 1 cup of mini chocolate chips over the bread before baking. A reader favorite!
- Strawberries and cream. Dollop softened cream cheese between the bread layers and top with fresh strawberries. Get the recipe for my Strawberries and Cream French Toast Bake.
- Eggnog French toast casserole. Swap 1 cup of the milk for eggnog. It’s perfect for Christmas morning!
- Extra custardy. If you like a softer, more pudding-like texture, replace ½ cup of the milk with heavy cream.
- Different bread. Brioche, challah, Texas toast or King’s Hawaiian rolls all make a richer, softer casserole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Day-old French bread is my favorite because it soaks up the custard without getting mushy. Brioche, challah, Texas toast and even day-old cinnamon rolls work great too. If your bread is fresh, cube it and let it sit out for a few hours, or toast it in a 300°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes to dry it out.
Yes! Assemble the casserole and let it soak for at least 30 minutes while the oven preheats, gently pressing the bread into the custard a few times. Add the streusel and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the center is set.
You can assemble it up to 48 hours ahead. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap or foil and keep it in the fridge. Wait to add the streusel until right before baking.
It’s best when it soaks overnight, but at least 4 hours works too. The longer soak lets the bread absorb the custard so it bakes up evenly and isn’t soggy on the bottom.
Bake it uncovered so the streusel gets golden and slightly crisp. If the top starts browning too quickly before the center is set, loosely cover it with foil for the rest of the baking time.
The top should be golden brown and the center should be set. It shouldn’t jiggle when you gently shake the pan. A knife inserted in the middle should come out clean, without any wet egg. If you have an instant-read thermometer, the center should reach 160°F.
The most common reasons are baking it while the dish is still cold from the fridge, or not baking it long enough. Let the casserole sit at room temperature while the oven preheats, and bake until the center is fully set. Using day-old bread also helps it soak up the custard evenly.
Yes. To freeze before baking, assemble the casserole without the streusel, cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, add the streusel, and bake as directed. You can also freeze baked leftovers for up to 2 months and reheat them in the microwave or oven.
Yes! Halve all of the ingredients and bake in a greased 8×8 or 9×9 baking dish. Start checking it at about 35 minutes.
Yes. Swap the maple syrup for an equal amount of brown sugar or honey.
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, warm individual portions in the microwave, or cover the top with aluminum foil (so it doesn’t brown too much) and reheat in a 325-degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until warmed through.
Overnight French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 slices French bread, about 1 pound (10–12 cups of cubes)
- 12 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Streusel Topping
- 6 tablespoons butter, room temperature, cut into cubes
- 1/3 cup light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 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 1/4" pieces. You can also use a standing mixer with the paddle attachment on low speed, making sure to stop the mixer once you have 1/4" 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 and the center is set and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and cool slightly before slicing. Serve with whipped cream, berries, or your favorite syrup. Enjoy!
Video
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
Did you make this?
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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
Categories:
Breakfast, Breakfast Casseroles, Christmas, Easter, French Toast, Holiday Favorites, Nut-Free, Reader Favorites, Vegetarian, Videos,
This is easy and fabulous. I’ve never had leftovers
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.
Absolutely delicious! Everyone at Christmas brunch loved it!
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.
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!
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!
Looks delicious! Can this recipe be halved and put into a 9 x 9 pan?
You bet!
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?
Can I freeze this and then defrost, add the topping and bake?
I don’t see why that wouldn’t work great!
do you cover it when u out it in the refigerator before you bake it and if so with what
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!
Hi Jeanne,
So glad to hear that you liked it!
do you cover it when you refrigerate it before you bake it and if so with what
Leslie,
Yes – you can cover with either aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
Thanks!
Can you use Brioche bread for this recipe?
Absolutely! Brioche would taste great.
How far ahead can I make this – is 24 hours too long?
24 hours is great. You could even do 48 hours.
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.
Perfect breakfast for Mother’s Day! Thanks!! Family LOVES it!
Hooray! So glad you love it as much as we do!! ??
Could this be baked ahead, then reheated?
Yes, I ‘be done this and it’s still delicious!
Hi Candice, we’ve updated the recipe with an answer for you!