Have a stress free morning with Overnight French Toast Bake! This crowd pleasing breakfast made up of French bread, eggs, milk, and a nutty streusel is perfect for the holidays!
Have a delicious breakfast without all the early morning work or dishes with this Overnight French Toast Bake! You deserve to have a relaxing holiday morning too! For more easy holiday morning breakfasts, try my Overnight Cinnamon Rolls or Homemade Granola with yogurt and fresh fruit.
French Toast Bake
If you like French toast, you’ll LOVE this easy breakfast casserole! The cubed bread soaks up the sweet cinnamon egg mixture creating a casserole with a soft custardy bottom and a crisp top. Honestly, it doesn’t even need syrup it’s that good!
Ingredients for French Toast Bake:
- French Bread– A good dense loaf of French bread works best. The shape of the bread stays intact (doesn’t get mushy) and it soaks up the egg mixture beautifully. It’s best if it’s day old or cut up and left out for a few hours so it can dry out. This allows it to absorb more of the egg mixture.
- Eggs– The eggs get soaked up by the bread and give the casserole flavor, and a custardy texture.
- Milk– This is needed to soak into the bread just like in regular French toast. Any percent fat will do.
- Heavy Whipping Cream– The high fat content in the cream helps create a thick creamy custardy texture.
- Sugar– Just enough sugar in the egg mixture along with the streusel topping gives this casserole enough sweetness to eat on it’s own if desired.
- Vanilla– This is basically a dessert for breakfast so of course we’re using vanilla!
- Cinnamon– Adds a warm flavor. Mix it with the sugar before adding any liquid otherwise it won’t mix in properly.
- Streusel Topping– This is the same topping used on my Streusel Pumpkin Pie. The crunch and nutty flavor it gives to the casserole takes this French Toast Bake to the next level!
How to make Overnight French Toast Bake:
Time needed: 1 hour
- Make Topping
Make the topping by combing the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nuts. Mix in the butter until it combined and crumbly. Cover or place in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Make Custard
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. (It’s important to mix the cinnamon and sugar together before adding liquid otherwise the cinnamon won’t blend in properly.) Beat in the eggs and then whisk in the cream, milk, and vanilla.
- Prep Pan & Assemble
Grease a 9×13 inch pan and place cubed bread in the the pan. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours).
- Bake
Remove casserole from the fridge and preheat the oven to 350°F. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
FAQs
The bread needs at least 4 hours to soak up the liquid and can sit in the fridge up to 24 hours in advance. The ability to make this in advance is what is so nice about this recipe!
Swap out the walnuts for chopped pecans or sliced almonds!
For a NUT-FREE option, make the topping with 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 cup melted butter.
Powdered sugar, syrup (Buttermilk Syrup is my fav!), homemade jam… are great for serving directly on the casserole. For sides, fresh fruit, eggs, bacon, and yogurt are all great options.
Any dense French or Italian bread works best for this casserole. (I get mine in a 2 pack from Costco’s bakery.) It is able to soak up more of the egg mixture without becoming soggy. It’s best to use day old bread or after cubing, letting it just sit out for a couple hours to stale. Do NOT use a bread that is light and squishy. It will get too mushy.
Whipping cream can be swapped out for half-and-half cream. Since it isn’t as thick, you’ll need to use 1 cup half & half and reduce the milk to 1 cup.
TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS BAKED FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE:
- 9×13 inch Casserole Dish– This is a standard size casserole dish and can be used for everything from casseroles, to chicken breasts, to brownies. I love that it’s white because it looks nice and goes with any table setting.
- Liquid Measuring Cup– This guy gets used almost everyday. I love having a glass one because it’s doesn’t get stained, scratched, and it can go in the microwave. This is a must for every kitchen.
- Pyrex Mixing Bowls with Lids– I love my mixing bowls with lids because then I am able to stack things up with the fridge. Plus, glass is nice for when I need to microwave whatever is in it. 100 years glass set
LOOKING FOR MORE OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST RECIPES? CHECK OUT THESE:
- Overnight Apple French Toast Casserole
- Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
- Overnight Monte Cristo Casserole
- Overnight Sweet Potato & Sausage Breakfast Casserole
- The Best Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Overnight French Toast Bake
Ingredients
- 1 loaf day old French bread, cubed (or other dense artisan bread)
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the Streusel:
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts*
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
Instructions
- Make the topping by combing the flour, sugar, cinnamon and nuts. Mix in the butter until it combined and crumbly. Cover or place in an airtight container in the fridge.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. Beat in the eggs and then whisk in the cream, milk, and vanilla.
- Grease a 9×13 inch pan and place cubed bread in the the pan.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours).
- Remove casserole from the fridge and preheat the oven to 350°F. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.
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