Breakfast Recipes By Kristen Chidsey | 123 Comments | *This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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Overnight French Toast Casserole delivers the classic flavor you know and love of French Toast in a delicious hands-off, prep-ahead breakfast casserole.
When it comes to entertaining guests for breakfast or brunch, I love turning to recipes that can be made in advance. Recipes like Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, Hashbrown Brown Breakfast Casserole, and this French Toast Casserole all can be assembled ahead of time, meaning you can still enjoy your sleep and present a hearty, delicious spread that your guests will rave about.
And this French Toast Casserole is a show-stopping brunch recipe you need to make!
Reasons To Love This French Toast Casserole
- Amazing Flavor & Texture. Filled with warming spices and rich maple syrup, this French Toast Casserole is perfectly sweet and bakes up fluffy in the center and a bit crispy on the edges. Finished with a sweet vanilla glaze, this is a simple breakfast recipe for a crowd that everyone loves!
- 15 Minutes of Hands-On Prep. It couldn't be easier to whip up this French Toast Bake. And when it comes to entertaining, easy recipes are best!
- Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole. French Toast Casserole is best if the bread is given time to soak up the egg custard, meaning not only is possible to prepare this recipe in advance, but it will turn out better. Perfect for entertaining or a holiday breakfast.
- Crowd-Pleasing Recipe. Only crumbs remain every single time I serve this French Toast Casserole and people beg me for the recipe, that is how you know it is a winner! It has also been a favorite with my readers as well for nearly 10 years!
- Easily Made Gluten-Free and/or Dairy-Free. With simple, tested modifications, you can easily make this French Toast Casserole dairy-free and/or gluten-free.
Ingredients Needed for French Toast Casserole
- Bread: Stale or day-old bread is best so that it can absorb the custard. Use any type of bread you like such as sourdough bread, whole wheat bread, french bread, Italian bread, challah, or cinnamon raisin bread. Keep in mind that using challah bread will result in a richer casserole, as the bread itself is quite sweet and eggy.
- Maple Syrup: Instead of using brown sugar or granulated sugar, I opt to use maple syrup to sweeten this French toast casserole. It adds warmth and flavor to the recipe, along with sweetening it.
- Eggs: Eggs will help the casserole to set up and give this casserole the flavors of classic French Toast.
- Half and Half: Half and half will make a rich, creamy custard. In place of half and half, feel free to use heavy cream or milk.
- For Flavor: To flavor the casserole, I recommend a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract which will pair well with the flavor of the maple syrup. A pinch of salt will enhance the flavor of the French Toast Casserole, not make it taste salty.
- Vanilla Glaze: While totally optional, a simple combination of powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk makes a deliciously sweet glaze that finishes off the French toast casserole perfectly. In place of the glaze, feel free to serve with maple syrup.
Dietary Modifications
- Dairy-Free French Toast Casserole: To make Dairy-Free French Toast Casserole, use almond milk or coconut milk in place of cow's milk. The coconut milk will produce a richer custard, but it does have notes of coconut in the final product. Also, be sure to use coconut oil or a non-dairy butter substitute for greasing the pan.
- Gluten-Free French Toast Casserole: You can make Gluten-Free French Toast Casserole by simply using your favorite gluten-free bread.
Tips for Making the Best French Toast Casserole
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare in Advance: French Toast Casserole is best when given time for the bread to soak up the delicious custard, hence why overnight preparation is best. If you skip the step of letting your bread sit in the custard overnight, the casserole will not be as fluffy.
- Use Dried-Out Bread. Ideally, any bread you choose to use needs to be stale or dried out to absorb the custard. If your bread is not fully dried out, you may end up with a soggy casserole, therefore it is crucial to dry out your bread properly before soaking the bread in the egg custard. You can either let cubed bread dry out overnight at room temperature or speed up the process by baking the bread in a 300-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.
- Submerge the Bread in the Egg Custard. After pouring the egg and cream mixture over the dried-out bread, use your hands to gently push down the bread cubes into the custard to fully submerge. That will help ensure that the bread absorbs the casserole.
- Refrigerate Overnight. Cover the assembled casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 18 hours.
- Take the Chill Off the Casserole Before Baking. In the morning, remove the casserole from the refrigerator while the oven is preheating. This will help to take the chill off your casserole and prevent your casserole dish from cracking due to extreme temperature changes.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerate: Leftover French Toast Casserole can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1 minute per serving. Or place the casserole, covered with foil, in a 325-degree F oven for 30 minutes until warmed through.
More Favorite Brunch Recipes
- Asparagus Frittata
- Quiche Lorraine
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Overnight Breakfast Strata
If you tried this Overnight French Toast Casserole, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Easy Overnight French Toast Casserole Recipe
Overnight French Toast Casserole delivers the classic flavor you know and love of French Toast in a delicious hands-off, prep-ahead breakfast casserole. Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free modifications included.
4.76 from 103 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
Servings: 8
Calories: 169kcal
Ingredients
For the French Toast Casserole
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 16 ounces Italian or French bread cut into 1-inch cubes (this is about 8-10 loosely packed cups)
- 2 cups half and half or milk or cream
- 6 large eggs
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Vanilla Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons milk or cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- dash of salt
Instructions
Cube the bread into 1-inch cubes. Spread the bread cubes out onto a large sheet pan and allow the bread to dry out at room temperature for 4-12 hours. If time does not permit, dry the bread quickly in a 300-degree F oven for 15-20 minutes.
Grease a 9x13 baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter and place the cubed, dried-out bread inside the casserole dish in an even layer.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
Pour this mixture over the cubed bread, gently tapping the bread down to be fully submerged in the custard.Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a least 8 hours or up to 18 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator while and allow it to come to room temperature as the oven preheats.
Once the oven has preheated, remove the plastic wrap and cover the baking dish with foil. Bake covered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until set.
Serve warm with the vanilla glaze and/or additional maple syrup.
For Glaze
In a medium mixing bowl, combine milk, salt, and vanilla. Add in the powdered sugar and whisk until thin glaze forms. Add in more milk 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed to thin it out.Serve with the French Toast Casserole.
Equipment Needed
Notes
Gluten-Free Modifications: Use gluten-free bread in place of regular bread.
Dairy-Free Modifications: Use dairy-free milk in place of cream/butter and dairy-free butter (like Smart Balance) in place of butter.
Prevent a Soggy Casserole: Chances are if your casserole is soggy, you did not use enough bread or your bread was too fresh (soft) to absorb the egg custard. To prevent this from happening, use dried-out bread. In the morning, be sure that most of the custard has been absorbed by the bread before baking. If you have more than ½ cup of liquid not absorbed by the bread, you may want to drain off a bit of that custard before baking.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat in the microwave in individual serving sizes or a 300-degree F oven until just warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 327mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 1.3mg
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This post was originally published in March 2018 but was updated in December 2019 and December 2023.
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About Kristen Chidsey
Hi, I am Kristen, creator of A Mind "Full" Mom. I believe that making a wholesome family meal does not need to be hard or expensive! I love nothing more than to share with you delicious solutions for your hungry family.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Patty
Could I add some sliced chicken. Sausage for more protein?
Reply
Kristen Chidsey
If you like a sweet and savory casserole, that would work, like my Ham Breakfast Casserole. However, I think most would prefer the sausage served on the side.
Reply
Diane
Everyone at our church buffet loved it, it was gone in no time!Reply
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing, Diane! I love hearing everyone enjoyed!
Reply
carol
Just made this yummy recipe today. I love french toast and this sounded so much quicker come morning rush time. It turned out beautifully and tasted great. Definitely will make it again (many times I’m sure).
Thank you Kristen.Reply
Kelsey
What an awful experience making this on Christmas morning. I followed the directions perfectly and no matter how long I cooked it it was runny and disgusting looking. I had to throw the whole thing away!
Reply
Kristen Chidsey
I hate hearing this Kelsy! It sounds like your bread may have been too soft to absorb the custard. Was it day old bread? Did you dry it out overnight or in the oven first? If so, unless you used less bread than the recipe called for, this should work perfectly.
Reply
Gina
This is wonderful! My family enjoyed this for Christmas brunch today. We did it dairy free with almond milk and vegan butter and it turned out perfect.Thank you for a great recipe.Reply
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed Gina! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.
Reply
Laura
Can you leave this for more than 8 hours overnight? Is 12 hours too much time to let it sit? Thanks!
Reply
Kristen Chidsey
12 hours is perfectly fine. Up to 24 is safe 😊
Reply
Laura
Thank you! Im excited to try this tomorrow morning.
Reply
Caroline
This will be my third year making this delicious recipe for Christmas morning - my family loves it!! I use the maple syrup / banana maple syrup instead of the sugar glaze. A big hit!
Thank you Kristen!!
Caroline BrownReply
Kristen Chidsey
YAY! I love hearing that this recipe has become a Christmas tradition at your house! Merry Christmas!
Reply
Sherry
I'm looking forward to making this for Christmas morning breakfast this year! Can I add frozen blueberries? If so, do you think it would be best to add the night before, with egg mixture, or wait until morning and add them just before baking?
Reply
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Sherry! I would sprinkle on top of the french toast casserole right before baking. If added the night before, the blueberries would thaw into the custard it would get watery. I hope you enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Sarah
Can I use gluten free bread for this recipe? Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Absolutely! Enjoy!
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