French Toast Casserole Recipe – Love and Lemons
This in a single day French toast casserole recipe is the best breakfast for a crowd! It’s simple and delicious, with a crisp topping and custardy middle.
This French toast casserole recipe is the only technique to make French toast for a crowd. Instead of standing on the vary, flipping slices to order, you pile cubed bread proper right into a casserole dish, douse it in a rich, cinnamon-spiced custard, and bake it with pecans and brown sugar on excessive.
It’s a breeze to assemble on the morning you intend to serve it, nonetheless in case you want to streamline this French toast casserole recipe rather more, you probably can put it collectively the day sooner than and let it sit in a single day inside the fridge. The following morning, all you have to do is add the nutty topping, pop it inside the oven, and bake!
When it comes out of the oven, this French toast casserole is crisp on excessive and moist and custardy inside the middle, kind of like a breakfast bread pudding. Topped with a drizzle of maple syrup, it’s merely just about nearly as good as fundamental French toast, if not greater. I hope you adore it!
French Toast Casserole Recipe Elements
Proper right here’s what you’ll should make this straightforward French toast casserole recipe:
- Bread – The usual counts! Choose loaf of challah, brioche, French bread, or sourdough bread. Regardless of you do, keep away from pre-sliced sandwich bread, which shortly turns into soggy.
- Eggs – A signature French toast ingredient! They add richness and bind the bread cubes collectively.
- Milk – For moisture. I reap the benefits of almond milk because of it’s what I keep available, nonetheless be at liberty to make use of 1 different form of milk within the occasion you want. As an illustration, whole milk and oat milk would every be good.
- Brown sugar – You’ll whisk some into the custard mixture and sprinkle further on excessive of the casserole.
- Cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract – For warmth, cozy depth of style.
- Butter or coconut oil – It helps the best of the casserole crisp up inside the oven.
- Pecans – They add rich, nutty crunch.
- Sea salt – It makes the entire flavors pop.
- And maple syrup – For serving.
Uncover the entire recipe with measurements beneath.
Strategies to Make In a single day French Toast Casserole
This baked French toast casserole recipe could be very simple to make!
First, prep the bread. Scale back it into 1-inch cubes and layer them in a greased 9×13-inch pan.
Then, make the custard mixture. Whisk collectively the eggs, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg, and salt.
Subsequent, pour the egg mixture over the bread. Try and pour it as evenly as potential, moistening as lots of the bread as you probably can. Just some dry spots are okay—they get good and crispy inside the oven!
In case you’re making this French toast casserole recipe ahead, cowl it with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a lid and refrigerate it in a single day. In case you’re making it day-of, let it stand for half-hour at room temperature. Every decisions give the bread a possibility to soften and take within the rich egg mixture.
Then, bake. Drizzle the melted butter over the breakfast casserole and sprinkle on the brown sugar and pecan topping. Cowl and bake for 35 minutes at 350°F, then uncover and bake for yet one more 10 to twenty minutes, or until the topping is browned and the egg mixture has principally set.
Take away the casserole from the oven, cowl it loosely with foil, and let it stand for 10 minutes sooner than digging in. Have the benefit of!
Recipe Tip
- Use stale bread. Buy it a day or two ahead of time so that it has a possibility to dry out. Dry bread soaks up further of the custard mixture than modern bread does. This makes the casserole even moister(!) and softer inside the middle.
What’s the best bread to utilize?
Challah is my favorite bread to utilize on this recipe, nonetheless it’s by no means the one risk! Brioche, French bread, and crusty sourdough are wonderful picks too.
Stay away from mild, pre-sliced sandwich bread. It could possibly result in a soggy French toast casserole!
What to Serve with French Toast Casserole
Don’t skip the maple syrup! Whereas some French toast casserole recipes are very sweet on their very personal, I make this one considerably savory so that it goes properly with maple syrup. I actually just like the sweet maple style with the toasted pecans and warmth spices. I don’t counsel skipping it.
In the event you want to robe up this French toast casserole rather more, excessive it with a dusting of powdered sugar and modern fruit together with the maple. Banana slices, pomegranate seeds, and modern berries like strawberries or raspberries would all be good.
This recipe is right for explicit occasions like Christmas morning, nonetheless it’d even be at home at any weekend brunch. Pair it with one factor savory, like a frittata or scrambled eggs, and modern fruit. Don’t overlook the espresso, tea, or mimosas to drink!
Strategies to Retailer French Toast Casserole
This recipe is most interesting on the day it’s baked, nonetheless leftovers keep properly in an airtight container inside the fridge for as a lot as 3 days.
Reheat them inside the microwave, or cowl and heat in a 325°F oven until warmed by.
You may even freeze baked french toast casserole. Allow it to sit back to room temperature. Then, seal it in an airtight container, or wrap it tightly in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Freeze for as a lot as 3 months.
Allow the frozen casserole to thaw in a single day inside the fridge sooner than reheating inside the microwave or a 325°F oven.
Further Favorite Brunch Recipes
In case you’re keen on this casserole, try thought of one in all these delicious brunch recipes subsequent:
French Toast Casserole
Serves 8 to 12
This French toast casserole recipe is a delicious, easy breakfast or brunch! It has a crisp brown sugar topping and a moist, custardy middle. To get ahead, assemble it the night sooner than and bake the following morning. Serve with maple syrup!
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Grease a 9×13-inch or associated baking dish. Place the bread cubes inside the baking dish.
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In a giant bowl, whisk collectively the eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour the mix evenly over the bread. If making the casserole ahead, cowl the baking dish and refrigerate in a single day. In another case, let stand for half-hour at room temperature to allow the bread to soak up the egg mixture.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F.
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Add the topping: Drizzle the casserole with the butter and sprinkle with the brown sugar and pecans. Cowl and bake for 35 minutes, then uncover and bake for yet one more 10 to twenty minutes, or until the topping is browned and the egg mixture has principally set. Take away from the oven, cowl loosely with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes.
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Serve with maple syrup.