Homemade French Toast Casserole

I’ve always loved French toast, but making it slice by slice on a busy morning? No thanks. Standing at the stove flipping bread while everyone’s hungry and the syrup’s getting cold isn’t my idea of a relaxing breakfast. I’d rather sit down and eat with everyone else.

That’s where French toast casserole comes in. You take all the good parts of French toast and bake it all at once in a dish. The best part? You can put it together the night before and just pop it in the oven when you wake up. Less time cooking means more time drinking coffee in my pajamas.

Sweet and custardy with a bit of cinnamon sugar on top? Yes please. This is the kind of breakfast that makes weekends feel special without making you work too hard for it.

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What Kind of Bread Should I Use?

The bread you pick for this casserole really matters since it’s the star of the show. You’ll want to grab a sturdy, unsliced loaf like sourdough, Italian, or French bread – just make sure it’s not a skinny baguette since those don’t have enough surface area to soak up all that custard. Day-old or slightly stale bread actually works better than fresh because it absorbs the egg mixture without falling apart or getting too mushy. If you only have fresh bread on hand, you can cube it and let it sit out on the counter for a few hours or toast it lightly in the oven to dry it out a bit before assembling your casserole.

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Options for Substitutions

This casserole is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Bread: Sourdough, Italian, or French bread all work great here. Challah or brioche make it extra rich, while whole wheat adds a nutty flavor. Just avoid pre-sliced sandwich bread – you need a sturdy loaf that can soak up the custard without falling apart.
• Half-and-half: Don’t have half-and-half? Mix equal parts whole milk and heavy cream like the recipe suggests. You can also use all whole milk for a lighter version, though it won’t be quite as creamy.
• Brown sugar: Regular white sugar works fine if that’s what you have. You can also try maple sugar for a deeper flavor, using the same amount.
• Nuts: Pecans and walnuts are classic choices, but almonds or hazelnuts work too. Not a fan of nuts? Leave them out completely or replace with granola for some crunch.
• Spices: If you’re missing nutmeg, you can use a bit more cinnamon or add a pinch of allspice. The cinnamon is really the star here, so don’t skip that one.
• Butter: Unsalted butter is best so you can control the salt level, but salted butter works in a pinch – just reduce the added salt by half.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake you can make with French toast casserole is using fresh, soft bread instead of day-old or slightly stale bread – fresh bread turns mushy and can’t hold up to all that custard, so if your loaf is fresh, cube it and let it sit out overnight or toast it lightly in the oven first.

Another common error is not giving the bread enough time to soak up the egg mixture, which leads to dry spots and uneven texture – aim for at least 30 minutes of soaking time, or prep it the night before for the best results.

Don’t skip checking the center of the casserole with a knife before pulling it from the oven, as the edges can look perfectly golden while the middle is still wet and undercooked.

Finally, resist the urge to dig in right away – letting the casserole rest for 10-15 minutes after baking helps it set properly and makes slicing and serving much cleaner.

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What to Serve With French Toast Casserole?

French toast casserole is pretty filling on its own, but I love adding some crispy bacon or breakfast sausage on the side for a sweet and savory combo. Fresh fruit like strawberries, blueberries, or sliced bananas are perfect for balancing out the richness of the casserole, and they add a nice pop of freshness to your plate. If you’re feeding a crowd for brunch, consider setting out a little toppings bar with extra maple syrup, whipped cream, and maybe some Greek yogurt so everyone can customize their serving. A simple side of scrambled eggs also works well if you want to make the meal more substantial without going overboard.

Storage Instructions

Make Ahead: This is actually one of those recipes that’s better when you prep it the night before! Just assemble the whole casserole, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil, and let it hang out in the fridge overnight. The bread soaks up all that custard mixture and you’ll have breakfast ready to pop in the oven in the morning.

Store: Leftover French toast casserole keeps well in the fridge for about 3 days. Cover it with foil or transfer individual portions to airtight containers. It makes for an easy grab-and-go breakfast during the week!

Reheat: Warm up individual portions in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds, or reheat the whole dish covered with foil in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes. I usually add a splash of maple syrup when reheating to bring back some moisture.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 3200-3500
• Protein: 85-95 g
• Fat: 155-175 g
• Carbohydrates: 380-410 g

Ingredients

For the casserole base:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing dish)
• 1 loaf (1 lb) unsliced sourdough, italian or french bread (not baguette)
• 8 large eggs
• 3 cups half-and-half (or combine 1 1/2 cups whole milk with 1 1/2 cups heavy cream)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

For the crumble topping:

• 2 oz chopped pecans or walnuts (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

For serving:

• Maple syrup or powdered sugar, as desired
• Fresh berries (optional)

Step 1: Prepare the Baking Dish and Bread

• unsalted butter (for greasing dish)
• 1 loaf (1 lb) unsliced sourdough, Italian or French bread (not baguette)

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch (or 3-quart) baking dish with unsalted butter.

Tear the unsliced bread loaf into bite-sized chunks, about 1 to 2 inches in size, and arrange them evenly in the prepared baking dish.

Step 2: Make the Custard

• 8 large eggs
• 3 cups half-and-half (or combine 1 1/2 cups whole milk with 1 1/2 cups heavy cream)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half (or the combination of milk and cream), brown sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, kosher salt, and ground nutmeg until smooth and well combined.

Step 3: Assemble and Soak the Casserole

• bread chunks from Step 1
• custard mixture from Step 2

Pour the prepared custard mixture evenly over the bread chunks in the baking dish.

Gently press the bread down so it absorbs the liquid.

Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.

If you prefer to bake right away, let the dish sit at room temperature for an hour to allow the bread to soak up the custard.

Step 4: Prepare the Crumble Topping

• 2 oz chopped pecans or walnuts (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

In a large bowl, combine the chopped pecans or walnuts, all-purpose flour, remaining packed light brown sugar, remaining ground nutmeg, and remaining kosher salt.

Add the room-temperature butter and use your fingers to pinch and squeeze the mixture until moist, small clumps form.

Refrigerate the crumble topping until ready to use.

I find refrigerating the crumble before baking helps it form the best texture.

Step 5: Bake the Casserole

• soaked casserole from Step 3
• crumble topping from Step 4

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature, uncovered, for 30 minutes to remove the chill.

Sprinkle the prepared crumble topping evenly over the casserole.

Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, or until puffed, golden-brown, and set in the center.

Step 6: Cool and Serve

• maple syrup or powdered sugar, as desired
• fresh berries (optional)

Let the baked casserole cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve slices with a drizzle of warm maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar, and optionally, fresh berries on the side.

For extra indulgence, I love to serve mine with a generous pour of maple syrup — it really brings out the flavors!

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Homemade French Toast Casserole

Delicious Homemade French Toast Casserole recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 2 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 32 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 3350 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the casserole base:

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing dish)
• 1 loaf (1 lb) unsliced sourdough, Italian or French bread (not baguette)
• 8 large eggs
• 3 cups half-and-half (or combine 1 1/2 cups whole milk with 1 1/2 cups heavy cream)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

For the crumble topping:

• 2 oz chopped pecans or walnuts (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

For serving:

• maple syrup or powdered sugar, as desired
• fresh berries (optional)

Instructions

 

• Lightly grease a 9×13-inch (or 3-quart) baking dish with unsalted butter. Tear the unsliced bread loaf into bite-sized chunks, about 1 to 2 inches in size, and arrange them evenly in the prepared baking dish.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half (or the combination of milk and cream), brown sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, kosher salt, and ground nutmeg until smooth and well combined.
• Pour the prepared custard mixture evenly over the bread chunks in the baking dish. Gently press the bread down so it absorbs the liquid. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours. If you prefer to bake right away, let the dish sit at room temperature for an hour to allow the bread to soak up the custard.
• In a large bowl, combine the chopped pecans or walnuts, all-purpose flour, remaining packed light brown sugar, remaining ground nutmeg, and remaining kosher salt. Add the room-temperature butter and use your fingers to pinch and squeeze the mixture until moist, small clumps form. Refrigerate the crumble topping until ready to use. I find refrigerating the crumble before baking helps it form the best texture.
• When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature, uncovered, for 30 minutes to remove the chill. Sprinkle the prepared crumble topping evenly over the casserole. Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, or until puffed, golden-brown, and set in the center.
• Let the baked casserole cool for 5 minutes before serving. Serve slices with a drizzle of warm maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar, and optionally, fresh berries on the side. For extra indulgence, I love to serve mine with a generous pour of maple syrup — it really brings out the flavors!