This French toast casserole always feels like a special occasion. The bread is soaked in a sweet eggy-custard and topped with a crunchy oat streusel. Unlike traditional French toast or pancakes, which require your full attention as they cook, this casserole bakes in the oven. No stovetop flipping required. Just mix, soak, and bake.
Imagine all the best parts of French toast. That soft, custardy bread. Those crisp edges. And the best part: warm spices and just the right amount of sweetness. Got that? Now imagine less work making it. Sounds good, right? That’s what French toast casserole offers. It’s essentially a weekend breakfast hero. You can prep it the night before, let it chill in the fridge, and just pop it in the oven in the morning while coffee brews. I love the oat topping on this one but it’s totally optional. To change it up, add some citrus zest or a handful chopped nuts for some crunch. This casserole is perfect on the weekend breakfast table.
Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make this recipe. There are two parts: the casserole and the oat topping.
For the Casserole
- Bread. Soft Italian bread, challah, or brioche. If it’s slightly stale but not hard it soaks up the 2 Milk. This isn’t a time for fat-free milk. I strongly suggest whole milk. The richness really enhances the texture and flavor of the custard.
- Eggs. You need six whole large eggs.
- Brown Sugar. I prefer dark brown sugar for the added boost of molasses flavor.
- Cinnamon. Adds flavor. Pie spice is also a good choice.
- Salt. A whisper of salt balances out the other flavors.
For the Topping
- Butter. Melted salted butter is my favorite.
- Flour. All-purpose flour helps hold the topping together.
- Oats. Use old fashioned or quick cook oats. Steel cut oats don’t work in this recipe.
- Brown Sugar. Again, I use dark brown sugar for it’s flavor and sweetness.
- Cinnamon. I like the topping to echo the flavor of the casserole. So I add a little ground cinnamon.
Putting It Together
The nice thing about this recipe is that you can make it the night before baking or about an hour before you want to eat. It’s really up to you! If you prepare it in advance, the bread really soaks up the custard, giving it a nice, soft texture.
- Whisk together the ingredients for the custard. The cinnamon might float on the top. That’s fine.
- Pour the custard over the cubes of bread. If you’re making this the night before, cover the pan and refrigerate it overnight. If you’re making it the same day, let the bread soak for about 5 minutes before baking.
- Make the topping and sprinkle it over the cubes of bread. Do this right before baking.
- Bake until puffy and golden brown. A pan takes about 45 minutes.
Serving and Storing Leftovers
This tastes best served right away. I like to serve it with a drizzle of maple syrup. If you have leftovers, store them covered in the refrigerator. Reheat in a toaster oven or warm oven.
Baked French Toast
Easy baked French toast topped with a crunchy oat and brown sugar topping.
Ingredients
- 2 cups whole milk
- 6 large eggs, whisked
- ½ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar (3 ½ ounces; 99 grams)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 loaf (14-16 ounces) soft French bread, cut or torn into chunks
Topping
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted (4 ounces; 113 grams)
- ⅓ cup flour (1 ⅓ ounces; 40 grams)
- ⅓ cup oatmeal (1 ½ ounces; 35 grams)
- ¼ cup brown sugar (1 ¾; 50 grams)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For Serving
- maple syrup
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray or brush lightly with softened butter.
-
Whisk together the milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
-
Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour the brown sugar-egg mixture evenly over the bread. Stir gently to combine. Allow the bread to sit for five minutes to absorb the egg mixture.
-
While the bread soaks up the liquid, prepare the topping. Stir together the brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Add the melted butter. Stir until combined. The mixture should look crumbly.
-
Place the bread evenly into the prepared pan. (If you're baking the next day, see below.)
Sprinkle the topping evenly over the top.
-
Bake until set, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for five minutes. Serve with maple syrup, bacon, and fresh fruit.
For Overnight French Toast
-
Skip preheating the oven. Place the soaked bread cubes into the pan. Cover with plastic wrap. Store the prepared topping in a small zippered plastic bag. In the morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the plastic wrap from the French toast casserole. Sprinkle prepared topping evenly over the casserole. Bake as directed.
Michelle Orndorff says
Why can’t I Save this in some way (preferably Pin)?
Elizabeth says
At the top of the page, there should be a red pin button.
Michelle Orndorff says
I hit the “Comment” button and *poof* —literally—the Pin button blinked on. Weird! Thanks, though. This sounds great.
Danielle Pukala says
I’m not a huge fan of oats. Can I leave it out and still follow the instructions the same? Also, would I be able to add a little ginger and nutmeg?
Elizabeth says
Yes! Go ahead and leave out the oats and add some ginger and nutmeg. Sounds good to me!
UTlate says
Let’s hear about those egg cupcakes!
Elizabeth says
I’ve posted the recipe: 4 Ingredient Breakfast Egg Cupcakes
Amy Squires says
I can’t believe this recipe isn’t posted all over Pinterest! It’s amazing. I followed the exact recipe – used artisan thick cut white loaf bread (not French bread) and let it soak about 10 minutes. It was delicious! Would also be a fabulous bread pudding with a bourbon warm sauce…just sayin’.
Thanks for a great recipe!