Easy Overnight French Toast Casserole is a delicious breakfast recipe that is always such a hit with the family and guests. You make this breakfast casserole the night before so you can enjoy this yummy baked french toast in the morning! We especially love to make this for the Holidays.
If you love traditional french toast, you will also love these unique french toast versions like our Strawberry Cheesecake French Toast Roll Ups, Cinnamon Roll French Toast Casserole, Slow Cooker Pumpkin Maple French Toast, and Bacon French Toast Casserole.
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The Best Overnight French Toast Casserole
Baked French Toast is a quick and easy overnight casserole that tastes amazing and can be made the night before. I’m in love with breakfasts you can make ahead of time and simply throw in the oven in the morning or already have prepared, like Savory Breakfast Bundt Cake, or Make-Ahead Pancake Batter!
Overnight french toast is sometimes called “Baked French Toast”, “French Toast Casserole” or “Company French Toast” and it’s the perfect breakfast to make when you want to have something special to serve for breakfast but you also want to relax and enjoy the morning. We enjoy this east breakfast regularly, but this is always a staple for any holiday breakfast in our home. We also make this any time we have guests and they always rave about this dish every time!
Ingredients You Will Need
You won’t need any fancy ingredients for this breakfast casserole. In fact, I bet you have most of these things in your kitchen already! Here’s a quick overview of what you’ll need. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for specific amounts.
- French Bread – you can also use texas toast, challah, or brioche.
- Eggs – you will use 8 eggs to make the base for the custard.
- Half and Half – you can substitute whole milk for the half and half if need.
- Milk – whole milk is preferred for this recipe, but you can use 1-2% with fine results.
- Granulated Sugar – this is added to the egg mixture for just a hint of sweetness.
- Vanilla – make sure you use pure vanilla extract.
- Ground Cinnamon – the cinnamon is added to the custard mixture and the topping and gives such a nice flavor.
- Nutmeg – we use ground nutmeg for this recipe, but freshly grated nutmeg is always a nice touch if you have it.
- Butter – this is combined with sugar to make a nice cinnamon crunch topping.
- Brown Sugar – The brown sugar will add a nice caramelized glaze to this french toast.
- Corn Syrup – the corn syrup is actually optional, but we think this gives the topping a very nice consistency. However, you can leave this out with great results.
How To Make Overnight French Toast
One of the best things about this breakfast casserole is how easy it is to make – it only takes minutes! Here’s how to do it:
- Arrange your bread slices in a prepared 9×13.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, half & half, milk, vanilla and spices. Pour the mixture over the slices making sure all of them are coated well.
- Refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours before baking.
- When ready to bake, combine the topping ingredients and spread over the top. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
Can you make overnight french toast the same day?
Yes! If you want to bake the french toast right after you make it and don’t want to wait overnight, just make the custard and dip the bread into it letting it soak before placing the bread slices into the pan and baking. Pour any remaining custard over the bread after you have placed it in your baking dish, then cover with saran wrap and place in the fridge for 2-3 hours (the longer the better). This will give the custard time to soak into the bread even though we have sped up the process somewhat by dipping the individual bread pieces into the custard before placing them in the baking dish.
Pro Tips and Tricks
- Texture: This is a french toast casserole so parts of the slices will be soft and the tops with a more baked/crisp texture. If you prefer the slices to a more baked/crisp texture, use a larger pan (deep half sheet cake pan) and this will open up the slices instead of packing them in a 9×13. Another option is to use two 9×13 pans.
- Slices: Sometimes I have used sliced sour dough bread from the bakery and that works great. This will save a little time from having to cut a loaf.
- Forgot to make the night before? That’s totally fine. I have done this as well. Just make sure the slices are soaked up really well and proceed with directions.
- Want to add some crunch? You can add chopped pecans to the cinnamon crunch topping for a praline topping. Add in 1 cup of chopped pecans.
- Add fruit: This french toast casserole is amazing served with fresh berries instead of the praline topping if you are looking to lighten it up. We actually enjoy this served with the topping and berries!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge: Let your casserole cool completely then cover with saran wrap or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge. It will keep for 3-4 days.
- Reheating from the fridge: When you are ready to eat another slice of french toast casserole simply place your desired amount on a plate and zap it in the microwave until warmed through. I usually will cut a large piece of french toast into smaller pieces so that the insides heat evenly.
- Freezing: The leftovers freeze VERY well! Place any leftovers in an air-tight, freezer-safe container. It will keep for up to 3 months.
- Reheating from frozen: When ready to eat, just thaw it and pop it in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes.
Other Easy Breakfast Ideas to Try
- Easy Cherry Danish
- Cinnamon Roll Bites
- Slow Cooker Breakfast Casserole with Sausage
- Southwest Egg Muffins
- Baked Strawberry Donuts
- Crescent Bacon Breakfast Ring
- Fluffy Puffy Pancakes
Overnight French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 loaf french bread or thick texas toast
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups half and half
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Crunch Topping
- 1 1/2 sticks butter softened
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 Tbsp light corn syrup optional
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Prepare a 9"x13" baking dish by coating the entire inside of the dish with butter or cooking spray. Set aside.
- Slice the French bread, about 1-inch thick. Arrange slices in your prepared baking dish in rows, overlapping the slices. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread slices, making sure they are covered evenly. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices making sure all the slices are completely covered. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, preheat oven to 350°F. Meanwhile, carefully flip each piece of bread over to make sure everything is nice and coated with the mixture.
Make the Topping
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix to combine. Spoon the topping on top of the prepared bread slices. Then spread evenly over the bread (like you are icing a cake). You can also spread some of the mixture in between the slices to make sure the entire slice is covered (if you prefer).
- Bake for 35-40 minutes (no need to cover with foil), until puffed and lightly golden.
Last Step:
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- This is a french toast casserole so parts of the slices will be soft and the tops with a more baked/crisp texture. If you prefer the slices to a more baked/crisp texture, use a larger pan (deep half sheet cake pan) and this will open up the slices instead of packing them in a 9×13. Another option is to use two 9×13 pans.
- Sometimes I have used sliced sour dough bread from the bakery and that works great. This will save a little time from having to cut a loaf.
- Forgot to make the night before? That’s totally fine. I have done this as well. Just make sure the slices are soaked up really well and proceed with directions.
Nutrition
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40 comments on “Easy Overnight French Toast Casserole”
My family loves this!! One of our favorite dishes to have for breakfast.
Delicious, many compliments and now requests I make it again as my contribution towards our family Easter brunch this year. Gave a slice to a neighbor lady she said” on a scale of marvelous to fantastic, you my friend get a triple stupendous!”
Very good. I added a little more cinnamon and nutmeg to the egg mixture
The overnight French toast was a hit with my family and myself. Wow terrific! I cubed the French rolls I had in my pantry and it was so good. Thanks for the recipe.
Made this for Christmas morning. Substituted some eggnog for some of the milk. Everyone loved the extra richness and flavor.
Great! I didn’t make the topping, just served with syrup. Family said the day before not to make it, we had plenty for breakfast. I made half a recipe anyway, and they gobbled it up. Somebody said it’s like bread pudding – no it isn’t, there’s no custard on top, the bread soaks it all up and is quite soft inside.
Huge hit at my granddaughter’s birthday brunch! Made it EXACTLY as stated. PERFECT! THANK YOU!!!
Made this French toast casserole Christmas morning, it was really good but the top got really hard, the recipe didn’t say to cover it and I used French bread♀️
It turned out great, tasted great and was a big hit every time. I have even taken it to our Easter morning potluck.
I have made this recipe DOZENS of times and everyone loves it.. BUT the end product you show served on a plate in the tutorial video looks NOTHING like what is produced! It’s a CASSEROLE! It is not served at individual pieces of French toast. Just an FYI
So excited to make this for my family!! I love making my family some new things around the holidays. We have a lot of cozy family breakfasts around Christmas and New Year. And the best part is that we recently got our cabinets painted so I get to make all of this yummy holiday food in my new kitchen! Thanks for the recipe – I’m so excited to make it!!
Tried this recipe for a staff morning potluck. It was a super hit! I’m glad I made it. Instead of leaving flat I cut up all the bread and didn’t use corn syrup. Super delicious
Have made this several times and it is always requested for family gatherings. Today we will be doing it as “french toast sticks”. We cut up the bread into sticks and did everything else the same, the overlapping is minimal so I look forward to all the pieces getting some topping!
Good idea on sticks!
I made it without the topping (didn’t have the ingredients) and it was still spectacular! I have made it for out of town guests and they have loved it.
I gave it only five stars because that’s all they have.
Fantastic. Just brought the casserole to a party. Multiple people said that it was the best dish of the night. Incredible
For the topping, is the 1 1/2 sticks of butter melted or just softened.
Christine, use softened butter for the topping.
I have been looking for an overnight recipe for French toast, to use when we have guests. Just made this and it was so good! Only thing I think I will change is to use multiple baking dishes, so the slices don’t overlap. With the overlapped pieces, the first ones look beautiful and brown, with lots of the topping, but once you start getting the ones that have been overlapped, those do not look beautiful and have hardly any topping. But that’s just me.
I made this was a great hit. So easy
Haven’t tried the OVERNIGHT FRENCH TOAST yet but can someone please tell me how many pieces are considered a serving? Thanks.
I made it with a loaf of Texas toast (16 slices of thick bread). If the recipe serves 8, it should be 2 slices per serving. Just putting it in the oven waiting for the results and reviews from my family.
Made this for a family brunch this past weekend! Best dish of the Brunch! I used sliced brioche from Fresh Market and added a bit more cinnamon to the egg mixture. Cut mine in squares rather than trying to separate the slices.
My sister made this for our Christmas breakfast and then I made it for my family’s Christmas breakfast, both times, FANTASTIC! Making it again right now with some old baguettes, not sure it will turn out, but I’m hopeful!
Well, I’ve never had an ad for Viagra or women’s panties while looking up a Christmas morning recipe, but hey, that’s what we’ve become. Recipe was good, easy to follow. I was a little nevous about the topping but it worked out fine.
I made this for a ladies brunch and they all wanted the recipe. I didn’t make the topping, but I did drizzle a stick of melted butter over the top before baking and I baked it until the bread was golden brown and then drizzled it with syrup and sprinkled it with powdered sugar. Served it with warm syrup. It was outstanding!!! I will be making this again and again!
Carol Anne, I haven’t tried the OVERNIGHT FRENCH TOAST yet but am hoping someone can please tell me how many pieces are considered a serving so I can adjust the recipe correctly? Thanks.
This recipe is wonderful. Mine turned out like bread pudding. I used a loaf of homemade white bread that I had for a week. I made 2 changes. I added 3/4 cup of pumpkin because I needed to use it. I sprinkled the brown sugar and cinnamon on top of the bread mixture. I then cut 1/2 stick of butter into thin pads & put them on top of the sugar. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Your version sounds lovely. In Australia we call it Bread and Butter pudding and I’ve also made it with day old bread dates and orange zest….
Hell! Great recipe, but TOO MANY pop up ads! Made it hard to read the recipe.
Made this for my family and sent to my sister also on Christmas morning, It was a Huge success!!Thank you for the easy Christmas morning breakfast!! Now eaten frequently!!
Did not like this recipe, bread was to gooey
I had same issue
Try dry bread , you can dry it overnight or in oven at 275 for 10 minutes
I’m gonna try this & see. my son wants this recipe again. $I will see how it works with dryer bread .
You didn’t use regular bread did you? That was my mistake when making these.
This was super easy and delicious! Would def make again and recommend
This looks great! Now I have to find enough people to help me eat it! Otherwise I might be staring at super large hips! I had no trouble printing!
I haven’t tried it yet, but definitely on my “to make” list!
I would like to print this recipe, but I cannot see how to do this.
I would like to print this recipe, but I do not see where I can do this.
Hi Pat, click the “print it” button inside the recipe box.