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.
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:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Notes
- 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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95 comments on “Easy Overnight French Toast Casserole”
Maybe it was because I only had 3/4 of a loaf of french bread, but for me it had too much butter in it, but it was still SO GOOD!
Made these for New Year’s breakfast and it was a big hit, easy to make and delicious
Thanks Angela!
Made this for Christmas morning and the family LOVED it. We had tried other overnight casseroles and my family didn’t care for the custard texture on the bottom.
So I took your advise and baked them in 2-13×9 pans, spreading them out. They wee brown and not doughy.
I did have a problem “spreading” the topping with the softened butter though. So this time I’m going to melt it and see how it comes out.
PRE TOAST THE BREAD!!! I made this on Xmas 2 years in a row. I think you only need half the custard for a loaf of bread. If you follow the recipe you get more of a bread pudding(way too soggy for my liking). Like many others had to bake for almost an hour and half the first time I made it. Half the custard and pre toast your bread. Also use softened butter for the topping; If you soften it in the microwave or use melted it will breakdown into a loose liquid as opposed to a crisp topping. Good recipe but the proportions are off.
Tried this with a loaf of brioche bread and was unsuccessful. Only got a few slices from a full loaf (sandwich bread sized loaf) so had way more liquid than was needed. Ended up with bread sitting in half baked eggs. Going to chalk that up to inflation and downsizing. Did smell amazing though so will try again with 2 loaves.
Sorry to hear that MAC! Yes, bread loaf sizes do vary. Please try again with more bread to fill the dish and let us know hoe it turns out!
Made this for brunch Christmas day. My family loved it.
Great to hear that Leanne. Thank you!
Made this for Christmas Eve brunch. The French toast was excellent. Instead of spreading the topping on top I spread on the bread slices. My only issue was the bread stuck to the pan. I did use a spray but next time will use a non stick pan. Everyone raved about it .
Thanks Appie!
Really good. Everyone enjoyed it for breakfast. The topping really gives it a nice touch. The only problem I had was spreading the topping. It was hard to spread onto bread that had soaked all night in the egg mixture. So, 30 seconds in the microwave and it was easy to spread onto the bread!
Great choice!
Thank you Michelle!
Made with challah and brioche w/chocolate chips. Used whole milk and heavy cream for the custard, sweetened with maple syrup. It was delicious
I cooked mine a little longer and broiled x3 minutes. Perfect! Everyone loved it!
Glad to hear it Robin! Thanks!
Excellent recipe! I used Brioche Bread. It was delicious!
Thanks Jeri!
Does a full loaf of Texas Toast replace the French bread? Or is it less?
Hi Kayla. It really depends on the size of the bread. You’ll just want to make sure not to overfill the pan. You’ll want to overlap about 2/3rds of the bread slice below the one you a placing in the pan.
What a easy and delicious recipe. One last thing I needed to do the morning of brunch.
Glad to hear this Patty! Thanks.
Nice because we can see the recipe! i wil try to make one of these days.
I love all of your recipes and they are within my cooking skills.
Thanks Marcia!
I’m pretty sure this is the recipe my friend made for breakfast this morning. It was really good. Very cinnamony.
I made this for my family for Thanksgiving morning, and they devoured. They said it was they best baked French toast I had ever made. So thank you for sharing your recipe.
Thank you Rebecca!
I need to know what temp to bake at ? Not listed anywhere !
Hi Mary. The oven temp is 350 and is listed in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
Step 5 says 350.
This is my go-to recipe for Christmas morning breakfast! It’s so easy and delicious!
How many slices of Texas Toast do you use?
I have a crock pot that is rectangle shaped, do you think it would cook all the way through in the same amount of baking time? I’d love to prepare the night before and turn it on in the morning.
Hi Sharon. I haven’t tried this recipe in a slow cooker but imagine it would work fine.