By: Jill Mills Updated: Dec 12, 2024

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This Eggnog French Toast is the perfect blend of a breakfast classic and a beloved holiday drink. Rich, creamy eggnog infuses every bite with festive flavor, complemented by warm spices and a drizzle of maple syrup. Easy to prepare and irresistibly delicious, it’s the ultimate holiday breakfast or brunch dish to share with family and friends!

A stack of golden Eggnog French Toast drizzled with syrup, garnished with sugared cranberries, served on a holiday-themed table.

Overnight Eggnog French Toast

I love this French toast recipe with eggnog. It tastes like Christmas morning! It’s so easy to make, too. Since it’s an overnight French toast, preparing it ahead of time is a breeze so it’s ready to bake the next morning, cutting back the amount of time spent in the kitchen. I enjoy preparing this to make on Christmas morning. It makes the whole house smell divine and it’s ready to eat after we open presents as a family. I promise that this recipe is even better than classic French toast!

Why You’ll Love This Eggnog French Toast

Kid approved. All kids love breakfast food, especially sweet French toast. They are going to be so impressed with the spiced, rich flavor of eggnog French toast that they will ask for it by name.
Easy recipe. This is such a simple recipe to prepare even if you don’t cook often. It’s very easy to follow and has minimal steps which means you’ll spend less time in the kitchen.
Budget-friendly. The cost for the ingredients in this recipe is low, even the eggnog! It’s seasonal, though. You won’t be able to make it all year. Make extra batches to store in the freezer for later.

A single serving of Eggnog French Toast with a bite taken out, showing the soft and fluffy interior, accompanied by cranberries and holiday accents.

What You’ll Need

Here are all of the components needed to make this eggnog French toast recipe. Most of the ingredients are for the eggnog custard to soak the bread. However, I also included ingredients for a maple caramel sauce.

Eggnog: Any variety of eggnog will work for this recipe. Classic, vanilla or even pumpkin spice would create a great twist. Since you don’t need very much, there will be plenty left to drink!
Heavy cream: This adds richness to the custard without adding a lot of moisture like milk would.
Eggs: This is key for structure, texture, and flavor. Ensure they are fully beaten so you don’t have cooked egg pieces in your French toast.
Vanilla extract: I love using pure vanilla in breakfast recipes. It adds depth, and a hint of vanilla, and enhances the other ingredients.
Spices: To keep it fun and festive, I use cinnamon and nutmeg. Feel free to add ground cloves or ginger if you like.
Sugar: White sugar works great for sweetening the custard. I use brown sugar as well for the maple caramel sauce to create that tasty layer on the bottom of the French toast.
French bread: I recommend slicing it yourself to get the right size. If they are too thin they will fall apart in the egg mixture.
Butter: You may use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. I went with unsalted because I didn’t want a prominent salty flavor.
Maple syrup: It has to be real maple syrup to get the authentic flavor. You may use breakfast syrup but it won’t turn out the same.

A flat lay of ingredients for Eggnog French Toast, including sliced French bread, eggs, brown sugar, butter, cream, eggnog, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar, all arranged on a rustic wooden surface.

How to Make This French Toast Recipe with Eggnog

There are a few hands-on steps in this recipe. Most of the time spent is allowing the bread slices to soak up as much of the custard mixture as possible for the most flavorful and fluffy French toast casserole ever.

Make the custard. Combine the eggnog, cream, eggs, spices, vanilla, and white sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk until well incorporated.

A mixing bowl with eggs, cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar, ready to be whisked for Eggnog French Toast batter.

A bowl of whisked eggnog batter, showing the smooth and creamy consistency for soaking the bread slices.

Slice and arrange the bread. Cut the French bread into 1-inch slices and arrange them flat in a shallow dish.
Add the mixture. Pour the eggnog mixture over the top of the bread slices evenly.

A baking dish filled with slices of bread soaking in eggnog batter, ready to be baked for French Toast.

Cover and chill. Use plastic wrap or foil to cover the dish and place it into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Prep the oven. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

A skillet with melted butter and brown sugar, creating a caramelized base for Eggnog French Toast.

A skillet filled with golden caramel sauce made from butter and brown sugar, glistening and ready to be used as a base for Eggnog French Toast, surrounded by festive greenery and a holiday-themed kitchen towel.

Make the caramel. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Then, whisk in the brown sugar and syrup. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until thick.
Layer in the baking dish. Pour the caramel into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and spread it evenly. Arrange the soaked bread slices on top.

A baking dish with caramel sauce spread across the bottom, prepared for layering the eggnog-soaked bread.

Eggnog-soaked bread slices arranged neatly in a baking dish over caramel sauce, ready to bake.

Bake. Put it into the oven and bake it for 35 to 40 minutes or until the middle has set and the top is golden.
Cool and serve. Allow it to cool slightly on the counter before serving and then, enjoy!

A freshly baked batch of Eggnog French Toast in a baking dish, golden and ready to serve.

Tips for Success

Try a different bread. Challah and brioche are great for French toast, too. Try a different bread for flavor and texture. It’s fun to experiment to create new flavor profiles and recipe ideas.
Let the bread go stale. Slate bread absorbs the custard mixture better than fresh bread. It’s a great way to use bread that you’ve had for a few days. This also makes slicing easier, too.
Topping ideas. Fresh fruit, Cinnamon Whipped Cream, Strawberry Butter, maple syrup, and powdered sugar are all great ideas for toppings. Get creative! Even sprinkles to mark a special occasion are great, too.

Proper Storage

Store leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. To freeze, place the completely cooled slices onto a baking sheet and place them in the freezer to firm up. Then, transfer them to a freezer bag and store them for up to 3 months. You may reheat them straight from frozen!

To reheat refrigerated leftovers, place them in a 350-degree oven or a toaster oven until warm. The microwave will make them mushy.