Posted Mar 26, 2021, Updated Jul 21, 2024 I love breakfast recipes that are prepared the night before so I can enjoy the mornings with my family without being too busy in the kitchen. This overnight French toast casserole is the perfect recipe to make for any special occasion. I took our favorite French toast recipe and turned it into a baked French toast casserole that is out-of-this-world delicious. In this recipe, french bread is combined with a sweet vanilla egg & milk mixture and topped with a buttery streusel topping – all prepared the night before and baked in the morning.
French Toast Casserole Recipe: Ingredients & Substitutions
French bread. Choose your favorite bread, (besides French bread) are brioche, cinnamon swirl bread, and sourdough. Whole Milk. You can use 2 % milk in place of whole milk, or you can use all half and half. Half and half. You can replace half and half with whole milk or heavy cream. Brown sugar. dark or light brown sugar can be used with excellent results. Granulated sugar. You can replace the granulated sugar with brown sugar, if desired. Salted butter. unsalted butter is a good substitute. All-purpose flour. use unbleached, all-purpose flour for the best results.
How to Make French Toast Casserole
This baked French toast is easy to make! We will walk through how to make baked french toast step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.
Make the French Toast Layer
First, make the egg mixture. Todo this, whisk together eggs, milk, half and half, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt in a large bowl. This is most easily achieved when the ingredients are all at room temperature. Next, evenly spread the bread cubes in a prepared baking dish, then pour the egg mixture over the bread pieces and stir to combine.
Chill Overnight
Once the bread and egg mixture are combined, cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight.
Make the Crumb Topping
In a medium bowl, use a fork, pastry cutter or your hands and mix together the butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and sea salt until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or use a bowl with a lid) and store in the refrigerator overnight.
Assemble
In the morning when you’re ready to bake, remove the French toast casserole and crumb topping mixture from the refrigerator and evenly sprinkle the streusel over the top.
Bake
Next, bake the french toast casserole until the top is lightly golden brown. The filling will bubble slightly and feel set when touched.
Serve
Let the casserole cool slightly and then serve it warm with a drizzle of maple syrup. We also love whipping up a batch of this cinnamon honey butter or homemade whipped cream to serve on top!
Store
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days and reheat in the microwave or oven on warm.
Freeze
You can freeze the entire baked French toast casserole by letting it cool completely then covering it with plastic wrap and foil and putting it in the freezer for up to 1 month. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator and then bake it loosely covered with foil according to the recipe instructions. You can also freeze this baked french toast in individual pieces so you can pull them out one at a time to enjoy. Simply cut the cooled casserole into individual servings. Place the pieces on a baking sheet and flash-freeze until hardened. Then wrap in plastic wrap and store in a freezer-friendly, airtight container for up to 2 months. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
