One of our favorite things to make for our Christmas morning breakfast is this Overnight French Toast Casserole.
Not only does it taste absolutely delicious, but it actually is made the day before the big holiday.
So all that is required in the morning is to put the casserole in the oven and let it bake.
No standing over a hot griddle making individual servings of French Toast slices.
Instead, you can enjoy extra time with your family. And everyone can eat at the same time, including you!
Our Other Favorite Overnight Breakfast Recipes
Overnight French Toast Casserole Recipe
Because this is a casserole recipe, the ingredients list is a little larger than when making standard French Toast.
Not only will you need a few more eggs to bind the bread together when baking. You will also add a crumb topping to the top that is to die for!
Ingredients Required
- Loaf of thick bread
- Eggs
- Milk
- Heaving Whipping Cream
- White and Brown Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Cinnamon
- Flour
- Salt
- Butter
Instructions
This Overnight French Toast Casserole recipe requires thick bread slices instead of the thin slices of bread that you use to make a sandwich.
You can find a loaf of Texas Toast bread in most grocery stores. However, if you can’t seem to find it, you can use Sourdough or a French Bread Loaf from the bakery.
Day old, slightly stale bread works best for this recipe as it stands up firm to the baking process. However, if you buy a fresh loaf of bread, you can definitely still make this recipe.
First, cut your bread slices into 1-2 inch cubes. Then let it air dry so that the bread becomes hardened.
If you are short on time, you can also place the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and place it in a preheated oven set at 250°F for 10-15 minutes.
Remember, you want the bread firm and dried, but not toasted.
Next, place the dried out bread in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray and set aside.
Now it is time to prepare the custard that will bind the French Toast Casserole together.
Wet Ingredients
In a large bowl add the eggs, milk, cream, sugars, vanilla and cinnamon. Whisk the mixture until well incorporated.
Next, pour the liquid over the cut bread pieces that are in the casserole dish.
Using a spatula, lightly press the bread pieces so that each one has been coated with the egg mixture.
Cover and refrigerate for several hours, or preferably overnight.
Prepare the Crumb Topping
In a medium bowl add the topping ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or fork, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it forms small crumbles.
A little patience is required here. It will take a few minutes for the butter to become part of the mixture.
Once the mixture is nice and crumbly, cover and refrigerate until you are ready to bake the French Toast Casserole.
Baking Instructions
In the morning, take the casserole dish out of the refrigerate and preheat the oven.
While you wait for the oven to heat up, sprinkle the crumb topping on top of the bread. You will notice that the bread has soaked up the egg and milk mixture.
Once the oven is preheated, bake for 45-60 minutes. If you like your French Toast casserole to be a little more moist, remove from the oven at the 45 minute mark.
However, if you like it a little more firm, I would suggest baking it for up to 60 minutes.
When you remove the casserole from the oven, it will be inflated. No worries, once it is removed from the heat the bread will deflate.
Therefore, let it cool for 5 minutes before serving. Top with maple syrup, powdered sugar, or fruit!
Enjoy!
Mary and Jim
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening, DIY and recipe articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm. The two are frequent speakers on all things gardening and love to travel in their spare time.
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Overnight French Toast Casserole
All the flavors of a classic French Toast in an easy to eat, casserole. Make ahead the night before for a quick and easy breakfast meal the next day. The perfect holiday breakfast recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 pound loaf Sourdough, French Bread or Thick Texas Toast
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Topping Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Instructions
- Grease a 9 x 13 casserole dish and set aside.
- Cut bread into 1 inch chunks and spread evenly in the bottom of the casserole dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugars, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread and toss to coat the bread in the egg mixture.
- Cover the casserole and store in fridge for several hours or overnight.
Topping:
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add butter and cut into the flour mixture with a fork or pastry cutter until it forms a crumble. Store in the refrigerator.
Baking Instructions
- Take the baking dish out of the refrigerator and Preheat oven to 350°F
- Crumble the streusel topping evenly over the top of the casserole.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes. Less baking time will leave you with a moist texture, and more time will give you a drier texture.
- Serve warm with syrup, fruit and/or powdered sugar.
Notes
Recipe courtesy of Old World Garden Farms
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size:
1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g