French toast casserole
A delicious and easy-to-make French toast casserole perfect for weekend brunch or holiday mornings. Layers of buttery bread, rich custard, and a cinnamon-sugar topping come together in a comforting, crowd-pleasing dish.
Prep
: 10
Total
: 25 minutes
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 loaf brioche or challah bread cut into 1-inch cubes
- 8 large eggs
- 2.5 cups whole milk
- 0.5 cup heavy cream
- 0.75 cup granulated sugar divided use
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon divided use
- 0.25 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter melted, plus extra for greasing
Topping
- 0.25 cup brown sugar light or dark
- 0.25 cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.
- Spread bread cubes evenly in the prepared baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, 0.5 cup sugar, vanilla extract, 1.5 teaspoons cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and melted butter until smooth.
- Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread. Gently press down on the bread to ensure it absorbs the custard. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix remaining 0.25 cup sugar with 0.5 teaspoon cinnamon and brown sugar. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the top, along with nuts if using.
- Bake uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for 5–10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with maple syrup, fresh berries, or powdered sugar on top.
Notes
For best results, use day-old bread. You can assemble the casserole the night before and refrigerate, then bake in the morning. Great for freezing too—wrap tightly and reheat at 350°F for 25–30 minutes.