Overnight French Toast Casserole delivers the classic flavor you know and love of French Toast in a delicious hands-off, prep-ahead breakfast casserole.
When it comes to entertaining guests for breakfast or brunch, I love turning to recipes that can be made in advance. Recipes like Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, Hashbrown Brown Breakfast Casserole, and this French Toast Casserole all can be assembled ahead of time, meaning you can still enjoy your sleep and present a hearty, delicious spread that your guests will rave about.
And this French Toast Casserole is a show-stopping brunch recipe you need to make!
Reasons To Love This French Toast Casserole
- Amazing Flavor & Texture. Filled with warming spices and rich maple syrup, this French Toast Casserole is perfectly sweet and bakes up fluffy in the center and a bit crispy on the edges. Finished with a sweet vanilla glaze, this is a simple breakfast recipe for a crowd that everyone loves!
- 15 Minutes of Hands-On Prep. It couldn't be easier to whip up this French Toast Bake. And when it comes to entertaining, easy recipes are best!
- Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole. French Toast Casserole is best if the bread is given time to soak up the egg custard, meaning not only is possible to prepare this recipe in advance, but it will turn out better. Perfect for entertaining or a holiday breakfast.
- Crowd-Pleasing Recipe. Only crumbs remain every single time I serve this French Toast Casserole and people beg me for the recipe, that is how you know it is a winner! It has also been a favorite with my readers as well for nearly 10 years!
- Easily Made Gluten-Free and/or Dairy-Free. With simple, tested modifications, you can easily make this French Toast Casserole dairy-free and/or gluten-free.
Ingredients Needed for French Toast Casserole
- Bread: Stale or day-old bread is best so that it can absorb the custard. Use any type of bread you like such as sourdough bread, whole wheat bread, french bread, Italian bread, challah, or cinnamon raisin bread. Keep in mind that using challah bread will result in a richer casserole, as the bread itself is quite sweet and eggy.
- Maple Syrup: Instead of using brown sugar or granulated sugar, I opt to use maple syrup to sweeten this French toast casserole. It adds warmth and flavor to the recipe, along with sweetening it.
- Eggs: Eggs will help the casserole to set up and give this casserole the flavors of classic French Toast.
- Half and Half: Half and half will make a rich, creamy custard. In place of half and half, feel free to use heavy cream or milk.
- For Flavor: To flavor the casserole, I recommend a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract which will pair well with the flavor of the maple syrup. A pinch of salt will enhance the flavor of the French Toast Casserole, not make it taste salty.
- Vanilla Glaze: While totally optional, a simple combination of powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk makes a deliciously sweet glaze that finishes off the French toast casserole perfectly. In place of the glaze, feel free to serve with maple syrup.
Dietary Modifications
- Dairy-Free French Toast Casserole: To make Dairy-Free French Toast Casserole, use almond milk or coconut milk in place of cow's milk. The coconut milk will produce a richer custard, but it does have notes of coconut in the final product. Also, be sure to use coconut oil or a non-dairy butter substitute for greasing the pan.
- Gluten-Free French Toast Casserole: You can make Gluten-Free French Toast Casserole by simply using your favorite gluten-free bread.
Tips for Making the Best French Toast Casserole
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare in Advance: French Toast Casserole is best when given time for the bread to soak up the delicious custard, hence why overnight preparation is best. If you skip the step of letting your bread sit in the custard overnight, the casserole will not be as fluffy.
- Use Dried-Out Bread. Ideally, any bread you choose to use needs to be stale or dried out to absorb the custard. If your bread is not fully dried out, you may end up with a soggy casserole, therefore it is crucial to dry out your bread properly before soaking the bread in the egg custard. You can either let cubed bread dry out overnight at room temperature or speed up the process by baking the bread in a 300-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.
- Submerge the Bread in the Egg Custard. After pouring the egg and cream mixture over the dried-out bread, use your hands to gently push down the bread cubes into the custard to fully submerge. That will help ensure that the bread absorbs the casserole.
- Refrigerate Overnight. Cover the assembled casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 18 hours.
- Take the Chill Off the Casserole Before Baking. In the morning, remove the casserole from the refrigerator while the oven is preheating. This will help to take the chill off your casserole and prevent your casserole dish from cracking due to extreme temperature changes.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerate: Leftover French Toast Casserole can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat individual servings in the microwave for 1 minute per serving. Or place the casserole, covered with foil, in a 325-degree F oven for 30 minutes until warmed through.
More Favorite Brunch Recipes
- Asparagus Frittata
- Quiche Lorraine
- Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Overnight Breakfast Strata
If you tried this Overnight French Toast Casserole, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Easy Overnight French Toast Casserole Recipe
Overnight French Toast Casserole delivers the classic flavor you know and love of French Toast in a delicious hands-off, prep-ahead breakfast casserole. Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free modifications included.
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Servings: 8
Calories: 169kcal
Ingredients
For the French Toast Casserole
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 16 ounces Italian or French bread cut into 1-inch cubes (this is about 8-10 loosely packed cups)
- 2 cups half and half or milk or cream
- 6 large eggs
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Vanilla Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons milk or cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- dash of salt
Instructions
- Cube the bread into 1-inch cubes. Spread the bread cubes out onto a large sheet pan and allow the bread to dry out at room temperature for 4-12 hours. If time does not permit, dry the bread quickly in a 300-degree F oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Grease a 9x13 baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter and place the cubed, dried-out bread inside the casserole dish in an even layer.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
- Pour this mixture over the cubed bread, gently tapping the bread down to be fully submerged in the custard. Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a least 8 hours or up to 18 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator while and allow it to come to room temperature as the oven preheats.
- Once the oven has preheated, remove the plastic wrap and cover the baking dish with foil. Bake covered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until set.
- Serve warm with the vanilla glaze and/or additional maple syrup.
For Glaze
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine milk, salt, and vanilla. Add in the powdered sugar and whisk until thin glaze forms. Add in more milk 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed to thin it out. Serve with the French Toast Casserole.
Equipment Needed
Notes
Gluten-Free Modifications: Use gluten-free bread in place of regular bread.
Dairy-Free Modifications: Use dairy-free milk in place of cream/butter and dairy-free butter (like Smart Balance) in place of butter.
Prevent a Soggy Casserole: Chances are if your casserole is soggy, you did not use enough bread or your bread was too fresh (soft) to absorb the egg custard. To prevent this from happening, use dried-out bread. In the morning, be sure that most of the custard has been absorbed by the bread before baking. If you have more than ½ cup of liquid not absorbed by the bread, you may want to drain off a bit of that custard before baking.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheat in the microwave in individual serving sizes or a 300-degree F oven until just warmed through.
Nutrition
Calories: 169kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 126mg | Sodium: 327mg | Potassium: 138mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 220IU | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 1.3mg
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This post was originally published in March 2018 but was updated in December 2019 and December 2023.
Gabriela
This recipe is amazing! I remember trying overnight french toast in a restaurant and it was delicious, so I searched for recipes to try it at home and this is how I found this one. I did it with almond milk and it was perfect. The flavor was so good, that I didn't even add more maple syrup afterwards when eating. For me, there is no going back to same-day french toast... also, doing a casserole was way easier than doing one piece of bread at a time in a frying pan. Can'´t wait to try this again!
Kristen Chidsey
YAY! I am so glad you enjoyed so much Gabriela--thank you for taking the time to share your review 🙂
Barbara Romero
Has anyone tried this baked french toast without the maple syprup? I am not a fan of maple syrup but the recipe sounds wonderful
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Barabara! I would use sugar or brown sugar. It will be delicious!
Mary Beth
I am so excited! I made this and it turned out amazing. I didn't have any fancy bread, I just had heels and a few odds and ends that I usually save to make dressing. I cubed them all up along with some bagels and English muffins. I left it on the tray to dry and put the casserole together that evening. I made two square pans as 9 x 13 is way too much for the two of us. I was skeptical when I took them out of the fridge the next morning but I followed the directions exactly. Didn't make the glaze but used butter and maple syrup. Delicious and enough for the following morning. Wonderful use for all those odd pieces of bread that get thrown in the freezer. Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
I LOVE that you were able to make this using the scraps you had at home! It is a great way to use up leftover bread and enjoy a delicious breakfast.
Laura Schricker
can unseasoned croutons be used or unseasoned stuffing for a shortcut for having to dry and cut the bread up ?
Kristen Chidsey
I would imagine that would work Laura, but I honestly have not tried it myself.
Kiersten
I made this for my friends birthday brunch and I went home with an empty pan. I made that one with normal bread and I made it again with gluten free bread. Both taste amazing and are a huge hit in my family. Highly recommend!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you and your friends enjoyed Kiersten 🙂
Christine Derry
I really like your recipes but because of the black header, when I want to print, it uses up way too much black ink. Could you possibly change it to black letters on white background?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Christine, I recently changed to the black header because it was easier to read. I just made changes, so it should be super compact and printer friendly now. Thanks for sharing that input!
Ryan
Hello! Is it possible to half this recipe to accommodate an 8x8pan? I have a few people coming over and 9x13 seems to be a bit large for my guests. Would you have any suggestions? Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Ryan! Yes, you can cut this recipe in half and prepare in an 8x8 pan! I hope you enjoy!
Ryan
Thank you!!
Heidi
Amazing french toast bake! Our new Christmas morning tradition!!! I used 10 cups of dried out whole wheat crust loaf and 7 eggs. I also used 3 rounded teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/2 a teaspoon of nutmeg, dotted with butter and brown sugar before baking. Absolutely delightful! Thank you! Merry Christmas!!!
Kristen Chidsey
Oh I love that is now a tradition. So glad you enjoyed and hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!
Donna
Have you ever tried with orange extract vs vanilla extract? Would that work?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Donna! Orange extract has a very strong flavor, so I would not recommend using in place of vanilla. It would be better to just omit the vanilla altogether.
Marni
I bought French bread for this recipe to make on Christmas Eve (in 3 days) for Christmas morning! But now I’m second guessing that the bread will be TOO stale by then ?? Should I cut it up already and keep it out? Or refrigerate? Or make the recipe early? Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Marni, if it is fresh bread and the sell by date is no later than December 24, it will be fine. I would personally leave at room temperature sealed well and then cube up early on Christmas Eve and then pour custard over the bread cubes before going to bed. If your French bread expires before the 24th,freeze the bread and pull out the 23rd and cube up the 24th. Hope that helps and Merry Christmas.
Marni
Ok! Thank you!! I’m excited to have a little bit healthier Christmas morning breakfast (we usually do Monkey Bread) so thank you for this recipe!!
Kristen Chidsey
I hope you and your family enjoy Marni!!