Baked French Toast (easy overnight recipe) - Celebrating Sweets (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Allison · 107 Comments

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This overnight Baked French Toast is flavored with cinnamon and vanilla and topped with a brown sugar crumb topping. Prep the French toast the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning.This make-ahead breakfast is guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser.

Baked French Toast (easy overnight recipe) - Celebrating Sweets (1)

In very important news, it is Baked French Toast season. You are looking at our very favorite holiday breakfast (and basically what I want to eat every chilly winter morning). This Baked French Toast is perfect because 1) you can make it ahead, and 2) it is delicious and cozy. This is our Christmas morning breakfast every year, and once you taste it you’ll see why.

If Cinnamon Vanilla French Toast isn’t your jam, you can try our Buttermilk Pancake Casserole, Brown Sugar Banana French Toast, or Pumpkin French Toast Casserole.

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  • Recipe overview: Baked French Toast
  • Why you’ll love this recipe
  • Recipe tips
  • Serving and storage
  • More holiday recipes
  • Recipe
Baked French Toast (easy overnight recipe) - Celebrating Sweets (2)

Recipe overview: Baked French Toast

This fluffy and tender French toast casserole is flavored with vanilla and cinnamon and topped with a buttery brown sugar crumble.
Here are the three components to this recipe:

  1. Bread: Cut a loaf of day old French bread into bite sized pieces and place them in a casserole dish.
  2. Custard sauce: Whisk up a mixture of eggs, milk, half and half, brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour this mixture over the bread and let it sit in the refrigerator for a couple hours or overnight.
  3. Topping: A simple but delicious brown sugar cinnamon crumble is the perfect topping to the French toast. Add it right before baking.
Baked French Toast (easy overnight recipe) - Celebrating Sweets (3)

Why you’ll love this recipe

  • Easy – Just a few easy steps, and a basic list of ingredients.
  • Make ahead – All the work is done in advance (either a few hours ahead of time or overnight).
  • Hands off time – No standing at the stove flipping individual slices of French toast. While this bakes in the oven you are free to do whatever you want.
  • Flavor – Rich custard flavored with cinnamon and vanilla and a buttery brown sugar crumb topping. The coziest combination of flavors.
  • Texture – Fluffy and tender cubes of bread paired with a slightly crunchy crumb topping.

Baked French Toast (easy overnight recipe) - Celebrating Sweets (4)

Recipe tips

  • Use day old bread. You want the bread to be beginning to dry out so that it soaks up that delicious custard without getting too soggy.
  • Allow enough time for the French toast to soak. You need to allow the bread to soak in the custard for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. This gives the bread a chance to absorb the custard.
  • Feel free to switch up the flavors by adding orange zest, raisins, dried cranberries, or chopped nuts.
  • Out of brown sugar? Try my Brown Sugar Substitute.
  • Out of half and half? Try my Half and Half Substitute.

Serving and storage

Serving: This French toast is best served right after baking. Allow to cool down just a bit, then serve it warm with maple syrup.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave.

More holiday recipes

  • Sticky Toffee Pudding
  • Egg Casserole
  • Banana Pancakes
  • Apple Dumplings
  • Cinnamon Bread

Recipe

Baked French Toast (easy overnight recipe) - Celebrating Sweets (5)

Cinnamon Vanilla Baked French Toast

This overnight Baked French Toast is flavored with cinnamon and vanilla and topped with a brown sugar crumb topping. Prep it the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning!

4.95 from 35 votes

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Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Refrigerate: 8 hours hours

Total Time: 9 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 – 8

Calories: 362kcal

Author: Allison – Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

French Toast:

  • One 15 oz loaf French bread, cut into cubes (preferably a day or two old)
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup half and half
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

  • cup brown sugar
  • cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • Maple syrup, for serving

Instructions

Preparation (allow time to soak overnight):

  • Place the bread cubes in a greased casserole dish (an 8×11 will make a thicker casserole, a 9×13 will be a bit thinner).

  • In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, half and half, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread cubes. Lightly press down on the top of the bread to allow the top layer of bread to absorb some of the custard mixture, or gently stir it to distribute the custard throughout the bread. Cover, and refrigerate overnight (if you want to bake the same day, allow it to soak for at least 3 hours).

Topping:

  • Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add butter, and using your fingers or a fork, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter is evenly distributed and the mixture resembles wet, clumpy sand. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to bake the French toast.

Baking:

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove the French toast from the refrigerator (the bread will have absorbed most of the custard). Crumble the topping over the top of the French toast. Bake uncovered for 40-55 minutes, until puffed, golden brown, and set (check that the center is not too wet).

  • Note:Baking time will depend on how deep your casserole dish is and whether you prefer your french toast more well done. Serve immediately with maple syrup. Leftovers can be refrigerated.

Video

Notes

Serving: This French toast is best served right after baking. Allow to cool down just a bit, then serve it warm with maple syrup.

Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave.

Nutrition

Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 200mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 194mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 656IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.

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Comments

  1. Paula Wood

    Baked French Toast (easy overnight recipe) - Celebrating Sweets (7)
    Every time I prepare this recipe everyone raves about it. Simply delicious!

    Reply

    • Allison

      I’m so glad! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

      Reply

    • Sue

      Baked French Toast (easy overnight recipe) - Celebrating Sweets (8)
      I have made this for Christmas Brunch the last 3 years, it is the dish that my son and daughter-in-law request every year. We all love it!!

      Reply

      • Allison

        That’s great to hear! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

  2. Kathy

    Baked French Toast (easy overnight recipe) - Celebrating Sweets (9)
    This was by far the best French toast casserole that I’ve made. I made a 9×13 pan and added a few more slices of bread. I also added another egg and a little milk to the custard sauce. The crumb topping was amazing. This will be recipe to use from here on. Thank you!

    Reply

    • Allison

      I’m so glad! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂

      Reply

  3. Tammi

    Can this be made in individual size (large muffin tin)? If yes, what is the baking time adjustment?

    Reply

    • Allison

      Most likely but I haven’t tried it. I’d start checking them around 15 minutes. Make sure the liquid/custard is evenly distributed between the cups.

      Reply

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Baked French Toast (easy overnight recipe) - Celebrating Sweets (10)Hi, I'm Allison! I'm a busy wife and mom with a passion for cooking and baking. This is where you'll find my favorite homemade recipes, designed to help you make every day delicious! Read more....

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Baked French Toast (easy overnight recipe) - Celebrating Sweets (2024)

FAQs

Why is my overnight French toast soggy? ›

It could be because of the bread you used. If the bread you start with is too soft (such as white sandwich bread), it won't absorb all of the wonderful custard that it should, and it might end up soggy. If you find yourself with a soggy casserole, for whatever reason, try baking it a bit longer until it firms up some.

What is the trick to French toast? ›

Give yourself enough time to properly make your French toast. After you cut your bread, let it dry out on a wire rack overnight, or in a low oven for a couple hours. The drier the bread gets, the faster and easier it will absorb your custard base. Also, give your bread enough time to fully absorb your custard base.

Should French toast have more eggs or milk? ›

Whatever you decide on, the ratio of liquid to egg will still be about ¼ cup liquid to one egg, and one egg per two slices of bread. So, if you want to make four slices of French toast, you would need four slices of bread, two eggs, and ½ cup milk. How's that for an easy recipe?

Why is French toast unhealthy? ›

French Toast is a delicious breakfast entree that is loved by many. With this in mind, french toast can be very calorie dense with high amounts of added sugar and fat. But, it can be tweaked to reduce the sugar and fat content while adding some fiber to your breakfast - yay!

Is it better to cook French toast fast or slow? ›

Cooking it low and slow lets the bread soak up even more flavor. Stuffed French Toast: Chocolate, fruit, cream cheese or savory ingredients can all be stuffed inside French toast for extra flavor.

How to make Elvis French toast? ›

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, warm peanut butter, melted butter, honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour the egg mixture into a shallow bowl or baking dish. Fry the French toast.

Does the milk matter in French toast? ›

The fat, meanwhile, adds extra creaminess. Milk: You can technically use any liquid to make French toast, though milk is most popular. Not only does milk add the necessary moisture, but the fat gives the batter extra richness. This recipe calls for whole milk because it creates the ideal texture.

How do you keep French toast from collapsing? ›

"If you use fresh bread, it will soak up the [custard] so quickly that you run the risk of your French toast falling apart," explains Traci Weintraub, founder and head chef at Gracefully Fed. Alternatively, "slightly stale bread tends to hold up better in the liquid mixture," she says.

Is it OK to leave French toast out overnight? ›

A good rule of thumb is …. when in doubt throw it out. French toast has eggs in it, so should only be left on the counter no more than 2 hours.

Can you make French toast ahead of time and reheat? ›

Absolutely, you can make French toast in advance and reheat it later. This is a great option for busy mornings or meal planning. Simply cook the French toast, let it cool, and store it in the freezer. Reheat using your preferred method when needed.

What happens if you soak French toast too long? ›

The first is using fresh bread, which soaks up too much of the egg mixture and doesn't cook through, remaining eggy and soggy in the middle. Leaving the bread in the egg mixture for too long is another route to soggy French toast.

How do you keep French bread soft overnight? ›

For storage, slip the loaf into a paper bag. Fold over the top of the bag a time or two to seal in moisture. Stored this way, the crust will soften a bit, but it will still be enjoyable to eat for a day or two.

How do you keep toast crispy overnight? ›

Rather than leave the slices flat on a countertop or work space, though, consider propping the slices up at an angle to prevent the steam from softening your freshly toasted bread. Proper air circulation around the bread will allow it to stay crisp and dry.

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