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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FAQs

Should French toast be soaked overnight? ›

French toast will always signify a slow Sunday's morning where an indulgent breakfast is calling to be enjoyed. The way to achieve this is to make your egg mixture the night before and leave the bread slices to soak up the batter overnight. I place them snugly into a shallow dish and pour the mixture all over.

Why is my overnight French toast soggy? ›

There are a few potential reasons why your overnight French toast may be soggy. One possible culprit is that you did not use dense enough bread, which allowed the custard mixture to soak in too much.

What is one common mistake when preparing French toast? ›

If the pan isn't hot enough when you put your first slice in, the custard spreads out, forming a "foot" on the bottom of the French toast. When the pan is hot enough, the batter won't have time to seep; the custard will start cooking as soon as it hits the pan.

What is the best pan for French toast? ›

Your perfect companion for making French toast is a non-stick frying pan. CRISTEL® has an exceptional selection of non-stick frying pans with removable handles that are great for both pan-frying and also oven-cooking.

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.

Is it better to use milk or heavy cream for French toast? ›

Heavy Cream-use heavy cream for an extra decadent French toast. You can also use half milk and half heavy cream. Almond Milk-unsweetened vanilla almond milk makes great French toast. I love the extra vanilla flavor.

Why is restaurant French toast so much better? ›

According to the chef, the difference comes down to two main elements: the use of high-quality yeasty bread and allowing it time to properly soak. While you can use regular old white bread at home, you may want to give yours an upgrade — try subbing in thick-cut slices of brioche instead.

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

Tip #3: Cook French Toast Over Low Heat for 15 Minutes Total

The mistake that is most often made with french toast is not cooking it long enough so that the custard inside is cooked thoroughly. We're going to be working over low heat here, so it is important to let it cook for 7 & 1/2 minutes per side.

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?

Can you soak French toast too long? ›

There are several possible reasons for soggy French toast. 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? ›

Use reusable wrap like Bee's Wrap

This is one of my favorite ways to wrap up longer loaves (like demi-baguettes), and the wrap works extremely well at keeping loaves soft but not too soft. Simply place your bread in the wrap and cover it tightly.

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.

Is it normal for French toast to be soggy in the middle? ›

There are a couple of common mistakes that can really mess up your french toast. You don't want to turn your griddle heat up too high- the outsides will burn and the inside will be soggy. You don't want to use too much milk.

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