French Toast Casserole Recipe
My baked French toast casserole is soft and fluffy with a beautiful crunchy top. This casserole features pieces of stale Brioche bread soaked with a sweet seasoned egg custard flavored with cinnamon and topped with an easy sweet butter syrup.
Servings: 12
Calories: 453kcal
Ingredients
- 1 lb Brioche loaf
- 10 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Sweet Butter Syrup:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar OPTIONAL
Instructions
How To Stale Bread:
- Cut bread into small, 1-inch cubes and spread the pieces evenly in a large baking sheet and just let them dry for about 24 hours.
- OR
- Preheat oven to 200°F. Cut the bread into cubes. Spread bread cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet and place it into the oven.
- Let them harden for about 1.5–2 hours.
French Toast Casserole:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a casserole dish. You can use a 9×13 casserole dish or a deep 9×9 casserole dish.
- Spread stale bread in the baking dish evenly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, sugar, and cinnamon. Whisk until all smooth and combined evenly.
- Pour egg mixture over the Brioche bread cubes evenly, all over. Press down all over the bread so that it all gets soaked.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes in a 9×13 casserole dish, or about 50 minutes in a 9×9 casserole dish.*PRO TIP: If the top is browning too fast, you can cover the top loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil when it starts to brown.
Sweet Butter Syrup:
- Melt butter in a small sauce pot over medium-low heat.
- Whisk in powdered sugar. Whisk and bring it to a gentle simmer. Let it gently simmer, stirring from time to time, for a couple of minutes.
- Whisk in the heavy whipping cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg until combined. Let it heat through. Take off heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Once French toast casserole is baked, pour half of the prepared syrup all over the top and give it a few minutes to soak through. (Save the rest for adding to individual slices.)
- Dust with powdered sugar if you wish and serve.
Video
Notes
How To Tell If It's Done: My first test is always to touch the middle and see how jiggly it is. If it starts to feel firm and yields when you gently press into it, it is fully cooked. Or check the internal temperature using an instant digital thermometer in the center of the casserole and aim for 170°F-175°F.
Store: store in the refrigerator covered air-tight for 3-4 days.
Make ahead: to make ahead, prepare up to the baking step, cover air-tight, and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bake uncovered, as instructed.
Freezing: freeze baked and cooled French toast casserole in an aluminum baking pan, covered air-tight in a couple of layers of foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
Nutrition
Calories: 453kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 251mg | Sodium: 249mg | Potassium: 117mg | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 1100IU | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 1.1mg