Because we can easily prep this the night before, bake it in the morning and in 40 minutes we’ll be enjoying the cinnamony, custard-like creamy goodness topped with a craaaaazy amount of buttery maple syrup. This recipe solves the problem of what to do with stale bread and how to gain back time (no standing at the stove dipping and frying slice after slice of bread). We cover the bread cubes with the spiced egg wash and the oven does the work. So whether it’s a busy morning, lazy weekend breakfast, brunch, or something the kids whip up for Mother’s Day, this family-approved baked French Toast Casserole is the next best breakfast thing.
Why You’ll Love It
Get the decadence of traditional French Toast with a lot less work.Cook from start to finish in under an hour.Prep it the night before for an even easier morning. This pantry recipe used ingredients you already have on hand.Swap or add ingredients to change up the flavor.Feeds a crowd or makes great leftovers.
Tools
A handy Mixing bowlSpatulaBaking dishGround cinnamonBest ever sea salt flakesButtery maple syrup for toppingMeal prep containers for storing leftovers
Okay, so are you ready to whip up the easiest overnight french toast casserole? Then go grab all the lovely ingredients and come back so I can show you…
How to Make French Toast Casserole
Heat the oven to 375F / 190C / gas 5 and grease a 9×13 baking dish.Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and layer about half of the bread into the dish with no gaps.Sprinkle with half of the pecans and then repeat with the remaining bread and pecans. Mix together the custard ingredients and pour it evenly over the bread.Mix the topping ingredients and drizzle them over the top of the casserole.Bake for 30-35 minutes until browned. Serve with maple syrup and powdered sugar or icing sugar.
How to Make Overnight French Toast Casserole
The beauty of this breakfast casserole is that you can make it and cook it all at once or you can prep the entire casserole the night before and bake it in the morning. Overnight casseroles give you maximum flexibility to enjoy a relaxed morning.
Grease a 9×13 baking dish.Cut the bread into 1-inch cubes and layer about half of the bread into the dish with no gaps.Sprinkle with half of the pecans and then repeat with the remaining bread and pecans. Mix together the egg custard ingredients and pour evenly over the bread.Mix the topping ingredients and drizzle them over the top of the casserole.Cover the casserole tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place it in the fridge overnight.In the morning, heat the oven to 375F / 190C / gas 5 and bake the casserole for about 40 minutes until browned and serve.
Recipe Tips
Let’s be honest. With this recipe, you get to enjoy French toast without all the dipping and flipping so it doesn’t get much easier. But to ensure your success here are a few tips to enjoying a great baked french toast. How to cut your bread? For this recipe, you’ll need 10 cups of cubed bread. Start by slicing your loaf into 1-inch thick slices (keeping the crust on) and then cut your slices into cubes. It’s OK if the cubes aren’t perfect, as long as they are about an inch thick (this will help them soak up the spiced egg wash). Adding Your Bread to the Casserole Dish: When you add your first layer of bread to your casserole dish, try to create an even layer with as few gaps as possible. Spread the bread out so that there are no large holes in the bottom of your casserole. You may end up needing to add a few more than half of the bread cubes to create an even layer.
Make This Recipe Your Own
One of the greatest things about this recipe is that it is so versatile. Most of the ingredients are things you have in your pantry and even though the recipe calls for french bread, you can use ciabatta, sourdough, challah, and even cinnamon swirl bread. You can also swap out some of the other ingredients with what you have on hand or to change up the flavors. Here are some of our favorite ways to change up this French Toast Casserole.
Top with dried fruit like cranberries or raisins or my favs soft dried apricots.Use walnuts or sliced almonds instead of pecans.Add a splash of vanilla extract or try almond or orange extract.Orange zest or lemon zest can brighten up the flavors.Use almond milk or coconut milk in place of milk.Nutella or chocolate chips are loved by the kiddoes.Add a splash of alcohol. Try rum, amaretto, or Irish cream.
MEAL PREP AND PREP AHEAD
Prep ahead – Prepare this casserole up to 24 hours in advance. Cover the dish with plastic wrap or foil and store it in the fridge. Bake it when ready. Freeze – It freezes really well.
Cover the dish tightly with foil and freeze it for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw it overnight in the fridge. Bake as directed at 350° but you may need to increase the cooking time to up to 50 minutes.
Leftovers – If you have any leftovers, store them in the refrigerator. You can reheat them in the microwave but the casserole will lose some of its crunchiness.
Serving Suggestions
Air Fryer Frittata.Fruit Salad.Strawberry Watermelon Smoothie.
Need More Breakfast Recipes
Air Fryer French Toast Sticks.Baked Brioche French Toast.Orange Strawberry Muffins.Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge.Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip. <= awesome non-breakfast dip
Thank you for reading my Overnight French Toast Casserole recipe post. And please visit again as I continue dreaming up recipes, traditional African recipes, African fusion recipes, Sierra Leone recipes, travel plans, and much more for you. Thanks for supporting Recipes from a Pantry, food blog.
