Overnight French Toast Casserole

This easy Overnight French Toast Casserole is the perfect brunch dish for a crowd. It’s topped with an irresistible cinnamon sugar topping!

french toast casserole in a white baking dish with a side of maple syrup in a glass mug.

Whether it’s a holiday brunch or a cozy weekend morning at home, this easy Overnight French Toast Casserole with Cinnamon Sugar is perfect for the occasion. Along with some Praline Bacon, it’ll be the perfect dose of comfort food to start your day!

The casserole is soft and custardy on the bottom and crunchy on top, thanks to the cinnamon-sugar-loaded bread cubes poking out from the casserole. Best of all, it’s really easy to make.

It’s made to sit in the refrigerator overnight, so start it the night before. In the morning, you’ll just need to bake it, make the coffee, and brunch is served.

Stuffed French Toast and Hash Brown Casserole with Corn Flakes are two other make-ahead casseroles that I love—it’s just so easy to make everything the night before!

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What’s the best bread for french toast casserole?

Per its name, french bread is ideal for Overnight French Toast Casserole.

Choose a loaf that’s slightly crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. I got mine at the bakery counter at my local grocery store. The crust adds some nice texture to the top of the casserole!

You can also use brioche, challah, or Italian bread.

Ingredients

ingredients for french toast casserole on a white table.
  • A one-pound loaf of french bread is the base of this recipe. It should be soft in the middle and a little crusty on the outside.
  • Milk, eggs, and vanilla create a rich vanilla custard that the bread will soak up.
  • Cinnamon and sugar dot the top of the casserole, which adds crunch and a gorgeous golden hue.

How to make overnight french toast casserole

Start the night before by slicing the loaf of french bread into 1 inch cubes. I find that a large serrated knife is easiest for this—it cuts through the crust easily and doesn’t squish the soft and fluffy interior.

Place the bread in a greased 13×9 inch casserole dish. I grease mine with an oil mister though cooking spray from the grocery store works great, too.

Whisk the eggs, milk, salt, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl, then pour the mixture over the bread.

uncooked french toast casserole in a white dish.

Press on the bread gently with your hands so it soaks up the vanilla custard. Then, cover and refrigerate the casserole overnight (or for a minimum of two hours).

The next morning, dot the casserole with butter, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top.

french toast casserole topped with mini cubes of butter and cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until golden brown. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Then, cut into slices and serve with maple syrup.

baked french toast casserole in a white casserole dish.

You can also see a step-by-step tutorial of this recipe here.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to let it sit in the refrigerator overnight?

Give the casserole at least two hours in the refrigerator before baking. You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours, if desired.

How do I reheat french toast casserole?

To reheat french toast casserole, place the entire casserole dish in a 350°F oven for 15–20 minutes, or until warm throughout. To reheat slices of the casserole, you can either reheat them in the oven (for about 5–8 minutes) or in the microwave (1–2 minutes on high).

How do I make french casserole dairy free?

Replace the cow’s milk with almond milk or soy milk, and replace the butter with a vegan butter.

Variations

French toast casserole is delicious on its own, but if you want to change it up, here are a few ideas:

– add a half of a cup of chocolate chips
– add a cup of fresh blueberries or sliced strawberries (or a mix of the two)
– drizzle the finished casserole with caramel sauce instead of maple syrup

When adding either the chocolate chips or fruit, toss them with the bread and then add the vanilla custard.

hand pouring a glass jar of maple syrup over a slice of french toast casserole.

How to reheat french toast casserole

After it’s cooked, any leftovers should be stored in the refrigerator.

To reheat, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the casserole dish in the oven and bake for 15–20 minutes for larger portions of the casserole, or 5–8 minutes for individual slices.

You can also reheat individual slices in the microwave for 1–2 minutes on high.

Serving suggestions

Maple syrup is a must for Overnight French Toast Casserole! It’s just lightly sweet on its own, so the syrup is the perfect complement.

For a protein-packed side dish, scrambled eggs or a quiche (like this asparagus & gruyere quiche) would make a great accompaniment. And Sausage Breakfast Pizza is a fun one!

Praline bacon is ALWAYS a hit. And how about a brunch cocktail? A bellini in the spring/ summer or a clementine rosemary cocktail in the fall/winter will get your morning started on the right foot!

Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and/or comment below!

📖 Recipe

french toast casserole in a white casserole dish.

Overnight French Toast Casserole with Cinnamon Sugar

Published by Kate
Make this brunch treat the night before, then just bake and serve in the morning! It's perfect for a crowd.
4.49 from 131 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Brunch
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings
Calories 222 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the casserole:

  • 1 lb loaf french bread, cut into 1 inch cubes (about 10 cups)
  • 8 eggs
  • 3 cups milk
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the topping:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • To serve: maple syrup

Instructions
 

  • Place the bread in a greased 13×9 inch baking dish.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Pour the mixture over the bread cubes.
  • Press the bread cubes lightly with your hands so that they soak up the vanilla custard.
  • Cover and refrigerate overnight (or for at least two hours).
  • When you're ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Uncover and dot the casserole with the butter cubes, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
  • Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the custard is set.
  • Let stand for 5 minutes, then cut into slices and serve with maple syrup.

Video

Notes

Want to add mix-ins? Add half of a cup of chocolate chips or 1 cup of fresh fruit (like blueberries or sliced strawberries) along with the bread. Pour the custard over the top and proceed as directed in the recipe above. 
You can make this recipe dairy-free by substituting almond milk or soy milk in place of the cow’s milk. Also, replace the butter on top with a vegan (non-dairy) butter. 
To best reheat the casserole, place any leftovers in the casserole dish into a 350°F. Bake until warm throughout (about 15–20 minutes for larger sections of the casserole, or 5–8 minutes for individual slices). You can also microwave individual slices for 1–2 minutes on high. 

Nutrition

Calories: 222kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 10gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 359mgPotassium: 169mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 316IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 2mg
Keyword french toast casserole
Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a star rating and comment below!

8 Comments

    1. Hi Karen, unfortunately I haven’t tried it to know for sure. I do think the topping wouldn’t be as crispy after the freeze/thaw process.

  1. 5 stars
    Should it be dry all the way after you cook it or is a little gooeyness ok? The bottom of mine was still a little gooey even though the top was nice and crispy and I want sure if I should cook it longer. I did for a little bit but I didn’t want it to get burned.

    1. Grease the inside of a slow cooker insert and add the cubed bread.
      In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and sugar mixture,
      Pour the egg mixture over the bread and press down the bread to help it soak up the liquid. Cover and refrigerate overnight for 6-12 hours.
      The next morning, cut the butter into small pieces and dot it over the top of the casserole. Sprinkle the top evenly with the remaining sugar mixture and cover.
      Cook in the crockpot on high for 2.5 hours or low for 4.5 hours. Top with desired toppings and serve.

4.49 from 131 votes (129 ratings without comment)

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