This easy French toast casserole is the best way to make French toast for a crowd. Thick slices of buttery brioche soak up a sweet vanilla-spiced custard, then bake into a golden, crisp-topped casserole with the most irresistible soft, custardy center. Bonus: you can prep it the night before and just pop it in the oven when you’re ready.
If there’s one breakfast that comes close to rivaling my grandma’s cinnamon rolls and sticky buns in our house, it’s French toast—especially when it’s baked into a warm, custardy casserole. On holidays when I don’t have the time (or energy) to make yeasted rolls from scratch, or on cozy weekends when standing at the stove flipping slices sounds like too much, this brioche French toast casserole saves the day. It’s rich, buttery, and easy to prep ahead, made with thick cubes of brioche soaked in a vanilla-spiced custard and baked until golden and crisp on top, soft and creamy underneath.
It’s a lot like bread pudding, finished with a crunchy cinnamon sugar topping that makes the whole dish feel extra special. We serve it with warm maple syrup, a pat of butter, and fresh fruit on the side. If you’ve made and loved my cinnamon roll casserole, this is another favorite you’ll want to keep in the rotation. It’s perfect for holiday mornings and is served with plenty of butter, maple syrup, and fresh fruit!
Crispy Edges, Custardy Center, This Baked French Toast Casserole Has It All
- Perfect for feeding a crowd. This is one of my go-to brunch recipes for Christmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, or anytime we’re hosting family. It’s cozy, satisfying, and everyone always goes back for seconds.
- So easy to make. No standing at the stove flipping slices! Just layer everything in a casserole dish, pour over the custard, and bake. It’s simple, hands-off, and totally stress-free.
- That soft, custardy texture. Brioche is the perfect bread for this. It soaks up all the cinnamon-spiced custard and bakes into golden, crispy edges with a rich, creamy center that tastes like a warm hug on a plate.
Ingredient Notes
This recipe combines the ingredients in classic French toast into an easy breakfast casserole. I’ll get you started with some notes on the important ingredients. Scroll to the recipe card for a printable list with the full amounts.
- Day-Old Bread – I use a loaf of brioche bread, but any stale, day-old bread works. There’s the option to cut the bread into slices or chop it into 1” cubes, it’s up to you.
- Eggs, Milk, and Cream – Whole milk, half-and-half, and eggs make up the custard base you’ll use to dip the bread in.
- Sweetener – I use a combination of real maple syrup and brown sugar to sweeten the custard. You can use all of one or the other, or regular granulated sugar works fine.
- Spices – Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. You can also flavor your French toast casserole with a spice blend, like pumpkin pie spice.
- Cinnamon Sugar – For sprinkling over top of the finished casserole. You can make your own by combining ¼ cup of sugar with ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
Brioche vs. Regular Bread
Brioche is a French bread loaf made from an enriched dough with extra eggs, butter, and sugar. This makes it especially soft, puffy, and sweet compared to your average loaf of bread. I love brioche in this recipe, but any good quality, hearty bread will work here. Try using Italian, French, or Challa bread.
You want the bread to be slightly stale, this way it’ll soak up all of the custard. If you’re working with fresh bread, slice it the night before and leave the slices on a sheet tray in your oven to become stale overnight.
How to Make Brioche French Toast Casserole
The best part about this brioche French toast is that it takes what can be a lengthy process (soaking the bread, cooking each slice in a pan) and fits it into about 10 minutes of prep. Here’s how it’s done:
- Make the custard. First things first, whisk together the eggs with the rest of the custard ingredients, including the spices.
- Assemble the casserole. Next, layer the bread into a greased casserole dish and pour the custard over top. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar evenly over the casserole.
- Bake. Bake your French toast casserole under foil at 400ºF for 25-30 minutes. Afterward, remove the foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes to get the top nice and browned. Rest the casserole for a few minutes, then slice and serve!
Recipe Notes
- Don’t add too much dairy. Adding more dairy won’t make your French toast less “eggy”, but it will make the bread soggy. Be careful to not go overboard with milk and cream, otherwise, the eggs won’t firm up as they cook.
- Whisk the custard well. Make sure that the custard ingredients are thoroughly whisked together to avoid bits of cooked egg throughout your casserole.
- Use stale bread. Sturdy, stale bread is a must! It soaks up the custard, making the French toast creamy on the inside and crisp on the outside.
- Add-ins. I often use this casserole recipe as a base for more add-ins and flavors. Customize this casserole with fresh fruit like blueberries, raspberries, sautéed apples (or apple pie filling), chopped pecans, or chocolate chips. Simply layer any add-ins into the pan with the bread cubes before you add the custard.
Can I Make This Casserole the Night Before?
Yes! You can make an overnight French toast casserole by preparing this casserole a day ahead so that it’s ready to bake the following morning. Assemble the casserole as directed, but don’t bake it. Instead, wrap the casserole tightly in foil and then refrigerate it. The next day, sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the French toast, pop it into the oven, and bake.
Serving Suggestions
This brioche French toast casserole is one of my favorite breakfast treats on weekends and holidays. I love my slices topped with a generous amount of butter and maple syrup, and I’ll garnish the casserole with seasonal fruit, like fresh berries. It’s perfect for feeding a hungry brunch crowd with crispy potatoes and bacon on the side, plus other hearty dishes, like quiche florentine.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate. Store any leftover French toast casserole wrapped or covered tightly in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat. Reheat slices in a 350ºF oven, or the microwave, until warmed through.
- Freeze. Double wrap the casserole in plastic wrap, or store individual slices wrapped and stashed in a resealable baggie. Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Breakfast Recipes
Print
Brioche French Toast Casserole
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Brioche French toast casserole is a great way to make French toast for a crowd. Sliced brioche bread gets soaked in a rich and sweet custard flavored with vanilla and cozy spices. Serve with plenty of butter, maple syrup, and fresh fruit!
Ingredients
- 1 loaf (17.6 oz. / 1lb ) Brioche bread, (dried, day old) cut into ½” slices, or 1” cubes
- 8 Large eggs
- 2 cups (472ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (236ml) half & half
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) Pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons (28g) Light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10ml) Pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (5g) Ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon (5g) Salt
Cinnamon sugar topping
- ¼ cup (56g) Light brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish.
- In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, half & half, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.
- Layer the bread slices in the prepared dish, slightly overlapping them, and pour the custard mixture over the bread, making sure to lightly press the bread down into the pan and make sure all of the bread has soaked up some of the mixture.
- In a small bowl combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle this evenly over the casserole. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes, remove foil and continue to bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the top is browned and the center is set and cooked through. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serve warm with butter, syrup, and fresh fruit.
Notes
Storing
- Leftovers: can be stored wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave until heated through.
- To freeze leftovers: wrap the casserole tightly in plastic wrap and store it in a ziplock baggie for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in a 350℉ oven until heated through, or microwaving individual pieces.
- Make ahead: This recipe can be made a day ahead of time and baked off the next morning. Make the casserole through step 3 and then wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight or up to 12 hours. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar right before placing into the oven to bake
Notes:
- Whole or chopped bread will work: The bread can also be cut into 1” cubes and then spread out into the pan..
- Alternative Bread options: Any good quality, hearty bread will work here. You want the bread to be slightly stale so that it soaks up all of the custard. You can slice your bread the night before and leave it on a sheet tray in your oven overnight to stale. Try using Italian, French, or Challa.
- Add-ins: You can use this recipe as a base to add in other flavors. Blueberries, raspberries, sauteed apples, pecans or chocolate chips can be added to the pan with the bread cubes and then topped with the custard.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 24.5 g
- Sodium: 1160.1 mg
- Fat: 11.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 75.8 g
- Fiber: 2.9 g
- Protein: 22.8 g
- Cholesterol: 258.1 mg
Very easy recipe to put together and came out delicious!
Amazing Christine, thank you so much for giving this one a try!