Name: Brioche French Toast Casserole
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h
Cuisine: American
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; ¼ cup (56g) Light brown sugar, packed; ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Brioche French toast casserole is the best way to make French toast for a crowd. Fluffy brioche bread gets soaked in a rich, sweet custard flavored with vanilla and cozy spices, and baked until it’s crisp outside and creamy inside. Great to make ahead!

Overhead view of a baked brioche French toast casserole topped with powdered sugar and garnished with fresh strawberries and blueberries.

The Best Brioche French Toast Casserole

If there’s one breakfast treat that rivals my grandmother’s cinnamon rolls in our house, it has to be French toast. On holidays when I’m not up to the task of making yeasted rolls from scratch, or on mornings when I don’t feel like hovering over a griddle, it’s brioche French toast casserole to the rescue! This casserole is quick and easy, made from fluffy brioche bread soaked in creamy custard with spices and vanilla. It’s a great way to use up leftover bread as well.

Everything is assembled and baked in a casserole dish until it’s crisp on the outside, and rich and creamy on the inside, finished with crunchy cinnamon sugar. This French toast casserole recipe is the best for brunches or holiday gatherings and served with plenty of butter, maple syrup, and fresh fruit!

3 Reasons I Love It

Family-pleasing. A fluffy brioche French toast casserole is made to feed a crowd. I’ll make this casserole for Easter or Mother’s Day brunch, and other occasions when we have company over.
Easy to assemble. Add all your ingredients to a casserole dish and bake. It’s way faster and easier than soaking and frying individual slices for everyone the old-fashioned way.
Soft, custardy slices. I love the way that day-old brioche bread soaks up all the delicious flavors of the quick and easy custard. Whether you cut your bread into slices or cubes, the edges crisp up golden in the oven, while the inside stays creamy and soft.

Maple syrup is drizzled from a jug over top of a slice of brioche French toast on a plate, with the casserole in the background.

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.

Ingredients for brioche French toast casserole with text labels overlaying each ingredient.

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!

Cinnamon sugar in a bowl. — Mix the custard ingredients.

A spoon drizzling egg mixture over brioche bread slices in a casserole dish. — Mix the custard ingredients.

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.

Close up of a baked brioche French toast casserole topped with powdered sugar and garnished with fresh strawberries and blueberries.

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.

Overhead view of a forkful of French toast casserole next to a slice of French toast topped with berries on a plate, and a jug of maple syrup nearby.

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.

Brioche French Toast Casserole