Overnight French Toast Casserole is a crowd-pleasing, make-ahead breakfast recipe that everyone loves! Made with a maple custard and light vanilla glaze, this French Toast Casserole recipe delivers the classic flavor you know and love of French Toast in casserole form.
When it comes to entertaining guests for breakfast or brunch, I love turning to recipes that can be made in advance. Recipes like Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, Hashbrown Brown Breakfast Casserole, Overnight Breakfast Strata, and this French Toast Casserole all can be assembled ahead of time, meaning you can still enjoy your sleep and present a hearty, delicious spread that your guests will rave about.
And this French Toast Casserole is a show-stopping brunch recipe that is guaranteed to wow your guests!
Reasons To Love This French Toast Casserole
- Amazing Flavor & Texture. Filled with warming spices and rich maple syrup, this French Toast Casserole is perfectly sweet and bakes up fluffy in the center and a bit crispy on the edges. Finished with a sweet vanilla glaze, this is a simple breakfast recipe for a crowd that everyone loves!
- 15 Minutes of Hands-On Prep. It couldn't be easier to whip up this French Toast Bake. And when it comes to entertaining, easy recipes are best!
- Make-Ahead Breakfast Casserole. This recipe for Overnight French Toast Casserole is best if the bread is given time to soak up the egg custard, meaning not only is possible to prepare this recipe in advance, but it will turn out better. Perfect for entertaining or a holiday breakfast.
- Crowd-Pleasing Recipe. Only crumbs remain every single time I serve this French Toast Casserole and people beg me for the recipe, that is how you know it is a winner! It has also been a favorite with my readers as well for nearly 10 years!
- Easily Made Gluten-Free and/or Dairy-Free. With simple, tested modifications, you can easily make this Overnight French Toast Casserole dairy-free and/or gluten-free.
Notes on Ingredients Needed
- Bread: Stale or day-old bread is best so that it can absorb the custard. Use any type of bread you like such as sourdough bread, whole wheat bread, french bread, Italian bread, challah, or cinnamon raisin bread. Keep in mind that using challah bread will result in a richer casserole, as the bread itself is quite sweet and eggy.
- Maple Syrup: Instead of using brown sugar or granulated sugar, I opt to use maple syrup to sweeten this French toast casserole. It adds warmth and flavor to the recipe, along with sweetening it.
- Eggs: Eggs will help the casserole to set up and give this casserole the flavors of classic French Toast.
- Half and Half: Half and half will make a rich, creamy custard. In place of half and half, feel free to use heavy cream or milk.
- For Flavor: To flavor the casserole, I recommend a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract which will pair well with the flavor of the maple syrup. A pinch of salt will enhance the flavor of the French Toast Casserole, not make it taste salty.
- Vanilla Glaze: While totally optional, a simple combination of powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk makes a deliciously sweet glaze that finishes off the French toast casserole perfectly. In place of the glaze, feel free to serve with maple syrup.
Recipe/Dietary Modifications
- Dairy-Free French Toast Casserole: To make Dairy-Free French Toast Casserole, use almond milk or coconut milk in place of cow's milk. The coconut milk will produce a richer custard, but it does have notes of coconut in the final product. Also, be sure to use coconut oil or a non-dairy butter substitute for greasing the pan.
- Gluten-Free French Toast Casserole: You can make Gluten-Free French Toast Casserole by simply using your favorite gluten-free bread.
How to Make Overnight French Toast Casserole
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare Bread. Cube the bread into 1-inch cubes and place them into buttered baking dish.
- Prepare Egg Custard. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
- Assemble Casserole. Pour the egg mixture over the bread and use a spatula or your hands to gently submerge the bread into the egg custard.
- Refrigerate. Cover the casserole tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
- Bake. When ready to bake, unwrap the casserole and let it come to room temperature while the oven preheats. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until set.
- Glaze. While the French Toast is baking, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together. Drizzle that mixture over the baked casserole before serving.
Tips to Remember
The following tips are provided to help you make the best French toast casserole.
- Prepare in Advance: French Toast Casserole is best when given time for the bread to soak up the delicious custard, hence why overnight preparation is best. If you skip the step of letting your bread sit in the custard overnight, the casserole will not be as fluffy.
- Use Dried-Out Bread. Ideally, any bread you choose to use needs to be stale or dried out to absorb the custard. If your bread is not fully dried out, you may end up with a soggy casserole, therefore it is crucial to dry out your bread properly before soaking the bread in the egg custard. You can either let cubed bread dry out overnight at room temperature or speed up the process by baking the bread in a 300-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.
- Submerge the Bread in the Egg Custard. After pouring the egg and cream mixture over the dried-out bread, use your hands to gently push down the bread cubes into the custard to fully submerge. That will help ensure that the bread absorbs the casserole.
- Take the Chill Off the Casserole Before Baking. In the morning, remove the casserole from the refrigerator while the oven is preheating. This will help to take the chill off your casserole and prevent your casserole dish from cracking due to extreme temperature changes.
Recipe FAQs
For best results, I don't recommend it, as the bread will not have time to absorb the egg custard. However, if you find yourself in a bind, make the casserole as directed. After pouring custard over bread, use your hands to push the bread down, fully submerging in custard. Let sit for 15 minutes, push the bread down again, and then bake as for 35 minutes instead of 45 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Chances are you did not use enough bread or your bread was too fresh (soft) to absorb the egg custard. To prevent this from happening, use dried-out bread. In the morning, be sure that most of the custard has been absorbed by the bread before baking. If you have more than ½ cup liquid not absorbed by the bread, you may want to drain off a bit of that custard before baking.
Yes! If your bread is not fully dried out, you will likely end up with a soggy casserole. You can either let cubed bread dry out overnight at room temperature or speed up the process by baking the bread in a 300-degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.
Absolutely! I recommend using the same streusel recipe I use for Blueberry Coffee Cake and Sour Cream Coffee Cake. Simply combine ½ cup light brown sugar, ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon salt, with ½ cup cold. cubed unsalted butter until it resembles a crumble. Sprinkle over the casserole right before baking. Feel free to double the streusel for streusel overload!
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Refrigerate: Leftover French Toast Casserole can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: Reheat individual servings on a heat-safe plate in the microwave in 30-second intervals to warm through. Alternatively, cover the casserole with foil and heat in a 300-degree F oven until just warmed through.
More Favorite Brunch Recipes
- Asparagus Frittata
- Quiche Lorraine
- Sour Cream Coffee Cake
- Easy Cheese Danish
- Easy Egg Casserole with Green Chiles
- Potato and Leek Frittata
- Honey Lime Fruit Salad
If you tried this Overnight French Toast Casserole, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Easy Overnight French Toast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
For the French Toast Casserole
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 16 ounces Italian or French bread cut into 1-inch cubes (this is about 8-10 loosely packed cups)
- 2 cups half and half or milk or cream
- 6 large eggs
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Vanilla Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons milk or cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- dash of salt
Instructions
- Cube the bread into 1-inch cubes. Spread the bread cubes out onto a large sheet pan and allow the bread to dry out at room temperature for 4-12 hours. If time does not permit, dry the bread quickly in a 300-degree F oven for 15-20 minutes.
- Grease a 9x13 baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter and place the cubed, dried-out bread inside the casserole dish in an even layer.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
- Pour this mixture over the cubed bread, gently tapping the bread down to be fully submerged in the custard. Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a least 8 hours or up to 18 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator while and allow it to come to room temperature as the oven preheats.
- Once the oven has preheated, remove the plastic wrap and cover the baking dish with foil. Bake covered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until set.
- Serve warm with the vanilla glaze and/or additional maple syrup.
For Glaze
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine milk, salt, and vanilla. Add in the powdered sugar and whisk until thin glaze forms. Add in more milk 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed to thin it out. Serve with the French Toast Casserole.
Equipment Needed
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in March 2018 but was updated in December 2019 and March 2024.
Patty
Could I add some sliced chicken. Sausage for more protein?
Kristen Chidsey
If you like a sweet and savory casserole, that would work, like my Ham Breakfast Casserole. However, I think most would prefer the sausage served on the side.
Diane
Everyone at our church buffet loved it, it was gone in no time!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing, Diane! I love hearing everyone enjoyed!
carol
Just made this yummy recipe today. I love french toast and this sounded so much quicker come morning rush time. It turned out beautifully and tasted great. Definitely will make it again (many times I’m sure).
Thank you Kristen.
Kelsey
What an awful experience making this on Christmas morning. I followed the directions perfectly and no matter how long I cooked it it was runny and disgusting looking. I had to throw the whole thing away!
Kristen Chidsey
I hate hearing this Kelsy! It sounds like your bread may have been too soft to absorb the custard. Was it day old bread? Did you dry it out overnight or in the oven first? If so, unless you used less bread than the recipe called for, this should work perfectly.
Gina
This is wonderful! My family enjoyed this for Christmas brunch today. We did it dairy free with almond milk and vegan butter and it turned out perfect.Thank you for a great recipe.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed Gina! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas.
Laura
Can you leave this for more than 8 hours overnight? Is 12 hours too much time to let it sit? Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
12 hours is perfectly fine. Up to 24 is safe 😊
Laura
Thank you! Im excited to try this tomorrow morning.
Caroline
This will be my third year making this delicious recipe for Christmas morning - my family loves it!! I use the maple syrup / banana maple syrup instead of the sugar glaze. A big hit!
Thank you Kristen!!
Caroline Brown
Kristen Chidsey
YAY! I love hearing that this recipe has become a Christmas tradition at your house! Merry Christmas!
Sherry
I'm looking forward to making this for Christmas morning breakfast this year! Can I add frozen blueberries? If so, do you think it would be best to add the night before, with egg mixture, or wait until morning and add them just before baking?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Sherry! I would sprinkle on top of the french toast casserole right before baking. If added the night before, the blueberries would thaw into the custard it would get watery. I hope you enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Sarah
Can I use gluten free bread for this recipe? Thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
Absolutely! Enjoy!
Gabriela
This recipe is amazing! I remember trying overnight french toast in a restaurant and it was delicious, so I searched for recipes to try it at home and this is how I found this one. I did it with almond milk and it was perfect. The flavor was so good, that I didn't even add more maple syrup afterwards when eating. For me, there is no going back to same-day french toast... also, doing a casserole was way easier than doing one piece of bread at a time in a frying pan. Can'´t wait to try this again!
Kristen Chidsey
YAY! I am so glad you enjoyed so much Gabriela--thank you for taking the time to share your review 🙂
Barbara Romero
Has anyone tried this baked french toast without the maple syprup? I am not a fan of maple syrup but the recipe sounds wonderful
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Barabara! I would use sugar or brown sugar. It will be delicious!