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With warming spices, rich maple, and a silky vanilla glaze, this Overnight French Toast Casserole is the shortcut to a show-stopping breakfast! Assemble it the night before, bake in the morning, and enjoy the flavors of classic French Toast without having to flip a single slice.
Looking for more make-ahead brunch recipes? Complete your menu with Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, Hashbrown Breakfast Casserole, and Breakfast Strata.
Kristen's Keys for French Toast Casserole
After years of making this French Toast Bake for overnight guests, holiday mornings, and lazy Saturdays, theses are the things I find important to keep in mind for the best results.
- Use day-old or dried-out bread. Bread that is slightly stale or dry soaks up the custard ensuring your French toast casserole is soft and fluffy, rather than soggy and sad.
- The type of bread matters. Choose bread that is sturdy, with a light texture, and soft crust. A loaf of French, Italian, brioche, challah, or sourdough bread are all good options.
- Chill at least 8 hours. The overnight rest gives the custard time to fully penetrate the bread for tender, flavorful results.
- Let the baking dish sit at room temperature while the oven preheats. This will prevent your dish from cracking due to extreme temperature changes.
5-Star Reader Review
I made this for my friends birthday brunch and I went home with an empty pan. I made that one with normal bread and I made it again with gluten free bread. Both taste amazing and are a huge hit in my family. Highly recommend! -Kiersten ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
How to Make Overnight French Toast Casserole
While an easy breakfast recipe, this step-by-step section is provided to help you achieve perfect results.
Step One: Prepare Bread
Cube the bread into bite-sized 1-inch cubes. Spread the cubed bread out onto a large sheet pan and allow it to dry out at room temperature for 4-12 hours.
Need to speed it up? If you don't have time to let the bread dry out at room temp, bake the bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet for 15-20 minutes in a 300℉ oven, or until dry to the touch.
Step Two: Prepare Egg Custard
In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, half and half (or milk), maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Using a Microplane, grate a bulb of nutmeg rather than using ground nutmeg, which will give the custard a warming flavor that is not bitter or overpowering. Then whisk it all together to combine.
Step Three: Assemble and Chill
Place dried out bread cubes in buttered casserole dish and pour the egg mixture over the bread. Use a spatula or your hands to gently submerge the bread into the egg custard to ensure the bread absorbs the custard mixture. Cover the casserole tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
Step Four: Bake
When ready to bake, remove the dish from the refrigerator, and let it sit at room temperature while the oven preheats (15-20 minutes). This helps to prevent your baking dish from cracking and the French toast casserole bake evenly.
Once the oven is fully preheated, remove the plastic wrap, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and continue to bake until the custard is fully set and the bread is lightly golden.
Step Five: Glaze
While the French Toast Casserole is baking, whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together. Drizzle that mixture over the baked casserole before serving for visual appeal and irresistible finish.
Recipe Modifications
- Gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free bread.
- Dairy-Free: Swap the half and half for almond milk or canned coconut milk and use your favorite non-dairy spread or coconut oil to grease the baking dish. Keep in mind coconut milk gives a richer custard with a mild coconut note.
- Add a Streusel Topping: For a crunchy finish, prepare a streusel by combining ½ cup brown sugar, ¾ cup flour, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and a pinch of salt with ½ cup cold cubed butter. Sprinkle over the casserole before the baking.
- Skip the glaze. You can't go wrong with serving with maple syrup or even whipped cream and fresh berries in place of the vanilla glaze.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers covered in the fridge up to 3 days. To reheat, microwave a single slice in 30-second intervals until warm or heat the whole dish covered with foil at 300°F until warmed through.
- Freeze: Cut into portions, wrap tightly, and freeze for up to 1 month in a freezer-safe storage bag. Thaw overnight before reheating.
More Favorite Brunch Recipes
This Overnight French Toast Casserole is perfect for Christmas breakfast, Easter Brunch, Mother's Day, or a weekend at home. To complete your menu, check out the following favorites below.
Easy Overnight French Toast Casserole
Video
Ingredients
For the French Toast Casserole
- 16 ounces Italian bread or French bread , cut into 1-inch cubes (this is about 8-10 loosely packed cups)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, for greasing pan
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups half and half , or whole milk or cream
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
Vanilla Glaze (optional)
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons milk, or cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- dash of salt
Instructions
- To Dry Out Bread: 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℉ 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 6 large eggs, 2 cups half and half , ¼ cup pure maple syrup, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg together until well combined.
- Pour the egg mixture over the cubed bread in the buttered casserole dish, gently tapping the bread down with your hands so that it is fully submerged in the custard. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a least 8 hours or up to 18 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350℉. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator 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.
- While the casserole is baking prepare the glaze. Sift 1 cup powdered sugar over a large mixing bowl. Add a dash of salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons milk and whisk together until a thin glaze forms. Add in more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, if needed to thin it out.
- Drizzle the glaze over the baked casserole and serve.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in March 2018 and updated 2026.
Has anyone tried this baked french toast without the maple syprup? I am not a fan of maple syrup but the recipe sounds wonderful
Hi Barabara! I would use sugar or brown sugar. It will be delicious!
I am so excited! I made this and it turned out amazing. I didn't have any fancy bread, I just had heels and a few odds and ends that I usually save to make dressing. I cubed them all up along with some bagels and English muffins. I left it on the tray to dry and put the casserole together that evening. I made two square pans as 9 x 13 is way too much for the two of us. I was skeptical when I took them out of the fridge the next morning but I followed the directions exactly. Didn't make the glaze but used butter and maple syrup. Delicious and enough for the following morning. Wonderful use for all those odd pieces of bread that get thrown in the freezer. Thank you!
I LOVE that you were able to make this using the scraps you had at home! It is a great way to use up leftover bread and enjoy a delicious breakfast.
can unseasoned croutons be used or unseasoned stuffing for a shortcut for having to dry and cut the bread up ?
I would imagine that would work Laura, but I honestly have not tried it myself.
I made this for my friends birthday brunch and I went home with an empty pan. I made that one with normal bread and I made it again with gluten free bread. Both taste amazing and are a huge hit in my family. Highly recommend!
I am so glad you and your friends enjoyed Kiersten 🙂
I really like your recipes but because of the black header, when I want to print, it uses up way too much black ink. Could you possibly change it to black letters on white background?
Hi Christine, I recently changed to the black header because it was easier to read. I just made changes, so it should be super compact and printer friendly now. Thanks for sharing that input!
Hello! Is it possible to half this recipe to accommodate an 8x8pan? I have a few people coming over and 9x13 seems to be a bit large for my guests. Would you have any suggestions? Thank you!
Hi Ryan! Yes, you can cut this recipe in half and prepare in an 8x8 pan! I hope you enjoy!
Thank you!!
Amazing french toast bake! Our new Christmas morning tradition!!! I used 10 cups of dried out whole wheat crust loaf and 7 eggs. I also used 3 rounded teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/2 a teaspoon of nutmeg, dotted with butter and brown sugar before baking. Absolutely delightful! Thank you! Merry Christmas!!!
Oh I love that is now a tradition. So glad you enjoyed and hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!