Sweet, easy Overnight French Toast Casserole is flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. It’s a traditional French toast bake, perfect with a drizzle of maple syrup and fresh fruit.
Table of Contents
- A Festive Make-Ahead Breakfast Everyone Will Love
- The Ingredients
- Step-by-Step Instructions
- Do I Have to Let This Rest Overnight?
- Tips and Variations
- What Is a Good Side Dish for French Toast?
- How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Can I Freeze Overnight French Toast Casserole?
- Get the Recipe
- More French Toast Favorites
*This recipe is sponsored by Dixie Crystals. Thank you for supporting the brands that make this site possible!*
A Festive Make-Ahead Breakfast Everyone Will Love
During the cold-weather months especially, my family loves a warm, baked breakfast treat. Personally, I’m a fan of any breakfast that can be prepped in advance – an easy morning is always a blessing for busy moms, right? There are lots of great breakfast recipes to make ahead, but some of them are a little more… hands-on than others. Looking at you, cinnamon rolls.
So, in the spirit of working less and eating like royalty, let me introduce my favorite recipe for overnight French toast! It’s incredibly simple to make, from start to finish, and it bakes up into soft, decadent slices of golden-brown perfection, lightly dusted with cinnamon sugar. Perfect for weekends, holidays, birthdays, and more!
The Ingredients
The ingredients for this classic version of baked French toast are very simple – no surprises here! If you are looking for timeless, cinnamon-sugar French toast that goes with everything, you’ll love this version.
For the French Toast
- Butter: Salted or unsalted is fine. Melt the butter before adding it to the casserole.
- Bread: You can use any bread that you like for this recipe. Depending on the size of the bread, you may be able to fit more slices.
- Eggs: Large, whole eggs give the best flavor, although you could use egg whites only if you prefer. You’ll need extra egg whites if you leave out the yolks.
- Milk and Cream: I use two parts whole milk to one part heavy cream, but half-and-half would also be fine!
- Sugar: A combination of regular granulated sugar and packed brown sugar makes this dish irresistible. Dixie Crystals is the brand I always use!
- Maple Syrup: A smidge of pure maple syrup is the perfect touch.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract takes overnight French toast casserole from “good” to “mouthwatering.” Don’t skip this!
- Cinnamon
Optional Toppings
- Maple Syrup
- Fresh Berries
- Dixie Crystals Powdered Sugar
- Whipped Cream
Step-by-Step Instructions
Overnight French toast casserole is easy to make, and it’s fun as well – making it a good choice for involving the kiddos, if you like. Little ones can help lay the bread in the dish, while older kids can crack the eggs and measure the other ingredients!
- Prepare the Bread and Baking Dish. To get started, pour the melted butter into a large (9×13) baking dish. Use a spoon or spatula to spread it out over the bottom of the dish. Then layer on the bread pieces. They can overlap a bit, but don’t let them cover each other up too much or the slices won’t brown as well.
- Make the Custard. Measure the milk, heavy cream, maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla into a medium-sized bowl, and crack in the eggs as well. Whisk all of these ingredients together.
- Soak the Bread and Chill. Pour or ladle the custard mixture over the bread, soaking the pieces as evenly as you can. Cover the whole casserole with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and then stick it in the fridge to rest overnight.
- Prepare to Bake. When you’re about ready to bake the casserole, set your oven to preheat to 350°F. Stir together your cinnamon and sugar in a small dish. Take the overnight French toast casserole out of the refrigerator, uncover it, and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar all over the top.
- Bake and Serve! Bake uncovered for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the bread is lightly toasted and fully cooked. Serve this gorgeous casserole warm, with your favorite toppings.
Do I Have to Let This Rest Overnight?
If you would like to make the overnight French toast casserole the same day, instead of leaving it to chill overnight, that’s fine. It needs a minimum rest time of about 4 hours, but after that, you can go ahead and bake. This makes it possible to prep it in the morning and bake it later for brunch, or make it on a Saturday to reheat on Sunday in the microwave, etc.
Tips and Variations
If you’re looking for some recipe hacks and fun topping ideas, you’re in the right place! These are my top tips for making the best overnight French toast casserole ever.
- Bread Options: I use sliced butter bread, but a thicker bread would also work well in this recipe. Thinner bread bakes up softer, while thicker bread holds its shape better.
- Number of Slices: Depending on the size of your bread, you may be able to fit more slices, or fewer, in your baking dish. I usually end up with somewhere between 8 and 12 slices.
- Toppings: Toppings are the easiest way to change up your overnight French toast casserole. Fresh berries and whipped cream are great, but you could also do homemade granola, streusel, bananas and nuts, chocolate chips, etc. Sprinkle on toppings like fresh berries and whipped cream once the casserole is done. Add toppings like nuts and chocolate chips a few minutes before you take the casserole out of the oven.
What Is a Good Side Dish for French Toast?
This French toast casserole is so more-ish, you may not even need any side dishes. But if you’d like to add a side or two for contrast, these would be perfect:
- Bacon in the Oven: You’ll never stand over a skillet turning bacon again, once you take a look at this tutorial for How to Cook Bacon in the Oven. It’s a tasty, no-hassle option for serving at any breakfast or brunch.
- Chorizo and Eggs: Another savory classic, this Chorizo and Eggs recipe features homemade Mexican chorizo (don’t worry, it’s super easy!) and scrambled eggs. Spicy and satisfying.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Make sure to cool your casserole before you store it. You can wrap the whole dish in plastic wrap, or scoop the leftovers into zip-top bags. Either way, store in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheat overnight French toast casserole in the microwave, or in the oven at 350°F.
Can I Freeze Overnight French Toast Casserole?
Definitely! This casserole freezes well. Just place any leftovers in freezer bags or airtight containers (I recommend freezing individual portions). Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating.
Overnight French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
For the French Toast
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 8 – 12 slices of bread, depending on size of bread
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons Dixie Crystals brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup Dixie Crystals granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Optional Toppings
- Maple syrup
- Fresh berries
- Dixie Crystals powdered sugar
- Whipped cream
Instructions
- Add the melted butter to a 9×13 inch dish, and spread evenly over the bottom. Layer in the bread. It’s fine if the pieces overlap slightly, but try not to let them cover each other up too much.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Pour the mixture over the bread, making sure it’s evenly saturated. Cover with foil, and put in the fridge to rest overnight.
- Shortly before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, mix together the granulated sugar and cinnamon. Uncover the French toast, and top with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the French toast is lightly toasted and fully cooked. Serve immediately with powdered sugar, fresh berries, maple syrup, etc.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Categories:
More French Toast Favorites
- Berry Stuffed French Toast
- Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
- Apple Pie French Toast Casserole
- Pumpkin Pecan French Toast Casserole
- Blueberry Coconut French Toast Bake
- Baked French Toast Muffins
- Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
- Bananas Foster French Toast Bake
- Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
Post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
