French Toast Casserole

By Lidey Heuck

Published Oct. 20, 2023

French Toast Casserole — Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Rating: 5(539)
Notes: Read community notes

A good breakfast casserole is not only a crowd pleaser, it’s also a practical addition to any breakfast or brunch spread for many reasons: It comes together with a simple ingredient list, it can be assembled, then refrigerated overnight until the next morning, and it is much easier to cook for a crowd than traditional French toast. Day-old French bread works best here, but you can substitute any fluffy white bread or enriched bread like challah or brioche; just remove the crusts if they’re on the thicker side. The butter and brown sugar topping creates a crunchy, caramel-like crust as the casserole bakes, and the inside remains moist and tender. This casserole is plenty sweet on its own, but feel free to dress it up with powdered sugar, maple syrup and fresh berries.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings

For the Casserole

1tablespoon unsalted butter
10cups (1-inch) cubed bread, from a large loaf of day-old French bread (see Tip)
2cups/480 milliliters whole milk
6large eggs
¼cup/50 grams lightly packed light brown sugar
1½teaspoons vanilla extract
1teaspoon ground cinnamon
1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)

For the Topping

4tablespoons/57 grams unsalted butter, melted
½cup/100 grams lightly packed light brown sugar
½teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
Fresh berries, confectioners’ sugar, maple syrup and/or toasted chopped nuts, for serving (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Grease a 9-by-13-inch (or other 14-cup) baking dish with the butter, then place the bread cubes in the pan and spread them into an even layer.
Step 2
In a medium bowl or large measuring cup, combine the milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Whisk until smooth. Pour the custard mixture over the bread and press gently to help the bread absorb the liquid. Set aside, covered, for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or up to 12 hours in the refrigerator.
Step 3
Heat the oven to 400 degrees and let the casserole sit at room temperature while the oven heats. Meanwhile, make the topping: In a small bowl, mix the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt with a fork until smooth. Dollop the mixture all over the casserole, then gently spread it with the back of a spoon until the entire surface is covered. (If preparing the casserole the day prior to baking, don’t add the topping until just before it goes into the oven. Reheat the topping, if needed.)
Step 4
Bake, uncovered, until puffed and golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into squares, and serve hot. Top as desired.

Tips

To dry out bread cubes, spread them on a sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees until dry to the touch but not browned, 10 to 15 minutes.
To freeze: Assemble the casserole through Step 2 and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight). Tightly cover with plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then resume the recipe at Step 3.

Ratings

5 out of 5

539 user ratings

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Cooking Notes

Laura8 months ago

This was delicious. I just used whatever bread I had leftover. I baked it covered for 30 minutes and then uncovered for another 10-15 minutes.

Elena8 months ago

Wondering if this dish would be ok without topping to minimize sugar and fat. Could use powdered sugar or syrup when served. Any thoughts before I try it?

carter5 months ago

perfect for an overnight bake — add orange zest!!

Andrea8 months ago

I think you won't get the crunchy top, but otherwise should be fine. I was going to cut back the sugar in the topping to 1/4 cup.

Scott5 months ago

Orange zest is a must for next-level french toast!

leah5 months ago

I’ve made this several times; it’s freaking amazing. I don’t even need or use any syrup, nor does my 6 year old sugar fiend. Today I dusted it with powdered sugar and roasted walnuts and also didn’t have regular milk so I used a homemade walnut milk and it was just as delicious as the original recipe.

Montana1 week ago

Cooked as written, except using oat milk and gluten-free bread. It worked perfectly! Delicious and an easy breakfast to serve to guests.

Stephanie1 week ago

I used Oatmilk bc I didn’t have whole milk and it turned out great. Also, half the sugar in the topping was the way to go. Huge hit at Father’s Day brunch.

cait1 week ago

I used day old kings Hawaiian rolls and it was delicious.

Grad brunch for a geoup1 week ago

Made for grad brunch for a group. It was a hit but seemed a Little dry. Next time I’d soak the bread overnight vs a few hours.

Claire2 weeks ago

Great! Ok to add topping to casserole 2 hours before it goes into the oven. Delicious with arugula-strawberry-blueberry-feta salad. Remember to add cinnamon to brown sugar before adding any liquid.

claire3 weeks ago

Delicious. Cut into4x4 squares . Serve promptly. Combine cinnamon and brown sugar and salt before adding liquids

Tracy1 month ago

Call it Bread Pudding or French Toast Casserole - either way it’s amazing. We used a sourdough round, a few days old, and added the zest and juice of 1/2 an orange to the egg mixture. Turned out perfect, that crispy topping really takes it up a notch! Can’t wait to add to our next holiday buffet.

Sarah Good1 month ago

Maybe this is a silly question but do you leave the crust on the French bread when you break it into pieces? I can't tell from the pictures whether the crust is on or off. Thank you.

Carol1 month ago

Halved the recipe and made in 9 inch square pan. Did add orange zest, absolutely delicious!

Robert frim Portland1 month ago

Add zest of one orange.

Maggie1 month ago

Would this work if you needed to use gluten free bread and non-dairy milk?

Kate Jensen1 month ago

As I poured the topping on I thought “mmm butter and sugar, this will burn quickly”. Also the temp seems too hot by 50 degrees. My NZ bread and butter pudding recipe is baked at 350f. I added candied peel. Sure enough, it burned. I checked at 25 mins (5minutes early) and all the protruding bits of bread were burnt. Nevertheless I tried it and it tasted pretty good with cream on. Next time I will simply up the amount of sugar in the egg mix to 1/2 c & sprinkle with

Judith K1 month ago

This was a fabulous Mother's Day brunch casserole that my son prepared for me. He tweaked it by adding the zest of a whole navel orange to the custard batter. It was SO fresh and aromatic and simply sublime!

Jackie1 month ago

This is fantastic! A lovely baked custard and actual crunchiness which is what I shoot for in French toast and rarely achieve. I made exactly as per the recipe in a 13x9 glass baking dish, using bakery hamburger buns that were in the refrigerator and too dry for their actual purpose. I think you could use any kind of dry bread for this. The only thing I would do differently next time is to use shortening to grease the pan instead of butter which caused it to stick. Otherwise, perfection!

condiment queen1 month ago

Family fixed this for Mother's Day. Wonderful taste and texture! Not overly sweet. Used 5 eggs instead of 6.

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