Easy French Toast Casserole
French Toast Casserole: the ultimate crowd-pleaser for your holiday brunches! Perfectly sweet and satisfying, this dish is a must-have for celebrating Easter, Mother’s Day, or any holiday gathering. Its rich, comforting flavors make it an ideal centerpiece for your Christmas breakfast or a delightful spring brunch. Easy to prepare ahead of time, this casserole allows you to enjoy your morning with loved ones. Impress your guests with this delicious, hassle-free treat!
- Serves: 12
- Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus refrigeration time)
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
Casserole Ingredients:
- soft butter
- bakery French bread loaf
- eggs
- half and half
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- pinch of salt
Praline Topping:
- softened butter
- light brown sugar
- chopped pecans
- light corn syrup
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
Get the full printable instructions with measurements at the bottom of the post in the recipe card.
Step-by-Step Directions:
Step 1: Use a spatula to grease the bottom and sides of a large baking dish with the soft butter. Cut the loaves of French bread at an angle into 1 inch thick slices, discarding the ends. Arrange the slices in staggered rows in the baking dish with the tops facing down and slightly overlapping. Set aside.
Step 2: Crack the eggs into a large bowl and pour in the half and half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix until just combined. I like to use an immersion blender, but a hand mixer or whisk works great too.
Step 3: Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the baking dish, making sure to separate the slices to pour in-between as you go. Use a spoon if needed to make sure the egg mixture gets in between the slices. Here’s the trick to making a perfect French Toast Casserole that isn’t soggy – flip the pieces of bread over so that the top is now facing up! This will allow the egg mixture to settle towards the bottom and soak up any remaining liquid.
Step 4: Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight. Note: I like to remove the butter for the praline topping the night before so it’s ready to go.
Step 5: In the morning, preheat the oven to 350º F. Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and uncover. Mix the softened butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, chopped pecans, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a small bowl to make the praline topping. Spread the topping over the tops of the bread and bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Serve with syrup, powdered sugar, or whipped cream and enjoy!
Tips:
- I like to use a dense bread to make sure all of the egg mixture is absorbed into the bread slices.
- You can use any size of bread loaf you like, but you may have to adjust the size of your pan or place more or less slices in each row.
- When my kids were younger, they were not fans of pecans, so I would just omit those from the topping and serve on the side.
- When I make this for the holidays, I use a disposable lasagna pan with deep sides. This makes it easier to store in my refrigerator with any other meals I’m planning. It also makes clean-up a breeze!
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Easy French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
Casserole :
- 1 Tbsp soft butter
- 2 bakery French bread loaves (depending on size)
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- pinch of salt
Praline Topping:
- 1 cup softened butter (two sticks)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 2 Tbsp light corn syrup
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
Instructions
- Use a spatula to grease the bottom and sides of a large baking dish with the soft butter. Cut the loaves of French bread at an angle into 1 inch thick slices, discarding the ends. Arrange the slices in staggered rows in the baking dish with the tops facing down and slightly overlapping. Set aside.
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl and pour in the half and half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix until just combined. I like to use an immersion blender, but a hand mixer or whisk works great too.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the baking dish, making sure to separate the slices to pour in-between as you go. Use a spoon if needed to make sure the egg mixture gets in between the slices. Here’s the trick to making a perfect French Toast Casserole that isn’t soggy – flip the pieces of bread over so that the top is now facing up! This will allow the egg mixture to settle towards the bottom and soak up any remaining liquid.
- Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight. Note: I like to remove the butter for the praline topping the night before so it’s ready to go.
- In the morning, preheat the oven to 350º F. Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and uncover. Mix the softened butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, chopped pecans, cinnamon and nutmeg together in a small bowl to make the praline topping. Spread the topping over the tops of the bread and bake in preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Serve with syrup, powdered sugar, or whipped cream and enjoy!
Notes
- I like to use a dense bread to make sure all of the egg mixture is absorbed into the bread slices.
- You can use any size of bread loaf you like, but you may have to adjust the size of your pan or place more or less slices in each row.
- When my kids were younger, they were not fans of pecans, so I would just omit those from the topping and serve on the side.
- When I make this for the holidays, I use a disposable lasagna pan with deep sides. This makes it easier to store in my refrigerator with any other meals I’m planning. It also makes clean-up a breeze!
Nutrition
Disclaimer: All nutrition values are per serving and approximate. They will vary depending on products and quantities used.
