Name: Easy French Toast Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 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; 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

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French toast casserole should taste like French toast—not bread pudding. 😂 After making one too many versions that turned into a soggy mess, I wanted one that actually kept some texture.

This easy French toast casserole is assembled the night before with thick slices of French bread and just enough cinnamon-spiced custard to soak into the bread without drowning it. Add the buttery brown sugar pecan topping in the morning, pop it in the oven, and breakfast for a crowd is handled.

It’s especially handy for Christmas morning, holiday brunches, or anytime you’d rather drink your coffee than stand at the stove making French toast one piece at a time.

Slices of French toast casserole on a plate next to a baking dish

Serves: 12
Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus refrigeration time)
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Why This French Toast Casserole Isn’t Soggy

The amount of custard matters. Too much egg mixture can leave an overnight French toast casserole wet and bread-pudding-like in the center. This recipe uses enough to soak into the bread overnight while still letting the slices hold their shape.

Don’t skip the flip. Turning the bread right-side-up before it goes into the refrigerator helps the custard settle toward the bottom instead of pooling on top. Once baked, you get soft, custardy bottoms with golden tops and a buttery brown sugar pecan topping.

Casserole Ingredients:

1 Tbsp soft butter
2 loaves bakery French bread
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
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg

a loaf of bread, a bowl of eggs, a bowl of brown sugar, a stick of butter, a bottle of vanilla extract, a bowl of seasoning, a bag of pecans, a container of half and half and a bottle of corn syrup on a wooden board

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.

a knife slicing a loaf of bread into angled slices

slices of bread placed upside down in staggered rows in a buttered baking dish

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.

an immersion blender in a bowl with egg and half and half mixture

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.

egg mixture being poured over slices of French bread in a baking dish

a spoon pouring egg mixture in between slices of bread

a casserole dish with right side up slices of bread soaking in an egg mixture

Step 4: Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight. 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!

praline topping ingredients being stirred with a spatula in a bowl

praline topping spread over tops of bread in baking dish

cooked French toast casserole in a baking dish

🍋 Simply Made Suggestions:

Choose a dense bread. A sturdy French bread holds up to the egg mixture overnight without falling apart or getting too soggy.
Adjust for the size of your loaf. French bread loaves vary, so use more or fewer slices -or a different size baking dish as needed.
Skip the pecans if needed. When my kids were younger, they weren’t fans, so I left them off part of the casserole or served them on the side.
Break out the disposable pan for the holidays. I use a deep disposable lasagna pan when refrigerator space is tight. It’s easier to fit around everything else I’ve prepped, and cleanup is one less thing to deal with.

🥖 Before you go . . .

This French toast casserole rarely flies solo at our house. I usually make our Sausage Potato Casserole right along with it for a sweet-and-savory Christmas morning breakfast. If you’re looking for another easy breakfast to feed a crowd, try our Chocolate Chip Banana Breakfast Bake too.

Easy French Toast Casserole

Easy make-ahead French toast casserole topped with a buttery brown sugar pecan topping. Perfect for holidays, brunch, or feeding a crowd.

Beth

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings

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!