An Easy French Toast Recipe
I love all things french toast, but this baked French toast recipe is my favorite for serving to a crowd because it can be made the night before. I always make it for holiday brunches, and it’s great for kids’ sleepovers, too.
I usually use challah bread, because it’s so rich and fluffy, but almost any bread works. Even leftover Banana Bread makes excellent baked French toast! I love to serve it as part of a whole brunch spread, with bacon, soft scrambled eggs, and fruit salad.
Baked French Toast Ingredients
- Bread: I usually use challah bread, but I’ve got more bread options for you below, too.
- Butter: Unsalted butter is my preference.
- Eggs: French toast is an eggy breakfast, no subs please.
- Milk and cream: You could use full-fat coconut milk instead if you want.
- Vanilla extract: Just a little goes a long way towards giving that cozy French toast flavor. Skip if you don’t have it, or use almond extract instead.
- Cinnamon: It’s not a must but I like a little cinnamon in my French toast!
How to Make Baked French Toast, Step By Step
See the full recipe card below for the full, detailed recipe.
- Use your hands to tear up a loaf of challah bread into even pieces.
- Scatter the bread in a greased baking dish.
- Whisk the milky cream-and-egg mixture.
- Pour the custard over the bread.
- Bake for 45 minutes at 350°F until it is set.
- Serve warm with butter and maple syrup!
Baked French Toast Variations
- Try a different bread: Brioche, day-old baguette, cinnamon swirl bread, sourdough, or even gluten-free bread (let it get extra stale first) would all work well.
- You can swap half and half for the milk and cream: If you have half and half, use that as a 1:1 swap for both the milk and the cream!
- Add a splash of rum or bourbon either along with or instead of the vanilla.
- Add chocolate chips or chopped nuts for more texture.
- Add pumpkin pie spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice
- Or add apple pie spices: Cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom
- Or add chai spices: Cardamom, ginger, cloves and a little orange zest.
- You could add cream cheese cubes scattered throughout for a slightly rich and savory hint.
- Delight the kids with nutella swirls! Dollop the nutella on top of the french toast casserole and swirl it before baking.
2 Ways to Freeze French Toast Casserole
Leftover baked French toast casserole keeps pretty well in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it if you want to make it way ahead of time! Make the entire baked french toast, but instead of baking it, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil, label it and freeze the unbaked casserole for up to 3 months. Then, when you are ready, you can bake the french toast casserole from frozen, making sure to remove the plastic wrap and covering the top with a fresh layer of foil. Just add about 20 minutes to the cooking time. You can also freeze the casserole after baking, if that’s your preference. You’ll need to cool it completely. Then you can either cut it into individual portions or freeze it whole, wrapped tightly. Freeze the baked casserole for up to 2 months.
More Great Breakfast Recipes
An Easy Cinnamon French Toast Bake For Great Mornings
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