Easy French Toast Bake with no overnight chilling and all your favorite French Toast flavors you can serve to your family or a large crowd. Perfect with warm maple syrup.
Easy French Toast Bake may seem like an odd choice for everyone making their New Year’s resolutions this week (and let’s be honest since this is the start of the workweek a lot of people set January 3rd as their official start date!) but this breakfast is the perfect warm, inviting, family friendly meal you’ll love throwing together quickly on the weekend.
Or if you’re looking at this and it is PUMPKIN season, you’ll love my Pumpkin French Toast Bake.
Sure, it has sugar, and butter and eggs. It also saves you from standing at the stovetop cooking each slice individually in the cold. See how I am thinking about you all here? The smell in the kitchen, the warmth from the oven, this is really the perfect January morning breakfast.
Plus… ? I just love staring at how pretty it is. And it tastes even better than it looks! 
If this Easy French Toast Bake needed any more selling, my favorite thing about it is if you have some cream or half and half in your fridge pretty much everything else is a pantry/normal use item. Which means there is a pretty solid chance you don’t have to go to the store this morning before making breakfast. 
Saving you from the cold, yet again 😉
Tools Used in the Making of this Easy French Toast Bake:
9×13 Baking Pan: The perfect baking pan, it has high sides and bakes evenly. Plus when you cut into it you get picture perfect squares.
Maple Syrup: Love serving this with real maple syrup. I keep this brand and Trader Joe’s brand (buy that in store, it is 1/3 the price) on hand at all times if I can.
Nutmeg: The only way I use Nutmeg is with whole nuts. The flavor is completely different than the pre-ground variety and adds another dimension to baked goods. You can also buy these in bulk from your local grocer (I like Sprouts whole Nutmeg) or from Penzey’s online.
Recipe
Easy French Toast Bake
- Yield: 12
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Course: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
- Author: Sabrina Snyder
Easy French Toast Bake with no overnight chilling and all your favorite French Toast flavors you can serve to your family or a large crowd. Perfect with warm maple syrup.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread I also routinely use a loaf of Texas Toast
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream half and half would work too
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold and cut into small squares
Instructions
Note: click on times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer while cooking.
Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, add the eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Chop the bread into 3/4 - 1 inch cubes and put it in the bowl with the egg mixture and toss well until all the liquid is absorbed.
In a small bowl or a food processor add the flour, remaining brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and mix.
Cut in the butter with a fork or pulse in the food processor for 5-10 seconds or until the butter and brown sugar mixture is crumbly.
Pour the bread and egg mixture into the pan, cover evenly with the brown sugar-butter topping and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is crispy and the center is no longer wet.
Nutrition Information
Yield: 12 , Amount per serving: 374 calories, Calories: 374g, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 9g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 147mg, Sodium: 288mg, Potassium: 174mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 25g, Vitamin A: 605g, Calcium: 106g, Iron: 2.1g
All images and text © for Dinner, then Dessert.
I made this using gluten free bread and almond milk for my daughter who has dietary restrictions. It was wonderful. Thanks.
So glad to hear that, thank you Lori!
This recipe is perfect, very easy, no overnight fuss. I didn’t have heavy milk, so I used evaporated milk. It worked really well, and I used challah bread. It came out delicious, like a streusel. Thank you so much!
Cannot get french bread or texas toast for some reason near me. I found thick cut brioche hoping this works
That will work too.
This was a family hit without having to prep the night before! Absolutely delicious ?
Thank you for this go-to!
I halved the recipe because it’s just me and my daughter in our house. She is lactose intolerant so instead of milk I used a can of coconut cream instead and it turned out amazing! Will definitely make this again!
Thanks for the suggestion.
This was a big hit for our Easter Brunch!!!! A true keeper!
Yay!
Awesome! Made it first time last week. I halved the recipe as it is just my husband, teenage son and myself, only took 30 minutes. It was delicious! I took the left overs each day to work, what a treat. Going to make it again this morning. Had my husband make a special stop yesterday for more bread so I can make it again this morning. I have made French toast with left over Italian bread, challah or rolls but nothing compares to this. Thanks so much for sharing this great recipe.
Could I use cinnamon swirl bread for this french toast recipe or will that not be enough bread? The loaf I buy is 16 oz, but the slices are thin.
Thanks
I haven’t tried it but it might be too thin to really soak in the egg mixture. If you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Good luck!
Delicious! Made it exactly as instructed.
I made this and it was…… amazing.
Ohhh…myyyy…gosh, this is the best I’ve ever eaten! I had a loaf of cinnamon streusel bread I needed to use which is why I went on a hunt for a French toast bake. Your recipe was perfect and heavenly tasting. I’m so excited for breakfast tomorrow because I have a loaf of blueberry streusel bread I need to use. Thank you for posting this and I plan to share it with all of my friends and family, with the credit to you of course.
You just made my morning, Lisa!! It makes me so happy to know that you love it so much.
Hi Sabrina,
Id like to make this recipe for Easter, but i need a quick clarification. Do I use the milk AND the cream or choose one. Naturally Id like to use the milk because of fewer calories, although cream is superior in taste! Thank you and happy cooking!
So sorry I’m just now seeing this. You’ll use both for this recipe. Hope it all worked out.
OMG!! Delicious, easy and LOVED by all! Couldn’t take a picture because it disappeared too fast! Thank You!
I’m glad you all enjoyed it! Thanks for the 5 stars.
This is AMAZING. I used all whole milk since I did not have cream or half and half. I used Artisano Bakery Bread from Costco (whatever that is!). I only had Bob’s GF 1to1 flour and it still came out great!!! It pleased every person, age 8 to 80. I would make this again…maybe even for a dessert. Make a whiskey sauce and this can pass for bread pudding! Super delicious.
About how many cups or bread cubes would be required – or how much weight for the bread?
It’s about 16 ounces of bread. Enjoy!
Delish! Halved the recipe. Since it’s just for me and my kiddo. Baked it in an 8×8 for 45 minutes.
So wonderful not to have to plan the night before. I used a French loaf that I purchased a few days ago. It was still pretty fresh and soft, but since it’s only soaking in the time it takes to make the crumble, it worked out well. Flavor was so good! Didn’t have a nutmeg to grate, but my jar was just purchased and it tasted fine. Will try fresh next time.
Quick and easy fir the morning. My kids love it, warm or cold.
Thanks for coming back to let me know how much they enjoyed it, Patricia.
We just had this for Christmas breakfast….it was fabulous! Crunchy top and soft French toast beneath! Just perfect! Definitely making it again! And again!
This was so good my parents loved it my husband and grandchildren we all enjoyed every bit of it We will definitely make it again
I absolutely love this recipe and so does my family. I’m making it again tomorrow for Christmas morning. Can’t wait!
My partner and I loved it. We are avid French toast fans and this was superb. We both ate too much and promptly fell into a food coma 🙂
Thank you for posting such great recipe!
What kind of flour? Also, is flour needed?
Yes, you’ll need 1/2 cup of all purpose flour. Enjoy!
The ingredients lists flour but does not indicate how to use in directions.
It’s included in step 4. You’ll mix it with the remaining brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Hope you enjoy it!
Love this recipe! Easy to follow and it turned out perfectly the first time I made it. Star of my brunch! Next time I will use fresh nutmeg.
This recipe is the best French Toast I’ve ever eaten. It was crispy on top and moist but not soggy in the middle. I used Half-n-Half instead of heavy cream since that is all I had on hand, and I also used 2% Ultra milk instead of Whole milk.
Thank you, Sabrina, for sharing this gem with us.
I made this for breakfast for dinner the other night with a side of breakfast sausage links and my entire family loved it. I have 5 children, all of whom are picky about what they eat in their own way. I have never made something that everyone loved this much! They liked it so much that they all requested it for their birthday dinners, including my husband. Thank you for your recipe! I have a feeling we will be having this for breakfast AND dinner often now! Note: I used a loaf of Texas toast, and though I was worried it was going to be too soggy when I mixed it up, it turned out perfect!
I changed this up a bit. First there are only 2 of us so I cut the recipe in 1/2. I had homemade sourdough rye that needed to be used up asap and used so I cut that up and used that for the bread. I also had leftover baked apples that I mushed up and added to the egg mixture, then added walnuts to the topping. UMMMMM GOOD!
Is french bread the same as a baguette?
French bread is long shaped bread with rounded edges and yes, baguettes are one type.
Can this recipe be prepared the night before and cooked the next morning? Thanks you!
Yes 🙂
I’ve made this every weekend since I’ve found it. So delicious! I’m traveling this weekend and plan to take ingredients with me to make. To save time, I’m wondering if I can put the mixture that coats the bread (milk, heavy whipping cream, eggs, etc.)in a container already mixed up and coat the bread in it when ready to cut down on prep time. Would this work? Thanks for a great recipe!!
Yes 🙂
This sound like exactly what I’m looking for. Thank you! Can’t wait to try this. I do have a question—did you dry your bread overnight before mixing with egg mixture?
If your bread is too moist, you can dry it out in the oven first. Enjoy!
The flavor is pretty good. Very sugary, it’s more of a coffee cake. I would add less milk next time, the bottom never dried out, it was mushy and I used challah bread and double checked I did everything right.
Hi Sabrina,
thanks for an easy bake recipe for French toast casserole. It was easy to follow and it didn’t take long at all. I was very pleased and the taste was perfect. Just like the doctor order?
Glad to hear it!
Can you divide out the ingredients up top by which is for the bread and which is for the topping?
The topping is 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup unsalted butter. Hope this helps!
Do you use dark or light brown sugar?
I used light brown sugar but you can use either depending how deep you’d like the molasses flavor to be.
Hi! I’m eager to try this recipe. Looks amazing I’ve! I’ve seen that some people said it freezes well. Would I bake and then freeze or freeze before baking? I’m thinking freeze before baking but just wanted to check!
Thank you!!
If you freeze it before baking, wait to add the crumble until right before baking. Enjoy!
This is awesome. I made this months ago but forgot to save the recipe link. So happy I found it again…. for a decadent twist… use cinnamon swirl bread and nutella. I do this when I catch the store deli brand marked down. The bread is too thin to make French toast so I simply used the nutella to make sandwiches with the bread. A thin layer of nutella. Cube the sandwiches and follow the recipe exactly from there. It was amazing out of the freezer as well. I used the aluminum pans from dollar store to freeze and just popped it in the oven. Now that I found it again, I know what’s for dinner tonight..lol
As a cook at a cattle ranch, there are never any left overs when i make this dish. Also they never use syrup, the flavor is that pleasing
I made this for my husband on Father’s Day. It was so easy and impressed everyone. After his first bite, my son asked me to make another one for his birthday later in the week. I used brioche and half and half instead of the cream. It turned out perfect!
This was terrific. I loved it. So much flavor. It was quick and really easy to make. Thanks so much for sharing.
What a wonderful breakfast I had. This dish was awesome, quick and easy to make, and it tasted great. I loved it. Thanks so much for sharing. BK
There’s no temperature at which to bake, listed in the instructions or recipe! Can this please be fixed? Thank you!
In step one it states to preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Enjoy!
Thank you for this recipe! I previously used an overnight recipe and the consistency was horrible! No one liked it! However, I was determined to make this because it sounds so good and it included everything I liked. When I read that overnight soaking can cause bread to be soggy and it’s better texture if you make it the same day. I found this recipe and I am a hero in my house again! I cut everything in half because I didn’t have a lot of eggs to use and didn’t want to waste them if the recipe turned out horrible. It was delicious!! Thank you!
My daughter made this for me this past mothers day. It was absolutely delicious!!
Worth taking in the calories!! 100% My son said it was fire!!
can you half this recipe? if so how long would you recommend cooking?
You’ll need to use a smaller pan and depending on the size, it might only need about 30 minutes in the oven. I suggest keeping an eye on it. Enjoy!
How long do you soak the bread?
Can you use brioche bread with this or does it have to be French Bread?
Brioche would work too.
This was a hit with my three kids that can’t agree on anything. I served it with a spoonful of no sugar added cherry pie filling and whipped topPing. I will most certainly make this again!
Love this recipe, the taste is wonderful. Freezes well.
What’s the best way to reheat the leftovers? This is delicious!! This is a new favorite for our family!! Thank you!!
I like to pop mine back into the oven until warmed or even placing a portion into a toaster oven to help keep it a bit crisp. So glad you love it so much!
I’m wanting to make this for my daughter’s birthday, and was thinking of adding some fresh blackberries & raspberries. Will I need to adjust the recipe at all to do that?
No, that sounds amazing!
Mine came out extremely eggy. It was like a scrambled egg sandwich.
Sounds like your bread might have been too fresh. Try drying out your bread in the oven first if it’s too moist.
Sounds great. Thank im in the uk. A cheaper you said French bread loaf? Is that a baguette then? I see you mention brioche was ok too. Sometimes US to English gets confusing. I so is a French bread loaf a brioche or a baguette?
I’m sure it’s great either way but thanks for all the great recipes
I would recommend using brioche.
We had this yesterday for Easter brunch. It tasted amazing and was easy to put together. I assembled the bread the night before and let it soak in the fridge. The next day I added the topping and baked! This just became a family favorite. Thank you.