Easy French Toast Bake with no overnight chilling has cinnamon, brown sugar, and buttery French bread perfect for your family or a crowd.
This Breakfast Recipe has all the familiar flavors of your favorite French Toast, and is designed to feed a crowd all at once. Just like a Sheet Pan Pancakes, this recipe will have your family drizzling warm maple syrup in no time.
EASY FRENCH TOAST BAKE
Easy French Toast Bake takes half the effort of making individual slices of french toast, and this breakfast will still be the perfect warm, inviting, family friendly meal you’ll love throwing together quickly on the weekend.
One of the great things about Easy French Toast Bake, is if you have some cream or half and half in your fridge pretty much everything else you likely have in your pantry. This is a great recipe for using up any bread that is about to go stale, and give it new life as a warm, comforting breakfast.
The warm cozy flavors of this breakfast casserole are perfect for a special holiday breakfast, or you could also make Pumpkin French Toast Bake during the fall! Either way, the crusty and soft French bread will soak up the flavors of brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and be toasted to perfection with a buttery eggy crust.
Serve Easy French Toast Bake alongside some simple scrambled eggs and Fruit Salad, or make life even easier with an Oven Baked Omelet.
MORE EASY FRENCH TOAST BAKE RECIPES
Croissant French Toast Bake
Maple Bacon French Toast Bake
Sausage Cheddar French Toast Casserole
Cinnamon Raisin French Toast Bake
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VARIATIONS ON EASY FRENCH TOAST BAKE
- Bread: Any bread with a nice crust will work well such as sourdough, brioche, baguette, or challah.
- Spices: Add additional favorite warm spices such as clove, ginger, anise, or Pumpkin Pie Spice.
- Protein: Make a sweet and savory French Toast Bake by adding in crumbled bacon or sausage.
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: You will love serving this with real maple syrup. I keep this brand and Trader Joe’s brand (buy that in store, it is ⅓ the price) on hand at all times if I can.
Nutmeg: The flavor of whole Nutmeg nuts is completely different than the pre-ground variety and adds another dimension to baked goods.
MORE FAVORITE BREAKFAST RECIPES
Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
Oven Bacon Cheddar Scrambled Eggs
Classic Waffles
Perfect Fluffy Pancakes
HOW TO STORE EASY FRENCH TOAST BAKE
- Serve: To keep it fresh, you shouldn’t leave any leftover French Toast Bake at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
- Store: Once it’s cooled, cover the dish or put it in another airtight container. Properly sealed, the breakfast bake will stay good in the fridge for up to a week.
- Freeze: To keep your Easy French Toast Bake longer, store it in the freezer. It will stay good for up to 3 months.
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
- 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, ½ cup brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Chop the bread into ¾ - 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.
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Nutrition
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I’ve made this so so many times and it’s always a hit!! People ask me for the recipe all the time !!?
so I usually buy a Texas toast loaf that’s 24 oz. It’s been a minute since I last made but is doing 1 1/2 times the recipe good? I think that’s what I’ve done, lol. Thanks for an amazing crowd pleaser
Family loved! Fed 8 people?
Mine turned out more like a bread pudding than a casserole. It could be that the loaves of bread I cubed where larger than the recipe called for, thus, making it more dense. Having a measurement by cups for the bread would have been helpful as loaves come in many shapes and sizes.
Duly noted. Thank you Jenn.
Made this recipe for our family Christmas brunch only because it was the only recipe that was easy and I had all the ingredients on hand. It was a hit. I used half of a loaf of sour dough bread and a little over half a l loaf of raisin bread. All I had on hand. Will for sure make again.
Perfect! Thank you Sherry!
The only thing I would add, is, do you bake it covered or uncovered? I’m assuming uncovered. Waiting for it to come out of the oven. Very excited.
Uncovered and looking forward to hearing how your French Toast Bake turned out!
Made this for a neighborhood brunch and everyone raved about it! I used sour dough bread and did the exact recipe. Obviously turned out perfect!
My husband raved! I added almond extract, and almonds on top. I didn’t have cream or half and half so i used sweetened condensed milk, left out sugar but kept brown sugar.
Great substitute ideas Sherry and thanks for the 5 star review!
This sounds great! It seems to have similar ingredients to bread pudding and I don’t like the texture of bread pudding. Is this wet like that or bake up crispy?
Thanks !
I understand. Bread pudding isn’t for everyone. This is going to be a judgement call you will make if you try the recipe. Some say it’s like bread pudding and some say it’s more like a breakfast casserole which can be dryer and crispier. Let us know if you try the recipe and let us know what you think!
Can you assemble the night before baking it in the morning
I’m afraid the bread would be so soggy? Did you try it?
Is this ok to prepare and let sit in the refrigerator overnight and cook for the first time in the morning?
I always prepare it the night before and let it sit in the fridge overnight then bake it in the morning, makes for an easy delicious breakfast! It’s a family favorite at our house!
Something I noticed is recipe states half cup of brown sugar, however, it says to put a half cup of brown sugar into the egg mixture, however, does not specify how much brown sugar to put into the topping mixture. Am I tripping? Did I overlook
Hi Kay, sorry for the delay in responding. Busy Summer! I can see why you thought this. The topping is at the bottom of the list of ingredients and you’ll see another 1/2 cup of brown sugar along with the other topping ingredients and the topping instructions are the last 2 in the list of instructions. I should have created a “Topping” Category for the Recipe card. Sorry for the confusion. No … you are not “tripping” 🙂
Enjoy.
This is my go-to recipe for French toast bakes. I usually make it with homemade French bread (the recipe I use makes 3 loaves, one of which is reserved for French toast in some form). But this morning was crisp and cool and I wanted to bake this but didn’t have any French bread. But I DID have a package of plain bakery bagels that I needed to use up, so I substituted them in the recipe. It was perfect! I love that this recipe is truly easy and can be prepped & baked on the same morning or refrigerated overnight. Happy tummies all around—thank you!
Made this for the first time today and it was awesome! Everyone thought this was definately a make-again recipe! My grown son thinks this should be our Christmas morning breakfast. My sister loved the crispy top. So good!
Super great n really filling did the baked apples with it hats off
Does this reheat well? I’d like to make it & take pieces to work for breakfast during the week.
Leftover baked french toast casserole reheats well. Reheat in the microwave, or in the oven at 350° F, covered, until warm.
Super excited to make this!! If I doubled it, would I need to leave it in the oven for much longer?
Made it. Delicious! Egg mixture I used light brown sugar, but topping used dark.
Made this today with a mix of sourdough and brioche and it was divine! Not mushy at all!! Will definitely add to our breakfast rotation.
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it!
Can I prep this the night before?
The “easy” in this recipe is because you don’t have to plan ahead and refrigerate overnight! I am concerned that the bread would get to soggy.
Made this a few times, cut the sugar in half. Always delicious!!
This French toast bake is SO delicious! I’ve used an older recipe for years that was just OK. I found Sabrina’s recipe online & made it today- WOW! The topping makes all the difference! I made it with a loaf & a 1/2 of Kroger’s bakery French bread & baked for 50 minutes. So good! This recipe is my new FTB recipe! Thanks Sabrina!
Very soggy. I have had it in the oven for over an hour and 30 minutes and the middle is not cooking. Looks good, but just will not cook through
oh no, that is disappointing. Could be for a number of reasons. Egg sizes differ, oven temps can be tricky and that could be factor if the oven heating to the temperature on the dial. So many have commented that they loved the recipes because it was the recipe that wasn’t soggy. I’m so sorry this happened.
I have made this recipe a few times now and it’s always been amazing! The last time I used day old croissants and it did not disappoint. Thank you for sharing.
Mine is baking long also and soggy but I used brioche and milk only. I think it’s just the egg size or size/amount of bread.
Delicious. Accidentally put all brown sugar in first half of recipe so I had to add another 1/4 cup to the crust to make up for it. It smelled buttery and fresh. Looked like a apple crisp. ??? impressive 5stars
A-MA-AZING!!! I added in ripe pears to the mix before throwing it in the oven and this came out fantastic. Have shared this recipe with everyone I know. Next weekend…..sliced apples!
I just made this recipe and it is delish!
One question, is your casserole supposed to rise way above the 13×9 pan while in the oven? It did turn our great but I was wondering if I did something wrong because it rose so much!
Yes, it will rise, and as it cools it will come back down a bit again. That’s to do with all the eggs in the recipe.
Made this Christmas morning and it was delicious. We used syrup but it wasn’t needed. We all have a sweet tooth.
I made this today for Christmas. Everyone loved it. I added pecans to the topping. I will definitely be making this again and again!
Love this site
Can you make this the night before?
Absolutely! Just keep it in the fridge overnight, then cook it in the morning so it’s nice and hot when you serve it! ?
Very tasty and very delicious especially with a cinnamon crumble top. I love it. The only problem I had was the bottom was stuck onto my 9×13 glass pan. But that didn’t matter since there was plenty of delicious fluffiness of the French toast still available.
Great easy recipe! I halved the recipe and used an 8×8 pan for less people. I love the addition of the crumb topping! It makes it super special!
This was SO easy and so delicious! And I just had regular white bread, would probably be even better with a crusty bread as per the recipe! Great use of what I had left in the fridge. Would like to try experimenting with adding apples next time!
Came out perfect! My mother-in-law commented on how every recipe she has tried turns out soggy, but not this one for us! Used Texas Toast. So yummy.
Can you make this the day before, and if so do you need to adapt the recipe at all?
Did I miss the temperature to cook it at?
Could I use a dairy free creamer? Something like and almond creamer or should I use cream of coconut instead?
Loved it. The cinnamon crumble on the top makes this dish.
This French Toast Bake is wonderful! I made it yesterday for our Easter Brunch! It was a big hit. I will definitely be making it again. I have made other versions of French toast casserole and been disappointed, as they seem to be soggy. Thank you for this fabulous recipe Sabrina!
Just put it together and put in the fridge and will cook in the morning. I followed the recipe exactly and the bread just turned into mash mush, and I poured half the mixture out . After having to pour out the remaining egg mixture, I added more bread hoping to save it. We will see ? I might just have to make pancakes for our Easter brunch as back up.
Just made – I didn’t have cream so I used sweetened condensed milk in the recipe and hoped for the best. Fresh out of the oven and it’s amazing! Most definitely will make again… I think I’ll try adding some apple next time.
I served this with sliced strawberries and Greek yogurt, and it was phenomenal!
Love this recipe. I often use it to clean out my pantry. Don’t hesitate to use up those last hamburger and hotdog buns that nobody is going to use! You cannot tell the difference.
The best French toast bake, hands down! I use half to 3/4 of a loaf of 5-7 day old brioche bread (about 10 to 12 oz), halve the recipe, use a 8×8 dish, and cut the cooking time by about 5-10 min. Great weekend breakfast treat for a 4-6 person group. Thanks for the great recipe, super simple to whip up!
Hi! Can this be made the night before due to time? Or morning of?
How could I cut this recipe down to serve like 4 to 6 people instead of 12?
Thank you! I searched everywhere for a quick, easy, casserole that didn’t have to be refrigerated overnight…this is perfect!
Thank you Mary!
This recipe is great for my Easter brunch
Please tell me how to reheat my extra full 9×13 pan to keep the moist texture .
Thank you.
Just wondering if you cover when baking?
This recipe is fantastic !!!!!
Love it
I followed the instructions to a T. I got nothing but soggy like bread pudding. It was awful. And I kept it in the oven for 1:10 minutes. Not sure how anyone else is getting this to work.
I’ve found you have to use older bread (5-7 days old) for these kinds on recipes or else it is too mushy. When it is drier, even a bit stale it soaks up the egg better. Maybe that’s why it turned out like that. ?
Bake 45 mins at 350 Adding pad of butter overtop , Uncover 15 mins to makea crunchy top. It is like French toast.
Big hit with company, not much left in the pan. I only refrigerated it 2 hours and I drizzled maple syrup on it when it came out of the oven.
This is absolutely delicious! My whole family loved it. I used Texas toast since that’s what I had, and it worked well. I also let it sit in fridge overnight . Great make ahead breakfast.
how much Texas toast did you use?
This was so good and easy to put together. Husband went for seconds (which he never does!). Added pecans to the topping since we had them. Excellent, easy recipe for guests! Thank you!
Pecan as an addition is a great idea! Sounds amazing!