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Cooking With Anadi
12K subscribers · custardy sourdough layered with cinnamon sugar and butter
Want to try something new for a special Sunday brunch? This Overnight Baked French Toast Casserole is an excellent way to do that, plus it could even double up as a delicious dessert. This was my first time making a breakfast casserole after I had wanted to for so long! After trying this French toast bake recipe, I really explored French toast in a different way! It’s so perfect with a nice hot drink. Has a French toast casserole been on your bucket list too? Well, this is the opportunity to check it off as part of your Live to Cook one-month challenge! Sign up to my email newsletter to get this free resource and get started on your cooking journey today!
Be sure to watch the video to follow along as I prepare the elements and assemble and bake the casserole! If you’re not already, I’d love it if you’d please subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t forget to press the bell button to be notified when all of my new video recipes go live to go hand-in-hand with the written ones! Let’s get baking!
Why Make Overnight French Toast Casserole?
- Easy to assemble: The assembly of this overnight French toast casserole is really simple to do!
- Fun to make: Honestly this was quite fun to do! I loved the different elements involved in here and it looked so good going into the oven!
- Perfect family meal: This overnight French toast casserole can feed many mouths for a very special meal! Unlike regular French toast where the breads are pan-fried, everyone can eat at the same time without any food getting cold!
- Minimal hands-on time: While the bake time is quite awhile, the good news is that you don’t have to babysit the casserole, unlike with regular French toast where you need to flip and pay close attention. Here you can just bake it first thing in the morning and get the kitchen ready for the family while they’re asleep!
- Budget-friendly: While it seems like we’ve got a fair amount of ingredients here, they’re all pantry and fridge staples, and lots of the ingredients are used in the multiple components in the recipe.
- So delicious: I think this is the main reason why you’d want to make this! Honestly, I love the layers of the French toast here, and the crumble is sweet and crisp! You gotta experience this for yourself to have a breakfast of champions, and it’s a completely different experience from eating traditional French toast!
What Bread should I use for Easy Overnight French Toast Casserole?▼
A thick crust bread is the best option to use in our Overnight French Toast Casserole! For this recipe, I’ll be using fresh sourdough from a local bakery. I love to use sourdough in French toast because its thick and crustiness will allow the custard and toppings to hold well! Here are other options you can consider:
- brioche bread
- challah bread
- Texas toast
If anything, you can use simple white sandwich bread, but just ensure that it’s thick enough so that it doesn’t get mushy! As I describe in my Make Cooking Fun!! free motivational guide to explore your potential in the kitchen and to spark creativity, I always recommend you use on hand! If there’s an old loaf of bread that needs to be eaten, then that’s actually the perfect bread to use! Older bread will be great to use for your casserole because drier bread is less likely to get soggy.
How to Prevent the French Toast Casserole from getting Soggy▼
The main reason why your French toast would get soggy is because you’ve soaked the bread for too long based on its thickness. To be safe, you want crusty bread that can absorb the custard and maintain its shape. If you notice the bread slices getting limp, then you’ve over-soaked it. If you’re working with softer bread, you could leave it out at room temperature to dry out so that it can hold the moisture better.
What is the Most Common Mistake in Making French Toast?▼
The most common mistake when making French toast is believing that the longer you soak it for, the more delicious the French toast will be. However, this does not apply if your bread is too soft, which is why a thicker bread is recommended. When you’ve soaked thin slices of bread for too long, you’ll get sogginess! Additionally, under-cooking and over-cooking the French toast can result in a less than ideal French toast. If you bake the French toast casserole at a heat that’s too high, the outside will be done before the inside has finished cooking. On the other hand, if you’re not cooking at a high enough heat, then you won’t get a lovely golden brown color we’re looking for.
Why Is It that You can Soak The Bread For Longer in a casserole but not in regular French Toast?▼
The primary reason is while baking french toast in a casserole, you don’t need to handle the bread as often as when making a traditional french toast on a pan. Traditionally, the bread is dipped in the egg-milk mixture for a couple of seconds and then transfer to a pan to cook until golden brown. Bread slice that is over-saturated may come apart and be impossible to handle.
Since in a casserole, the bread will remain in the same vessel for the duration of the absorption and the cooking phase, there is no minimum requirement for soak time. The longer you soak, the longer the flavors can come together to deliver a tastier dish.
What Size is your casserole?▼
My KitchenAid casserole is 15 inches by 5 inches and is 4.2 quarts.
Tools Needed for Baked French Toast
- Microplane (if grating whole nutmeg)
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cup
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
- Casserole
- Spatula
- Sieve
Ingredients for Overnight Baked French Toast Casserole
Don’t forget to scroll to the bottom of this post to see the FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE CARD with all ingredient measurements and to save the recipe for later! The recipe card will also allow you to scale the recipe based on if you want to make this in a personal casserole or a huge casserole - all individual quantities will automatically be adjusted for you!
For the Custard
- Eggs: An important base for our custard!
- Milk: Whole dairy milk is what I’ll be using in this recipe. For a richer French toast, you could even experiment with half and half cream.
- Spices and flavorings: We’ll use some ground cinnamon and nutmeg to add warm cozy spices into the custard. Additionally, vanilla extract and almond extract will add wonderful aromas to complement the sweetness here!
- Butter: I like to use unsalted butter in my baking so that I can control the amount of salt. If you’re using salted butter, you won’t need to add more. You’ll want a stick of melted butter.
- Sweeteners: White sugar and brown sugar will sweeten our custard.
- Salt: This is crucial to bring out all the sweet flavors that went in here!
For the Cinnamon Sugar Crumble
- Butter: One stick at room temperature.
- Flour: You can use regular all-purpose flour or 1 to 1 gluten-free baking flour if you’re making this for someone who has a gluten intolerance.
- Cinnamon sugar
For the Cinnamon Sugar
- Cinnamon: 1 part cinnamon.
- Brown sugar: 1 part brown sugar.
- White sugar: 2 parts white sugar.
For the French Toast Casserole
- Bread: A thick crusty bread will give the best results in holding the custard and not getting soggy. I’m using white sourdough in this French toast casserole recipe. Some recipes cut the bread into pieces and then add those to the casserole, but I like the idea of keeping the slices whole and layering that way!
- Cinnamon sugar
- Cinnamon sugar crumble
- Brown sugar + molten butter: To coat the bottom of the casserole and to spread in between the layers of bread slices.
- Powdered sugar: For garnish.
How to Make Easy Baked French Toast Casserole
Set the bread slices out on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour to allow them to dry out slightly.
In the meanwhile, prepare the egg mixture by whisking together eggs, milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
Prepare the cinnamon sugar by mixing all the ingredients listed above for it.
Also, prepare the mix for the cinnamon sugar crumble as well by mixing all the ingredients together and cutting the butter until it turns into pea sized granules and set aside.
Melt the 1/2 Cup of butter and 1 Cup of brown sugar.
Spread half of the mixture at the bottom of the casserole.
Then, arrange the pieces of bread in a single layer, breaking any slices of bread to fill gaps. Pour and spread 1 cup of the egg-milk mixture.
Sprinkle the bread with cinnamon sugar and add another layer of bread, 1 Cup of the egg-milk mixture, the rest of the butter-brown sugar mixture and a dusting of cinnamon sugar.
Let the bread soak in the layers for 4-6 hours or preferably overnight.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in the middle rack. Remove the casserole from the oven and evenly distribute the cinnamon sugar crumble over the top to make a thin layer - you may have extra crumble mix leftover which you can reserve for next time.
Bake for 15-25 minutes or until the crumble is browned. Once ready, the crumble should become crisp once cooled slightly.
Slice and serve warm with whipped cream and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
Tips on How to Bake the Best Overnight French Toast Casserole!
- Since the bread will bake in the casserole itself, allow the slices to soak in the egg-milk mixture to absorb the most amount of flavor.
- The level of sweetness can easily be adjusted so the casserole can fit your personal needs. I don’t think you’d need to add more, but feel free to add less if needed.
- Salt, may seem out of place in this recipe, but it actually enhances the flavors to make ingredients like cinnamon, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla and anything else you add to this recipe.
- Get a dose of morning buzz with a teaspoon or two of instant coffee to this recipe, the salt here would make the coffee taste even better and more wholesome.
Serving Suggestions for Overnight French Toast Casserole
Beverages
- Pumpkin Spice Latte
- Iced Brown Sugar Shaken Espresso
- Starbucks White Hot Chocolate
- Dirty Chai Latte
- Maple Bourbon Latte
- Indian Ginger Chai
Savory Options
- Bacon slices
- Anadi’s Classic Omelette
- Easy Cheese and Egg Souffle
- Homemade McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin
- McDonald’s Breakfast Bagel Sandwiches
- Tim Horton’s Farmer’s Wrap
Making Overnight French Toast Casserole in Advance
As the name suggests, unlike regular French toast, you CAN prep the casserole in advance, allowing the bread to soak overnight. In fact, soaking the bread overnight will yield the best results here! Then, when you’re ready to bake, you just need to pop it in the oven! Even if you’ve got leftovers, the slices of French toast will not get mushy and taste incredible! You can store your leftover French toast pieces in an airtight container or just leave them in your casserole dish covered.
To reheat your slices of overnight French toast, simply reheat for about 30 seconds. You just want to warm the pieces up but not have them too hot, or else the slices will turn to mush.
Other Wonderfully Sweet Breakfast Recipes!
- Perfect French Toast for Two
- Chocolate Chip Brioche Bread Pudding
- Banana Pumpkin Bread Pudding
- Double Stuff Cookies and Cream Pancakes
- Red Velvet Pancakes
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Crepes
- The Best Chocolate Chip S’mores Oatmeal
- Coconut Banana Chocolate Chip Overnight Oats
Slices, Not Bread Cubes: Choosing the Best Bread
Most French toast casserole recipes tear a loaf into bread cubes or 1-inch chunks; this one keeps whole slices, six of them cut 3/4 to 1 inch thick, laid in two layers so every serving comes out as a clean slab rather than a scramble. Sourdough is the best bread for it because a sturdy crumb soaks up the custard without collapsing, and letting the slices sit out on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour first is what gives the best texture. Other sturdy breads work the same way: French bread, ciabatta or a country white loaf. Soft sandwich bread is the one to avoid, since it turns to mush once the liquid goes on.
Cold Butter, a Pastry Cutter and Two Bowls: The Assembly Details
Whisk eggs first: 3 large eggs go into a large mixing bowl with half a cup of milk, a teaspoon each of vanilla and almond extract, a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, an eighth of a teaspoon of nutmeg and a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, make the crumble by cutting 2 tablespoons of cold butter into the cinnamon sugar and flour with a pastry cutter or two knives until it looks like pea-sized granules. Melt the half cup of butter with the cup of brown sugar on the stove or in the microwave, spread half of it in the casserole dish, add the first layer of bread, pour over 1 cup of the liquid, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, then repeat with the second layer and the rest of the butter and sugar. Cover with plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours or, better, overnight. It bakes uncovered, so there is no aluminum foil to fuss with: 30 minutes on the middle rack, then the crumble goes on for the final 15 to 25 minutes.
Toppings for Guests: Maple Syrup, Berries and Whipped Cream
The recipe finishes each slice with whipped cream and a dusting of powdered sugar, and if you have guests it is worth putting out a few bowls to pass: warm maple syrup, and fresh berries such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or blackberries, whose tartness cuts through the brown sugar and butter. To whip your own, beat cold heavy cream with a spoonful of powdered sugar until it holds soft peaks.
Nutrition, Approximately
Cut into 12 slices, each one comes to around 300 calories, with about 7 grams of protein from the eggs and milk, roughly 36 grams of carbohydrates, most of it sugar, about a gram of fiber and around 400 milligrams of sodium, much of it from the sourdough itself. The fat is largely saturated fat, because it comes from butter and egg yolks, which is also where the cholesterol comes from; the milk contributes a little calcium, and there is essentially no vitamin C unless you add the berries. Treat the figures as an approximation, since the exact bread and the amount of crumble you use will move them.
Let me know what you think of this recipe in the comments! If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to post it on social media and tag it with #cookingwithanadi and mention me @cooking.with.anadi. Thank you!
Recipe by Anadi Misra
Make your best brunch yet with this overnight French toast casserole. Prep it the night before for an effortless, crowd-pleasing morning bake that is golden, custardy, and absolutely irresistible.
Stovetop
Rate this recipe ✦
20 min
Prep
55 min
Cook
4 hr
Rest
5 hr 15 min
Total
12
slices
easy
Level
Ingredients
Ingredients
Tap any quantity to scale
For the French toast
- sourdough bread(3/4-1 inch thick)
- (120 ml) milk
- eggs · make your own
- (5 ml) vanilla extractShop →
- (5 ml) almond extractShop →
- (3 g) ground cinnamonShop →
- (0 g) nutmegShop →
- saltShop →
- (220 g) brown sugarShop →
- (115 g) butter(golden)
- (38 g) cinnamon sugar(see below)Shop →
- brown sugar cinnamon crumble(see below)
- powdered sugar(for garnish)Shop →
For the brown sugar cinnamon crumble
Instructions
- 1
Set the bread slices out on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour to allow them to dry out slightly.
Set the bread slices out on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour to allow them to dry out slightly.
- 2
In the meantime, prepare the egg mixture by whisking together eggs, milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In the meantime, prepare the egg mixture by whisking together eggs, milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- 3
Prepare the cinnamon sugar by mixing all the ingredients listed above for it. Also, prepare the mix for the cinnamon sugar crumble as well by mixing all the ingredients together and cutting in the butter until it turns into pea-sized granules and set aside.
Prepare the cinnamon sugar by mixing all the ingredients listed above for it. Also, prepare the mix for the cinnamon sugar crumble as well by mixing all the ingredients together and cutting in the butter until it turns into pea-sized granules and set aside.
- 4
Melt the ½ cup of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar and spread half of the mixture at the bottom of the casserole. Then, arrange the pieces of bread in a single layer, breaking any slices of bread to fill gaps. Pour and spread 1 cup of the egg-milk mixture.
Melt the ½ cup of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar and spread half of the mixture at the bottom of the casserole. Then, arrange the pieces of bread in a single layer, breaking any slices of bread to fill gaps. Pour and spread 1 cup of the egg-milk mixture.
- 5
Sprinkle the bread with cinnamon sugar and add another layer of bread, 1 cup of the egg-milk mixture, the rest of the butter-brown sugar mixture and a dusting of cinnamon sugar.
Sprinkle the bread with cinnamon sugar and add another layer of bread, 1 cup of the egg-milk mixture, the rest of the butter-brown sugar mixture and a dusting of cinnamon sugar.
- 6
Let the bread soak in the layers for 4-6 hours or preferably overnight.
Let the bread soak in the layers for 4-6 hours or preferably overnight.
- 7
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in the middle rack. Remove the casserole from the oven and evenly distribute the cinnamon sugar crumble over the top to make a thin layer - you may have extra crumble mix leftover which you can reserve for next time.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in the middle rack. Remove the casserole from the oven and evenly distribute the cinnamon sugar crumble over the top to make a thin layer - you may have extra crumble mix leftover which you can reserve for next time.
- 8
Bake for 15-25 minutes or until the crumble is browned. Once ready, the crumble should become crisp once cooled slightly.
Bake for 15-25 minutes or until the crumble is browned. Once ready, the crumble should become crisp once cooled slightly.
- 9
Slice and serve warm with whipped cream and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
Slice and serve warm with whipped cream and a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
Did you make this recipe? Tag @cooking.with.anadi on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingwithanadi
Tested & written in Anadi’s kitchen
Recipe history
- April 16, 2026 — Reworked and refreshed for the 2026 relaunch — new photography, restructured and standardized ingredients & instructions.
Filed under
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