Easy Overnight Baked French Toast
Simple french toast should be a recipe everyone has in their arsenal, and this one is a super easy baked version!
Cinnamon bread soaks overnight in a vanilla custard, then bakes under chopped pecans and a buttery cinnamon crumble. It’s crispy on the outside, custardy on the inside and takes about 10 minutes of work the night before.
The Easiest Overnight Baked French Toast (Cinnamon Bread and Pecan Crumble)
Who doesn’t love a vanilla french toast?! Crispy on the outside, custardy on the inside and dripping with maple syrup, you can’t go wrong. The only thing I don’t like about french toast is having to make it. I know, you’re probably thinking Dana has finally lost her mind!
I love to cook, don’t get me wrong, but mornings? Let’s just say I don’t do mornings very well. Unless there’s a slice of sour cream coffee cake from the day before, most likely we’re just having coffee.
Overnight recipes, though, I can get behind. I like our Sunday mornings to be special, so if taking 10 minutes out of my Saturday night means this easy french toast bake is ready in the morning, I can handle that.
Why You’ll Love This French Toast Casserole
- Made the night before. About 10 minutes of prep, then the fridge does the work.
- No standing at the stove. The whole pan bakes at once, so everyone eats together.
- Crispy and custardy. Bake 45 minutes for a soft center or up to 60 for a crisper top.
- A crunchy topping. Pecans and a cinnamon brown sugar crumble bake right on top.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
For the french toast:
- Cinnamon bread: One loaf, about 12 regular slices. Cinnamon bread builds the flavor right into every bite, so you get swirls of cinnamon sugar all the way through instead of only on top. Regular slices are sturdy enough to hold their shape while they soak, and bread that’s a little dry drinks up the custard without falling apart.
- Eggs: Eight eggs make a rich custard that sets as it bakes. The eggs are what turn soaked bread into something sliceable and custardy instead of soggy.
- Milk and heavy cream: 2 cups of milk and 1/2 cup of heavy cream for a custardy center. The milk keeps the custard loose enough to soak deep into the bread, and the cream adds richness so the middle bakes up silky.
- Granulated and light brown sugar: 1/2 cup of each for sweetness and a little caramel flavor. Brown sugar has molasses in it, which gives the custard a deeper, warmer taste that goes perfectly with the cinnamon.
- Vanilla extract: Two tablespoons. Yes, two! It’s what makes this a true vanilla french toast.
For the topping:
- Flour, light brown sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt: The base of the crumble. The flour gives the butter something to cling to, the brown sugar and cinnamon toast as it bakes, and the salt keeps all that sweetness from tasting flat.
- Unsalted butter: 1/2 cup, and it needs to be super cold so the crumble stays sandy. Cold butter stays in little pieces that melt in the oven and leave behind crisp, golden clumps. Warm butter blends in completely and turns the topping into a paste.
- Chopped pecans: 1/4 cup sprinkled over the soaked bread before the crumble goes on. They toast in the oven and add a nutty crunch against the soft custard. Leave them off for a nut free bake. The crumble is still plenty crunchy on its own.
How to Make Overnight Baked French Toast
- Layer the bread. Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan well. Lay the bread slices in two overlapping rows. Overlapping them like shingles leaves little edges sticking up, and those edges get extra crispy in the oven.
- Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, both sugars and vanilla until well combined, with no streaks of egg or lumps of brown sugar. Pour it slowly and evenly over the bread so every slice gets a good soak.
- Chill overnight. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. By morning, the bread will have soaked up most of the custard.
- Make the topping. In the morning, preheat the oven to 350°F. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the cold butter, diced or grated, and rub it through your fingers until it looks like sand. Some larger pieces are fine. Work quickly so the warmth of your hands doesn’t melt the butter.
- Top. Sprinkle the pecans over the soaked bread, then sprinkle on all of the topping. It seems like a lot, but use it all, right out to the edges so the corners get crunchy too.
- Bake for 45 minutes for a custard like texture or 60 minutes for a crisper one. It’s ready when the topping is deep golden and the center no longer looks wet. Let it cool slightly so the custard can settle, then slice and serve.
Tip: Grate the cold butter right into the bowl with the flour mixture. It’s the fastest way to get a perfect crumble, and the butter stays cold.
Ways to Serve It
- Maple syrup: We like a drizzle of maple syrup around here, the good stuff.
- Powdered sugar: If you like it simple, a light dusting works too. Or do both!
- Bread pudding style: Cut or cube the bread instead of layering the slices.
Cinnamon French Toast Bake FAQs
- Do I have to soak it overnight? Yes. Covering it and refrigerating it overnight lets the bread soak up all of the custard, and it means breakfast is ready to bake first thing. A short soak leaves dry spots in the middle of the slices.
- Can I cube the bread instead of layering slices? Yes. Cutting or cubing the bread gives you more of a bread pudding style bake. Spread the cubes in an even layer in the greased pan before you pour the custard over.
- How long should I bake it? About 45 minutes for a custardy center, or up to 60 minutes for a crisper top. Look for a deep golden crumble and a center that no longer looks wet.
- What size pan do I need? A well greased 9×13 inch baking pan. Grease the sides as well as the bottom so the sugary custard doesn’t stick.
- Can I make this french toast without milk? As written, this bake uses 2 cups of milk and 1/2 cup of heavy cream for the custard. The dairy is a big part of the rich, custardy center, so we recommend making it as written.
- Why does the butter need to be so cold? Cold butter stays in small pieces as you rub it into the flour, which gives you a sandy crumble that bakes up crisp. Grating it straight from the fridge is the easiest way to keep it cold.
- What should I serve with it? We like a drizzle of good maple syrup, or a light dusting of powdered sugar if you like it simple. You can even do both.
Overnight French Toast Casserole with Cinnamon Bread
Easy overnight baked french toast with cinnamon bread soaked in vanilla custard, topped with pecans and a buttery cinnamon crumble. Prep it the night before and bake in the morning.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf cinnamon bread (12 regular sized slices)
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Topping
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter*
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan well. Lay out bread slices in two rows, overlapping. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugars, and vanilla until well combined. Pour over bread. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the topping but whisking together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Add diced or grated butter (see * note for clarity) and toss in the flour mixture. Roll the butter and flour through your fingers to form sand-like consistency, some larger pieces are fine.
- Sprinkle the pecans over the custard soaked bread. Sprinkle the topping evenly on top, it seems like a lot, but use it all. Bake for 45 minutes for a custard-like texture or 60 minutes for a crisper texture. Let cool slightly, serve with maple syrup or powdered sugar, or both!
Notes
* The butter needs to be super cold. You can either small dice it or do what I do, and grate it right into the bowl with the flour mixture.
Made this french toast bake? Leave a star rating in the recipe card and let us know how you liked it in the comments below.
This recipe was shared by Dana. Visit her blog, This Silly Girl’s Kitchen, for even more goodies.
