French Toast Casserole
on Jan 30, 2021
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Overnight French toast casserole with an easy stove top raspberry sauce is a decadent breakfast that is perfect for a crowd or a weekend breakfast!
I love love love French toast. What I don’t love is standing in front of the griddle, soaking each slice of bread individually in the egg mixture and then tending to it. It’s a little bit of hassle. That is the miracle of French toast bake. You simply prep the night before and throw it in the oven when you wake up- and BAM breakfast of champions is served.
Table of Contents
French Toast Casserole
This recipe has no shortage of flavor and it is ridiculously easy. Just mix up a cream, egg, and sugar mixture and pour it over the top of French bread. Let the casserole soak overnight and simply bake in the morning.
What really completes this French toast bake is the raspberry sauce that you drizzle on top. Use frozen raspberries and make an easy stove top sauce. This easy step adds such a tasty flare.
French toast bake is the perfect breakfast to make if you are hosting overnight guests. It’s the French toast you know and love but it is ready as soon as you wake up! I also like making this for a weekend breakfast or a holiday. Super versatile.
What bread is best for French toast?
Opinions vary on this. Some people swear by sourdough sandwich bread while others don’t prefer it. I have always found success using French bread, brioche, or challah bread. Whatever I have on hand is usually what I use. I used my mom’s easy French bread recipe for this batch and it was perfect. Make a double batch of that recipe and have on with dinner and one to make this for the morning!
What is the point of making the French toast bake ahead of time?
The main reason for making French toast bake the day before is that it allows the egg mixture to soak into each piece. That is how the magic is created. The other reason is that it’s ready to go in the morning with minimal prep.
Does the French toast bake need to sit overnight?
This recipe is really flexible and you can make it work with your schedule. The casserole needs at least an hour to soak up the milk mixture and can go as long as 24 hours in the fridge, so let it work with your schedule.
More easy breakfast recipes:
- Easy French Toast Recipe
- How to Make Overnight Oats – 5 Easy Recipes!
- Easy Bacon and Cheese Egg Bake
- Classic Belgian Waffle Recipe
French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
For the French Toast Casserole:
- 1 large loaf of French bread, see notes
- 4 cups milk
- 2 cups cream
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 6 eggs plus 3 egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
For the raspberry sauce:
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 10 to 12 ounce fresh or frozen raspberries
Instructions
- Spray a 9×13 inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Slice the French bread into large 1.5 to 2 inch slices and cut each slice into 1.5 to 2 inch cubes.
- Place the bread cubes in the prepared pan, it will be very full.
- Mix together the milk, cream, sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Mix together until well combined.
- Carefully pour the milk mixture over the bread cubes. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for 1 to 24 hours until you are ready to bake it.
- When you are ready to bake the casserole, remove it from the fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. and let the casserole rest at room temperature while the oven is heating.
- When the oven is fully heated place the casserole in the oven and bake for 50-65 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the French toast casserole is baking make the raspberry sauce. In a small bowl combine the sugar and cornstarch and stir together with a fork until there are no lumps.
- In a medium sauce pan add the raspberries and cook over medium heat until the berries start to release some of their juice, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the sugar mixture. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture comes to a boil and boils for one minute. Remove from the heat.
- When the casserole is cooked through remove it from the oven and dish it on plates. Serve it with the raspberry sauce over the top.
- Store leftover sauce and casserole separate in the fridge.
Notes
- The French bread can be store-bought or homemade and it will be about 16 ounces of bread or about 10 cups large cubed pieces. I used my mom’s homemade French bread recipe and it was perfect.
- You can reduce the sugar in the French toast bake portion by 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup with no issues if you like a less sweet French toast, I normally make it with less sugar but it is really good with all of it.
- You have some flexibility when it comes to how long this dish rests. I have let it rest as short as 1 hour and as long as overnight. It does need a little time to rest so that the bread can soak up the milk mixture but it doesn’t have to be a full overnight rest. You can make it work for your schedule.
- When I have leftover egg whites I like to make meringue cookies or you can simply add them to additional eggs for scrambled eggs.
Nutrition
French toast bake is all of the yumminess you love from French toast without all the hassle. This will be quickly become a weekend favorite!
