The Best Sourdough French Toast Casserole (So Simple!)

Name: Sourdough French Toast Casserole
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: ½ cup salted butter (melted); 1 cup light brown sugar; 6 large eggs; 2 cups whole milk; ½ cup heavy cream (or use another ½ cup of milk); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon; 6 cups diced sourdough bread

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This Sourdough French Toast Casserole combines cubed sourdough bread with a rich egg mixture, brown sugar, and cinnamon for an easy baking dish breakfast everyone will love. Perfect for brunch or an easy hands-off breakfast!

A white plate holds a serving of baked French toast casserole made from golden-brown, chunky bread pieces, with a syrupy glaze and crispy edges. A yellow cloth napkin is partially visible in the upper left corner.

Quick Recipe Overview

A close-up of a fork holding a bite of baked bread pudding with a golden-brown, cinnamon-coated crust. More bread pudding is served on a white plate and in a baking dish in the background.

WHAT: A golden, custardy breakfast with crispy edges and a soft, creamy center and a bit of cinnamon spice.

WHY: With a few simple ingredients, this is a great way to use up stale sourdough bread. Plus it’s easier than traditional French toast because it bakes in the oven!

HOW: Just cube your sourdough bread, whisk together the egg mixture, pour it over, and let the oven work its magic.

Jump to Recipe

Quick Recipe Overview
Why I Love Making Sourdough French Toast Casserole
Ingredient Notes
Sourdough French Toast Casserole Recipe
How To Make Sourdough French Toast Casserole
FAQs for Sourdough French Toast Casserole
My Best Tips for Making Sourdough French Toast Casserole
What to Serve With Sourdough French Toast Casserole
Storage & Reheating Tips
More Sweet French Toast Recipes To Try

Why I Love Making Sourdough French Toast Casserole

There’s something magical about transforming day-old sourdough bread into a show-stopping breakfast that feeds a crowd. This sourdough french toast casserole has become my go-to recipe for holiday mornings, lazy weekend brunches, and any time I want to feel like a breakfast hero without much effort!

Unlike traditional french toast where you’re standing at the stove flipping individual slices, this casserole does all the work in one baking dish. Just cube your sourdough bread, whisk together the egg mixture, pour it over, and let the oven work its magic.

The result? A golden, custardy breakfast with crispy edges and a soft, creamy center that’ll have everyone asking for seconds.

🩷 Melissa

This is hands-down the best way to use up that sourdough loaf that’s seen better days! Whether it’s sandwich bread texture or a crusty loaf sourdough, it all works beautifully.

With just brown sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and a few pantry staples, you get a comfort food breakfast casserole that hits the spot. The maple syrup drizzle at the end is just the cherry on top.

While this recipe bakes fresh in 30 minutes, you can prep everything the night before. Just cover with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge – perfect for stress-free holiday mornings.

Ingredient Notes

Heavy cream: If you don’t have heavy cream then you can just add an extra ½ cup of milk. A little heavy cream adds to the richness of the casserole and gives it a creamier texture, but it’s not completely necessary and doesn’t affect the overall flavor very much.

Cinnamon: Just like the cream, the cinnamon isn’t completely necessary but really adds to the depth of this dish. The warm spice pairs perfectly with the rich brown sugar and cuts through the sweetness of the casserole a little bit!

Sourdough bread: Feel free to use store bought or homemade sourdough for this recipe. This is a great way to use up sourdough that is going bad or is already a little bit stale.

See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.

A top-down view of ingredients for bread pudding: a bowl of cubed bread, a carton of eggs, brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, a stick of butter, and a bowl of milk on a marble surface.

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Sourdough French Toast Casserole

By: Melissa Griffiths

Prep: 15

Cook: 30

Total: 45

Servings:

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Ingredients

▢ ½ cup salted butter, melted
▢ 1 cup light brown sugar
▢ 6 large eggs
▢ 2 cups whole milk
▢ ½ cup heavy cream, or use another ½ cup of milk
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
▢ 6 cups diced sourdough bread

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425°F and coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or butter. Place the diced bread in the pan and set aside.
Melt your butter and then add it to a large mixing bowl with the brown sugar. Whisk to combine.
Whisk in the eggs, milk, heavy cream, whole milk, vanilla, and ground cinnamon. Pour the mixture over the bread and fold to combine. Make sure the bread is evenly and fully coated by the milk and egg mixture. (You can also fold the bread and liquid in a large mixing bowl before transferring it to the pan.)
Bake the casserole for 30 minutes, or until the center of the casserole is no longer jiggly.

Notes

Toppings: I like to keep it simple and just top my french toast casserole with maple syrup. You can also top it with powdered sugar or a variety of fresh fruit.

Cream Substitute: If you don’t have heavy cream then you can just add an extra ½ cup of milk.

Stale Bread: Feel free to use store bought or homemade sourdough for this recipe. This is a great way to use up sourdough that is going bad or is already a little bit stale.

Non-Stick: Be generous when coating your pan, especially in the corners. I tried to lightly coat mine the first time I made this casserole but had some issues with the bread sticking to the pan. It was a bit of a beast to clean up!

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 6 servings, Calories: 535kcal, Carbohydrates: 56g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 237mg, Sodium: 399mg, Potassium: 294mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 42g, Vitamin A: 1138IU, Vitamin C: 0.2mg, Calcium: 201mg, Iron: 2mg

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How To Make Sourdough French Toast Casserole

A clear glass bowl filled with a white mixture, likely milk, topped with a generous amount of brown cocoa powder, on a white marble surface.

Step 1: Preheat the oven and coat a baking dish with nonstick spray or butter. Place the diced bread in the pan and set aside. Melt your butter and then add it to a large mixing bowl with the brown sugar. Whisk to combine.

Cubed bread pieces soaked in a creamy, speckled liquid mixture in a white rectangular baking dish, placed on a light marble surface.

Step 2: Whisk in the eggs, milk, heavy cream, whole milk, vanilla, and ground cinnamon. Pour the mixture over the bread and fold to combine. Make sure the bread is evenly coated.

A white baking dish filled with golden-brown bread pudding, featuring toasted, uneven cubes of bread. A wooden spoon, yellow cloth, and part of a white plate are visible nearby.

Step 3: Bake for 30 minutes, or until the center of the casserole is no longer jiggly.

Step 4: Top with powdered sugar and maple syrup, if desired. Serve and enjoy!

FAQs for Sourdough French Toast Casserole

Can I make this sourdough french toast casserole the night before?

Absolutely! Prepare the entire casserole recipe up to the baking step, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, let it sit at room temperature while your oven preheats to 425°, then bake as directed. You might need to add 5 extra minutes to the baking time since it’s coming straight from the fridge.

What’s the best bread to use for french toast bake?

Day-old or slightly stale sourdough bread works best because it absorbs the egg mixture without getting mushy. You can use a crusty sourdough loaf or softer sandwich bread – both work great! Cut your bread cubes about 1-inch in size for the most even coating and baking.

Can I substitute the heavy cream?

Yes! If you don’t have heavy cream on hand, simply use an extra ½ cup whole milk instead. The heavy cream adds richness and a creamier texture, but the casserole will still turn out delicious with just milk. The brown sugar and butter provide plenty of richness either way.

A close-up of a fork holding a bite of bread pudding above a plate filled with more bread pudding pieces, showing a golden brown, soft, and slightly crispy texture.

My Best Tips for Making Sourdough French Toast Casserole

☞ How to know it’s done baking: Your casserole is ready when the center is no longer jiggly and the top is golden brown. This typically takes 30 minutes at 425°F. If you insert a knife in the center, it should come out mostly clean. The edges will be slightly crispy while the middle stays custardy and soft.

☞ Coat your baking dish generously: Don’t skimp on the butter or nonstick spray! I learned this the hard way when bread stuck stubbornly to the corners of my pan. A well-greased 9×13 inch baking dish ensures easy serving and cleanup.

☞ Let the bread cubes soak thoroughly: After pouring the egg mixture over your bread, use a spatula to gently fold and press down, ensuring every cube gets coated. I sometimes let it sit for 5 minutes before baking so the sourdough bread really absorbs all that custardy goodness. You can even transfer everything to a large mixing bowl, toss to combine, then pour into your baking dish.

What to Serve With Sourdough French Toast Casserole

Classic maple syrup is my favorite – it soaks into all those nooks and crannies beautifully. When I want to change it up I’ll make a thick, creamy buttermilk syrup or a favorite seasonal fruit topping that makes it super special.

You can also dust with powdered sugar, add fresh berries, dollop with whipped cream, or drizzle with vanilla extract-spiked syrup.

For something special, try a brown sugar butter glaze!

Storage & Reheating Tips

This casserole is best served fresh straight from the oven. However, you can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Reheat properly for best texture – Leftovers can get a bit soggy in the microwave if you overdo it. Start with just 20-30 seconds, then add 15-second intervals.

For the best texture, reheat individual portions in a 350 degrees oven for about 10 minutes – it brings back that slight crispiness on top while keeping the inside creamy.