Overnight Brioche French Toast Casserole
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This Overnight French Toast Casserole is made with buttery brioche, soaked in a sweet, spiced custard, and finished with a buttery cinnamon-sugar topping. It’s the perfect make-ahead breakfast for overnight guests, family gatherings, or slow weekend mornings. Best of all, you can enjoy it with everyone else—no standing at the stove required.
Picture it: a chilly New England morning, the smell of cinnamon in the air, and a warm casserole coming out of the oven. No one’s flipping bread at the stove, everyone’s still in slippers—it’s breakfast the way it should be.
This easy French Toast casserole uses super stale (hard as a rock actually) buttery brioche bread and is baked to perfection without being mushy. That’s right, no soggy center! Serve this French toast bake with some crisp maple bacon and home fries for a delicious breakfast option for family get-togethers, holiday breakfasts (it’s perfect for Christmas morning), or an easy brunch.
If you love this recipe, I recommend trying my easy air fryer French toast sticks, monkey bread recipe, or my make-ahead cinnamon rolls with apple pie filling!
Why You’ll Love Overnight French Toast Casserole
- Great make ahead recipe! This easy breakfast casserole is best made overnight and is perfect for family get togethers, weekend or holiday breakfasts, and leisurely brunches.
- No soggy center! This French toast is baked to perfection and isn’t mushy.
- No standing over a stove! Forget frying off individual slices of French toast! This bakes up in a 13×9 baking dish, so you can enjoy eating WITH your family.
Brioche French Toast Casserole Recipe Ingredients
There’s just something about a warm casserole in the middle of the table that gets everyone moving. And that cinnamon-sugar smell? Totally irresistible.
This baked French Toast Casserole is made using everyday ingredients that are easy to find.
Brioche bread – I use thick sliced brioche bread from the grocery store. Cut the slices into 1-inch cubes and leave out over 24-48 hours to get hard and crusty. I’m talking rock hard bread; this is the top secret tip to keep your casserole from getting soggy. If you’re not a planner, I’ve included a “quick” method to get your bread crusty in the instructions.
Melted Butter – This adds flavor and helps keep the bread from getting soggy.
Half and half – You can substitute whole milk or extra creamy almond milk if needed!
Eggs – I use large, fresh eggs for this recipe. I don’t bother bringing them to room temperature.
Brown sugar – Light or dark brown can be used.
Spices – ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Make sure the spices are fresh for the best flavor.
Vanilla extract
How to Make Easy Brioche French Toast Casserole
Follow these step-by-step instructions to make the perfect French toast casserole.
Prep Work: 2-3 days in advance.
To dry out the bread, spread the cubes in a single layer between two sheet pans and let them sit uncovered for 24–48 hours or until hard and stale.
Note: For a quicker option, bake the brioche cubes at 250°F for 45 minutes, then let them cool before using.
Step 1
Add the stale bread cubes to a large bowl and drizzle with the melted butter. Gently toss together to coat.
Step 2
Whisk together the half and half, eggs, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla.
Pour the custard mixture over the buttery bread cubes. Stir until all cubes are moistened and most of the egg mixture has been absorbed.
Step 3
Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and gently spoon the bread cubes into the prepared casserole dish. Use the spoon to arrange the brioche into an even layer. Pour any remaining half and half mixture left in the bowl over the top of the bread.
Cover and chill for a minimum of 6 hours, but overnight is best.
Step 4
The next day, preheat the oven to 350°F and remove the casserole from the fridge.
Step 5
Before baking the French toast, make the topping by combining 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the top of the casserole.
Bake the French toast uncovered for 45-60 minutes until golden brown and puffed in the center.
Cut into squares and serve warm with maple syrup.
French Toast Casserole Baking Guide
Here’s a quick guide for baking times to give you the exact texture you want!
*40-45 minutes for a gooey-soft center.
*50 minutes for a soft center (like a cinnamon roll) but not gooey.
*55-60 minutes to be completely baked through (like a quick bread).
Tips & Tricks
- The bread needs to be stale and hard. Fresh bread turns to mush while baking.
- To quickly harden and stale fresh brioche bread, add sliced bread cubes to two sheet pans in a single layer and bake at 250°F for 45 minutes. Let it cool before using.
- Tossing the bread with the custard in a large bowl helps it bake more evenly—no dry top or soggy bottom.
- Let the bread absorb the milk mixture for 6 hours, but overnight is best. This allows every bit of the custard to be absorbed by the bread.
Substitutions & Variations
- Add fresh blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, nuts, or even chocolate chips to the casserole along with the bread cubes.
- Whole milk can be used in the place of half and half.
- For extra flavor, add orange or lemon zest to the custard.
- Swap the cinnamon and nutmeg for pumpkin pie spice if you’re making this in the fall.
What to Serve with French Toast Casserole
Serve it classic-style with maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar—or mix it up with a homemade strawberry preserve or mixed berry jam, fresh berries, whipped cream, or a simple strawberry compote.
Don’t forget to include some great breakfast sides like:
I also enjoy a fancy coffee like a Homemade Maple Latte with my French Toast.
How to Store Leftover French Toast Casserole
Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Allow the casserole to cool completely before slicing into portions and storing in a freezer-safe, airtight container or Ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
How to Reheat
Add portions to an oven safe dish, cover in foil, and bake at 325°F for 20-30 minutes until heated through.
You can also reheat slices of casserole in the microwave for 1 1/2-2 minutes until heated through.
Note: Frozen French toast casserole should be thawed completely before reheating.
FAQs
The best way to keep your casserole from getting soggy is to use very stale, hard bread. The custard will replace the moisture that evaporated out of the stale bread cubes, preventing sogginess. Mixing the bread and custard together first, instead of pouring the custard over the bread, keeps the brioche evenly coated, and you won’t end up with dry spots after baking. Lastly, bake the casserole long enough to prevent it from getting mushy. Once the casserole puffs in the center, it’s done.
Yes! I love making French toast with Italian bread or a loaf of French bread. Challah bread works great too. Make sure to dry out any bread before soaking it overnight.
Yes! Allow the baked casserole to cool completely before slicing into portions and storing in a freezer safe, airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
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French Toast Casserole With Brioche (Overnight)
Ingredients
- 15-16 slices of Brioche bread (16-20 oz loaf) cut into 1 inch cubes.
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups of half and half
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Topping
- 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
Instructions
Prep The Brioche
- Prep: Leave bread cubes out 24-48 hours on two cookie sheets until hard and stale. Or for a quicker method, divide the bread cubes between two sheet pans and bake at 250°F for 45 minutes until dry. This can be done 2-3 days in advance
Make The French Toast Casserole
- Grease a 13×9" baking dish with cooking spray or butter and set aside.
- Add the stale bread cubes to a large bowl. Drizzle with melted butter and gently toss until coat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the half and half, eggs, ½ cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, the nutmeg, and vanilla.
- Pour the custard over the bread cubes in the mixing bowl. Stir until everything is coated and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Spoon the brioche mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Pour any extra custard from the bowl over the top.
- Cover the baking dish and refrigerate for at least 6 hours—overnight is best.
- The next morning, preheat the oven to 350°F and take the casserole out of the fridge.
- Make the topping by mixing 3 tablespoons of brown sugar with ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Sprinkle the topping over the casserole.
- Bake the French toast uncovered for 45–60 minutes, until golden and puffed in the center. *Check the baking guide in the notes to decide how soft or crispy you want your casserole.
- Once baked, let the casserole cool for 10 minutes and cut into slices. Serve warm with maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar.
- Refrigerate any leftovers.
Notes
- 40-45 minutes for a gooey, soft center.
- 50 minutes for a tender center (like a cinnamon roll) but not gooey
- 55-60 minutes to be completely baked through (like a quick bread).
What is half and half
Half and half is a dairy product made from a mixture of equal parts whole milk and light cream. It’s richer and creamier than milk, but lighter than heavy cream. If you can’t find it in stores, whole milk will work!
Will whipping cream work
Yes!