Easy French Toast Casserole Recipe

5 from 1 vote

This sweet breakfast casserole serves up everything that you love about this classic in an easy, oven baked recipe. Easy French Toast Casserole, made with brioche, is sweet, buttery, and delicious! Add a few slices of crispy bacon on the side to round out a weekend breakfast treat for the whole family!

A serving of french toast casserole with syrup being poured from a pitcher.

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French toast has always been one of my favorites for a weekend breakfast. Even more so when the recipe is made with brioche! Who can resist the lovely, tender texture of eggy, butter-rich brioche?

This Easy French Toast Casserole recipe is a great way to serve a delectable, sweet breakfast at home with minimal prep and is especially good for a large group because it makes a full 9×13 pan!

Whether you bake it right away or refrigerate it overnight and cook it in the morning, it’s guaranteed to be a hit!

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s ready in about an hour and the hands-on time is only 10 minutes!
The brioche gives a rich, buttery flavor and chewy texture to this French toast bake.
It’s a lovely choice for days when you’re craving a sweet breakfast.
You probably already have all the ingredients (except maybe the brioche) on hand in your kitchen!
It can easily be assembled the night before and cooked the next morning.

🍳 Tools You’ll Need

9×13 Baking Dish. You can purchase these baking pans in metal, glass, or ceramic.
Bowls. For mixing the delicious custardy layer!
Whisk. Makes it easy to mix in the eggs.
Wooden Spoon. Who doesn’t need a few good wooden spoons?

Bake and Serve From One Dish

This Emile Henry baking dish is beautiful enough to go straight from the oven to the table!

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🛒 Ingredient Notes

This post contains affiliate links. Lana’s Cooking is reader-supported and earns a tiny commission at no extra cost to you when you shop from our links.

Brioche – In case you’re wondering, brioche is a bread with French origins. It’s generally richer with more eggs and butter than other types of bread. Most grocery store bakeries offer brioche for purchase. You can easily substitute other types of bread in this recipe. The brioche used in this recipe is approximately 1.5 ounces per slice for a total of 13.5 ounces.
Cinnamon and Nutmeg – Classic spices for custard mixtures like this one.
Light Brown Sugar – Used in both the custard and the topping. Its molasses flavor adds a lovely contrast to the other more subdued ingredients.
Chopped Pecans – Used in the topping to add crunchy texture and a slightly savory background flavor.

You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the recipe at the bottom of this post.

🥄 How To Make Easy French Toast Casserole

Generously butter a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Cut the bread into approximately 1-inch cubes.

Cubed brioche in a buttered baking dish.

Spread the bread cubes evenly into the buttered dish.

Egg and milk mixture with a whisk in a mixing bowl.

Custard mixture poured over bread cubes.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, milk, vanilla extract, and light brown sugar. Whisk until all ingredients are combined.
Pour the mixture carefully over the bread cubes.
Using a fork or wooden spoon, lightly press the bread down to submerge it in the egg mixture.

Make the topping mixture by combining the remaining light brown sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and pecans in a small mixing bowl. Pour the topping mixture evenly over the ingredients in the baking dish.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil. Set aside while you preheat the oven.

👉 PRO TIP: If your kitchen is warm, set the dish in the fridge while the oven is preheating.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Transfer the casserole dish to the preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the aluminum foil and cook for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the custard is set and the top is golden brown.

A serving of french toast casserole in a white bowl.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow the casserole to cool for about 10 minutes before serving.

🍽️ How to Serve

Top individual servings with syrup or powdered sugar if desired.
Add fresh berries or other fresh fruit on the side. We especially enjoy strawberries and blueberries with this.
I always like to include a savory side with a sweet breakfast such as this. Delicious, crispy bacon is perfect as is my Spicy Breakfast Sausage!
Don’t forget the coffee or milk!

🔀 Substitutions & Additions

The use of brioche in this recipe results in a very distinct texture and flavor but please do substitute another bread if you like. The recipe will work well with challah, French bread, Italian bread, ciabatta, cinnamon swirl bread, or homemade white bread.
For a lighter recipe, substitute the whole milk with 2%.
For a richer result, use 2 cups whole milk and ½ cup heavy cream.
Add 1/2 cup dried cranberries or raisins to the bread cubes.

🍚 Storage & Leftovers

Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to two days.

To reheat individual portions, either heat them in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed through or in an air fryer at 320 F for 3 to 4 minutes. Keep in mind that the texture of reheated leftovers won’t be quite the same as fresh.

❓ Questions About Quick French Toast Casserole

Do I need to take the crust off of the bread?

There’s no need to remove the crust from the bread for this recipe.

Can I use leftover bread for this recipe?

Absolutely, yes. As a matter of fact, stale bread is even better since it will absorb the milk mixture best. If you have a partial loaf of bread in your pantry, feel free to use that!

What if my casserole seems really wet after baking for the full time?

If the casserole is still wet, continue baking in 3-minute increments until you feel it’s done. If the tops of the bread cubes start to brown too much, lightly place a sheet of aluminum foil over the dish. Let the casserole sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving to allow the bread to absorb the excess liquid.