My brioche french toast casserole with cinnamon streusel topping is made with soft bread, maple syrup, and all the best ingredients. And best of all, with just 5 minutes hands-on time, you can prep this sweet breakfast for your whole family!
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Decadent breakfasts are always a great way to treat yourself and start your morning off with a smile. Imagine, if you will, sitting at the breakfast table to a plate of waffles, pancakes, or homemade cinnamon rolls, for example, alongside a cup of salted caramel cream cold brew...OMG, right? Happiness on a plate! And this brioche french toast casserole is no exception.
The first thing I learned to cook as a kid was French toast. It's an easy recipe for sure, so it was perfect for a first-time attempt at cooking. While I've certainly mastered the skill by adulthood (and created my bacon-apple-pecan stuffed french toast, which is to die for, by the way!), who has the time anymore to stand at the stove, flipping bread over and over and over again? Which is exactly why this easy french toast casserole recipe is my new best friend.
While the prep to make this meal only takes 5 minutes, you can even mix it up the night before for an overnight french toast casserole. The next morning, just pop it in the oven and you can feed a whole crowd (while looking like a culinary genius, by the way). It's the perfect breakfast or brunch for a Sunday morning, and great on the holidays when the whole family is there (I'm looking at you, Christmas morning!)
I'm willing to bet that you already have all the ingredients in your pantry, too, so there's no need to go on a special shopping trip. Let's take a look...
π Equipment
- 9 x 13 baking dish / casserole dish
π§Ύ Ingredients
- Loaf of thick bread (brioche, challah, Texas toast, or sourdough)
- Maple syrup
- Eggs
- Heavy cream
- Milk
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Salt
- All purpose flour
- Butter
- Chopped nuts (optional)
See the recipe card below for full list of ingredients and their measurements.
β Ingredient notes
- Bread - You can really use any type of thick-cut bread for this recipe, whether that's brioche, challah, Texas toast, or even sourdough. It doesn't even need to use a fresh loaf of bread, it can be a little stale...that works just fine in this recipe!
- Syrup - While I personally like maple syrup with my french toast, you can certainly substitute another syrup sweetener, like honey, molasses, or agave.
- Brown sugar - The choice of light or dark brown sugar is completely up to you. The only difference is that dark brown sugar has more molasses in it, so your dish will be sweeter.
- Milk and heavy cream - Use the milk of your choice, whether it's cow's milk or a plant based milk. If you don't have heavy cream, you can substitute half and half in a pinch.
- Nuts - Use any chopped nuts that you like...pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, anything at all!
π₯£ How to make french toast casserole
Start by greasing a 9 x 13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray, then adding your bread cubes to the pan.
To make the batter, whisk together the maple syrup, eggs, heavy cream, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Pour this custard mixture over the top of the bread in the pan, making sure every piece gets soaked.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350Β°F.
While waiting for the oven to heat up, make the streusel topping.
π₯ Streusel topping
Add brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter to a bowl and mix together with a fork until it becomes crumbly.
Sprinkle this streusel topping evenly over the bread in the pan, then top with chopped nuts, if you wish.
β²οΈ Bake & serve!
Bake on the center rack of your oven at 350Β°F for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.
Let cool a few minutes, then serve and enjoy!
π Extra topping ideas
- Maple syrup
- Chopped nuts
- Fresh fruit and berries
- Light dusting of powdered sugar
- Homemade whipped cream
- Chocolate chips
- Nutella
- Cinnamon bun icing
- Shredded coconut
- Chopped bacon
π§Ί Storage
When covered tightly with plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator, this brioche french toast casserole will stay delicious for several days.
β FAQ
If you'd like to reheat the entire dish, warm it in a 350Β°F oven for about 15 minutes. To warm an individual serving, pop it in the toaster oven or microwave it for a minute or so.
Make sure you're using a thick-cut bread that won't get so soggy, as may happen with a thin-sliced bread. Also, try baking it for a few extra minutes.
The short answer: No.
If you'd like to know the whole story, here's the long answer of where French toast came from.
Love breakfast? Check out a few more of our delicious recipes now!
- Bacon Apple Pecan Stuffed French Toast
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Roll Donuts
- Tiramisu Overnight Oats
- Strawberry Shortcake Waffles with Nutella
- Good Old Fashioned Pancakes
- Peach Mango Turnovers
- How To Make Croissants (and pain au chocolat!)
- Sweet Cream Cold Foam (Starbucks Copycat Recipe)
- Salted Caramel Cream Cold Brew
Did you make my Brioche French Toast Casserole? Let us know in the comments below!
π Recipe
Brioche French Toast Casserole
Equipment
- 9 x 13 baking dish
Ingredients
French Toast Casserole
- 16 ounces thick-cut bread (brioche, challah, Texas toast, or sourdough), cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup (or substitute another syrup sweetener, like honey, molasses, or agave)
- 6 large eggs
- 1 Β½ cups heavy cream
- Β½ cup milk
- ΒΌ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- β teaspoon nutmeg
- β teaspoon salt
Streusel Topping
- ΒΌ cup brown sugar, packed
- ΒΌ cup all purpose flour
- Β½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 4 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into small cubes
- Β½ cup chopped nuts of your choice (pecans, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, anything at all!) - (optional)
Instructions
- Start by greasing a 9 x 13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray, then adding your bread cubes to the pan.
- In a bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, eggs, heavy cream, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Pour this mixture over the top of the bread in the pan, making sure every piece gets soaked.
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350Β°F.
- While waiting for the oven to heat up, make the streusel topping.
- Add brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter to a bowl and mix together with a fork until it becomes crumbly.
- Sprinkle this streusel topping evenly over the bread in the pan, then top with chopped nuts, if you wish.
- Bake on the center rack of your oven at 350Β°F for 35 minutes, or until lightly browned on top.
- Let cool a few minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Extra topping ideas: Maple syrup, chopped nuts, fresh fruit and berries, light dusting of powdered sugar, homemade whipped cream, chocolate chips, Nutella, cinnamon bun icing, shredded coconut, chopped bacon.
- Storage: When covered tightly with plastic wrap and kept in the refrigerator, this french toast casserole will stay delicious for several days.
- How do I reheat this casserole? If you'd like to reheat the entire dish, warm it in a 350Β°F oven for about 15 minutes. To warm an individual serving, pop it in the toaster oven or microwave it for a minute or so.Β
- Why is my french toast casserole soggy? Make sure you're using a thick-cut bread that won't get so soggy, as may happen with a thin-sliced bread. Also, try baking it for a few more minutes.
- Suggestion: If you enjoyed this, you're gonna love my bacon apple pecan stuffed french toast!
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