This post may include affiliate links; see our disclosure policy.
This French toast casserole recipe is soft, cinnamon-spiced, and topped with crunchy streusel! A special breakfast that will wow everyone.
Looking to impress on a weekend morning? This knock-out French toast casserole recipe is a sure bet! The bottom layer is custardy and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg. It tastes just like your favorite morning French toast. It’s then covered in a crunchy streusel layer, crumbly with oats, pecans, and even more cinnamon.
The combination of textures and added hit of sweetness is pure morning goodness! This one’s for special mornings, and the flavors absolutely deliver.
5 Star Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “We made a half batch for supper last night. It was so tasty! We will definitely make it again. I might try dicing up an apple to mix in with the bread.” -Lisa D.
Ingredients You’ll Need
French toast casserole can be made in a variety of ways. This one is more like a bread pudding, where the bread is soaked in a custard and then baked until soft and golden. It’s got an added layer with the streusel topping, infusing a separate layer of texture and a hint more sweetness. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Sourdough or French bread
- Eggs
- Milk
- Cream
- Brown sugar
- Turbinado or demerara sugar
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon and nutmeg
- Oats
- Pecans
- Flour
- Butter
The Best Bread to Use
You can use a few different types of bread for French toast casserole. Here’s a breakdown of what I use for this recipe and why, plus a few other options to consider:
- Sourdough bread: This is my top pick for French toast, both regular and in casserole form! The bread’s sturdy texture makes it chewy rather than mushy, and its flavor adds intriguing, tangy, and savory notes. The hard crust adds a nice variation to the texture.
- French bread: French bread also works here. The hard crust adds an interesting texture, like with sourdough.
What bread should you avoid? I don’t recommend store-bought white or whole-wheat bread here. The texture comes out much too soft since the bread essentially dissolves into the custard. Whole wheat bread in particular doesn’t work well with the flavor profile. I prefer this casserole with a textured sourdough bread vs. brioche or challah, which are softer.
Make It an Overnight French Toast Casserole Recipe
You can easily turn this recipe into an overnight French toast casserole recipe if preferred! Simply assemble the bread and custard base layer, placing the custard in the pan with the bread and allowing it to soak overnight. You can also assemble the streusel topping and refrigerate it overnight.
In the morning, let the pan stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking. You can also assemble the streusel during this time. Top with the streusel and throw it in the oven!
Topping Ideas
This French toast casserole is the perfect brunch recipe! It’s sweet and cozy, but not too rich and decadent. For toppings, it needs just a small drizzle of maple syrup. You could also add a small dusting of powdered sugar. If you’d like, you can top it with fresh fruit, but I prefer eating it on the side. The casserole is truly just good enough without any fancy toppings!
Dietary Notes
This recipe is vegetarian.
French Toast Casserole
This French toast casserole recipe is soft and cinnamon-spiced, with a crunchy streusel topping! A special breakfast that will wow everyone.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes (with rest time)
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 loaf unsliced sourdough or French bread (about 1 pound), torn into bite-sized pieces
- 8 eggs
- 1 ½ cups 2% milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup crushed pecans
- ¼ cup turbinado or demerara sugar*
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Grease a 9 x 13″ baking dish. Add the torn bread to the dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until fully incorporated and frothy. Whisk in the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla extract, ½ tablespoon cinnamon, nutmeg and kosher salt. Pour the custard over the bread pieces and use your fingers to submerge the tops of the bread to ensure it is all coated. Rest 20 minutes at room temperature (or refrigerate overnight and bring to room temperature for 20 minutes before baking).
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, add the rolled oats, pecans, turbinado sugar, flour, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut the butter into the other ingredients using a pastry cutter or fork until evenly combined and a crumbly streusel topping forms. Refrigerate until baking.
- Just before baking, sprinkle the streusel topping over the French toast. Bake 40 to 45 minutes until browned and set. Rest 10 minutes before serving. Scoop out pieces and top with a drizzle of maple syrup.
Notes
*If you don’t have this type of chunky sugar, you can use brown sugar or granulated sugar.
I’ve made this as written before and loved it.
Tonight we made a new variation. We used a loaf of panettone instead of sourdough, and mixed in a shredded granny smith apple. YUM! Since that’s a sweeter bread, I only used 2 TBS brown sugar in with the eggs.
great idea for a weekend brunch and easier than making individual french toasts! thank you
This is a delicious and nutritious breakfast, I will learn how to make it with my heart.
This French Toast Casserole is stunning, I think it improves my appetite, thanks to your recipe, I learned how to make it.
We made a half batch for supper last night. It was so tasty! We will definitely make it again. I might try dicing up an apple to mix in with the bread. Have you tried that? Did it work?
This French Toast Casserole looks delicious, thanks for the recipe, it doesn’t look complicated to make.