Baked French Toast
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Delicious Baked French Toast that you can prep the night before for an easy overnight breakfast casserole. With a caramel sauce that’s mouthwatering you won’t even need syrup. Make this Baked French Toast Recipe for all of your holiday brunches, weekend breakfasts or breakfast for dinner!

This simple oven baked french toast dish is the perfect syrupy sweet creation to serve at your brunches, and even for a quick weekday morning. Just make hearty sheet pan breakfast and a pitcher of mimosas and brunch is ready to go.
Why You’ll Love This recipe
- You only need seven simple ingredients for this baked french toast casserole!
- This recipe is a super easy way to make multiple servings of french toast all at once. If you have a large family or you’re hosting guests, this easy breakfast will keep you from standing over the stove top forever!
- This is a great make ahead breakfast recipe. In fact, the longer it sits in the fridge the better it will turn out!
Ingredients Needed
- Light brown sugar – If you don’t have light brown sugar on hand, you can use dark brown sugar in it’s place.
- Milk – I personally use whole milk when making perfect baked french toast, but you can also use 2% milk or 1% milk. Feel free to experiment with a dairy replacement if you prefer!
- Pure vanilla extract – French toast is worlds better when vanilla extract is in the mix, trust me.
- Butter – You can use either salted or unsalted butter in this super simple recipe. Both will work great!
- Ground cinnamon – Cinnamon is a “make or break” ingredient in french toast. It really makes all the difference and packs it with flavor!
- Eggs – Allow eggs to come to room temperature so that they’ll mix a little more easily.
- Thick and hearty bread – Use thick sliced bread so that it will hold up better under all of the moisture in the recipe. Sourdough, french bread or a brioche loaf are really great options.
How to Make Baked French Toast
Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish and set it aside.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan of over low heat. Once melted, add brown sugar and mix well to combine. Simmer the mixture for 1 minute until the sugar is slightly dissolved.
Pour the mixture into the bottom of the previously prepared baking dish and spread it out into an even layer.
In a mixing bowl, beat together eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Then set that mixture aside.
Arrange the sliced bread in a single layer over the brown sugar butter mixture in the pan. If the bread is too wide to fit, just squish it into the pan.
Pour half of the egg wash over the bread for baked french toast. Then arrange the remaining slices over top of that layer.
Pour the remaining egg wash on top. Lightly press the bread into the pan full of egg wash to ensure that all slices are soaked.
Cover the entire baking dish tightly in foil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. The mixture can sit overnight as well!
Just before you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While it preheats, remove the dish from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
Bake french toast covered for 30 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15 more minutes or until the middle is set.
Remove the cinnamon baked french toast from the oven and flip it onto a serving platter.
Top the french toast casserole with powdered sugar and fresh berries and serve with leftover caramel sauce from the baking dish!
Pro Tips
- Serve this dish while hot for the best flavor and the best texture.
- French toast always tastes amazing with a giant dollop of whipped cream right on the top!
- Make sure you pour the butter mixture and egg mixture in even layers so that each piece of bread gets soaked well. You don’t want some bread to be soggy and other pieces dry!
If you end up with a soggy mess on your hands, there are a few things that might have gone wrong. Make sure you are measuring out the liquids this recipe calls for to a precise measurement. Too much milk and your french toast may be going for a swim!
It is also very important to use thick slices of bread. If the bread slices are too thin, they will deteriorate quickly and won’t hold up when making french toast.
For the perfect baked french toast, allow it the bread to soak up the egg overnight. However, leave it too long and it could bake into a soggy mess!
FRIDGE: Place leftover french toast servings into an airtight container and store for up to 3 days. The longer it sits in the fridge, the soggier it will get and the more difficult it will be to reheat.
FREEZER: Yes, you can freeze leftovers from this dish! Transfer them to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To reheat, place into the oven until warm. You can reheat in the microwave, but the french toast may end up chewy.
Baked french toast is so cozy and definitely worth every single mouthwatering bite! It is the perfect make ahead baked breakfast for when you have company.
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!
Baked French Toast
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- 12 pieces bread thick hearty bread, we used sourdough
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cups milk full fat or 2%
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Powdered sugar to dust
- Strawberries and/or blueberries to serve
Instructions
- Lightly grease an oven safe 9"×13" baking pan and set side.
- Melt butter in a small pot over low heat. Then add brown sugar, mixing well to combine. Simmer for 1 minute to slightly dissolve the sugar.
- Pour mixture into prepared dish and spread out to evenly coat.
- In a mixing bowl beat together eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Arrange bread in a single layer over the butter/sugar mixture in the dish, you might have to squish the bread to make it fit.
- Pour half of the egg wash over bread.
- Arrange remaining bread slices over the top. Pour over remaining egg wash. Lightly press bread into the egg wash to ensure slices are evenly soaked.
- Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to soak up the custard mixture, or overnight for the best results
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature while the oven preheats.
- Bake, covered, for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 15 minutes or until set in the middle.
- Remove from the oven and flip out onto a serving platter.
- Top with powdered sugar and berries if desired. Serve with the caramel sauce from the dish.
Tips
Nutrition Information
What to Serve with Cinnamon Baked French Toast
I like to pair this syrupy sweet dish with a hearty protein. Crescent roll breakfast casserole is one of our favorite filling dishes! A breakfast crescent ring is another great main dish.
You could always go the simple route and make bacon and eggs. Even easier, make this crock pot egg bake overnight while the french toast sits in the fridge!
If you’re serving brunch, make something a little more upscale like these mini quiche cups. A nice side fruit salad is always a perfect addition to any brunch.
More Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love
- Monkey Bread is another sticky sweet creation that is just so great to serve at breakfast!
- Want more cozy brekafast bakes? This Bread Pudding is to die for!
- Did you know you can make donuts right in the comfort of your own kitchen? With this recipe for Baked Chocolate Donuts you can!
- Make the classic dish of Biscuits and Gravy when you want something savory instead of sweet.
Elaine says
Loved this recipe!!