Make ahead is key when it comes to brunch as you don’t want to be waking up at the crack of dawn to start cooking. This sinful Baked French Toast Casserole can be made the night before and will have your guests begging for seconds. Ooey, gooey and so delicious. No need for maple syrup 🙂
I was first introduced to this recipe when my best friend Jodi brought it over to my potluck brunch. It smelled incredible and tasted even better. To me, it was a cross between cinnamon buns and french toast and I knew immediately I would have to have to make this again. I tweaked the recipe (from Jodi’s cousin Lara), but the taste is the same.
Think about this. You walk into the kitchen an hour before brunch and simply pop the french toast into the oven the next morning. Your house fills with the sweet aroma of butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. You make coffee and dig in. How simple is that.
Perfect for a special brunch (Mother’s Day or Christmas for example) or just a delicious breakfast with the family on a weekend morning. I suggest serving the french toast with berries or vanilla yogurt. Or with a tropical fruit salad on the side.
Make Ahead Baked French Toast Casserole
- This is a true make-ahead dish. Prepare the entire french toast casserole. Refrigerate overnight or up to a day. Bake the next day.
- You can also bake the casserole the same day after it sits for an hour or two to allow the bread to absorb the egg mixture.
Baked French Toast Casserole (Sinful)
Ingredients
Bottom Layer Sauce
- 3/4 cup Butter (12 tbsp or 1 1/2 sticks)
- 1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
French Toast
- 1 Challah Loaf (minus 2 large slices) white bread is ok too
- 6 Eggs
- 2 1/2 cups Milk
- 1 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Top Layer Sauce
- 1/2 cup Butter (1 stick)
- 1 cup Brown Sugar
- 3 tbsp Maple Syrup
Instructions
- MAKE BOTTOM LAYER SAUCE: Put all ingredients in a microwave safe 9x9 oven safe dish (like pyrex) microwave on High for 1 minute, stir, then cook for another 30 seconds. If your pan is not microwave safe, use another bowl and pour the mixture into your pan.
- MAKE FRENCH TOAST NIGHT BEFORE: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla and salt. Cut off all the crusts of the Challah loaf and tear it into pieces (2" x 2" is fine). Add bread to egg mixture and mix to drench all the bread well. Pour egg-bread mixture onto the bottom layer sauce in the 9 x 9 pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, preheat oven to 350F.
- MICROWAVE TOP LAYER SAUCE: Put all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 45 seconds, stir, then cook for another 30 seconds.
- BAKE FRENCH TOAST: Take french toast out of the fridge and place it on a baking sheet covered in tinfoil. Pour the Top Layer Sauce over the french toast, making sure you don't spill over the edges of the dish (this is why you have the baking sheet and tinfoil...easier clean up). Bake for 50-60 mins. Check with a knife to make sure inside is not still wet. Serve immediately with berries, plain yogurt or both.
Notes
Other make ahead brunch recipes you might like:
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