The Best Overnight French Toast Bake Recipe for Brunch

Looking for a delicious and easy brunch recipe that will impress your guests? Try this overnight French toast bake. A buttery, crunchy nut topping makes it simply divine!

And if you love a good warm breakfast, don’t forget to check out my bacon breakfast casserole or cinnamon streusel coffee cake.

French toast is a favorite with everyone in my family, so when I found a recipe for overnight baked French toast in one of my old church cookbooks, I knew I had to try it.

After several years of tweaking, I finally came up with the perfect recipe! With just a few simple ingredients and some prep the night before, you can have a crowd-pleasing dish that’s sure to be a hit.

BAKED FRENCH TOAST – OVERNIGHT!

If your family loves French toast as much as mine does, you must give this overnight version a try. All the work is done the night before, so it makes for a fuss free breakfast or brunch.

Not only is it great for weekend family breakfast, it’s special enough to serve for any holiday or special occasion.

Imagine Christmas morning with the smell of cinnamon wafting through the air. And of course it’s great for Easter or Mother’s Day brunch, especially if you serve it with some fresh berries.

WHAT TO SERVE WITH FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

• I think it is perfectly sweet without any additional syrup, but of course my kids wanted to add some to theirs. They love this buttermilk syrup recipe, but maple syrup is of course always great.
• My favorite way to eat it is topped with fresh berries like blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries.
• A sprinkling of powdered sugar is a nice touch.
• It’s also tasty topped with whipped cream, either fresh or the kind in the can.
• For a bit of salty to balance out the sweet, serve crisp bacon or sausage links on the side.

HOW TO MAKE OVERNIGHT BAKED FRENCH TOAST

1. PREP – This recipe works best with day old bread, so let your loaf sit for 1-3 days. Spray a 9×13″ pan with cooking spray; set aside. Melt the butter for the topping.
2. BREAD – Cut the bread into 1″ cubes and spread in the prepared pan.
3. EGG MIXTURE – In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, half & half cream, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Pour evenly over the bread cubes.
4. TOPPING – In a small bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the melted butter. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, or overnight. (Or you can make it the next morning.)
5. REFRIGERATE – Cover the pan with plastic wrap and place in the fridge. Refrigerate overnight, or for at least 8 hours.
6. BAKE – Remove the French toast and topping from the refrigerator. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. The topping will have hardened, it will soften up as your oven heats. Break it into clumps and sprinkle over the top of the bread cubes.
   Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the middle is set and the topping is browned.
7. SERVE – Serve hot with your choice of toppings or syrup. Enjoy!

VARIATIONS:

• Instead of French bread, you can use sourdough, brioche, or challah bread. Don’t use regular white bread, it isn’t hearty enough to soak up the egg mixture.
• Add about 1/4 tsp of nutmeg with the cinnamon for a warm, earthy flavor.
• If you don’t have half & half, you can use a cup of milk and a cup of cream.
• Feel free to substitute walnuts or any other nut for the pecans, or just omit the nuts altogether.

MORE BREAKFAST FAVORITES:

• Raspberry Coffee Cake
• Easy Granola Recipe
• Chocolate Chip Pancake Recipe
• Mother’s Day Brunch Ideas
• Swedish Pancake Recipe
• Homemade Biscuits and Gravy

OVERNIGHT FRENCH TOAST BAKE

You will love how the topping on this French toast overnight bake gets nice and crunchy, but the inside is soft. This will be making an appearance at your breakfast table often I’m sure!