Description
Heavenly French Toast Casserole brings sweet morning magic straight from French culinary traditions. Creamy bread pudding layers meld perfectly with rich custard, creating a breakfast sensation you’ll crave weekend after weekend.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 loaf brioche or challah bread, cubed
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups (480 milliliters) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) heavy cream
Sweeteners:
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar
Spices and Seasonings:
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with a generous layer of cooking spray or butter to prevent sticking.
- Distribute bread cubes uniformly across the bottom of the dish, ensuring even coverage.
- Create a rich custard mixture by combining eggs, milk, cream, granulated and brown sugars, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt in a large mixing bowl, whisking until smooth and fully integrated.
- Gently pour the custard over the bread cubes, making sure every piece is thoroughly saturated. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or ideally overnight to allow flavors to meld.
- Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature while preheating the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the topping by blending melted butter with brown sugar, additional cinnamon, and chopped pecans to create a decadent crumble.
- Sprinkle the pecan topping evenly across the surface of the chilled casserole, ensuring complete coverage.
- Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes, or until the top turns golden brown and the center is set with a slight wobble. The edges should be crisp and the interior custardy.
Notes
- Choose day-old or slightly stale bread like brioche or challah for the best texture and absorption of the custard mixture.
- Swap regular milk with almond or oat milk for a dairy-free version, and use gluten-free bread for a celiac-friendly adaptation.
- Assemble the casserole the night before to let flavors meld and save morning cooking time, ensuring a more flavorful and cohesive dish.
- Try different nuts like walnuts or almonds, or add fresh berries on top for extra freshness and flavor complexity.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Dinner, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 355 kcal
- Sugar: 19 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Cholesterol: 210 mg