Favorite Overnight French Toast Bake

Published 12/22/2021 • Updated 11/5/2024 We’re excited for you to try this French toast casserole because it’s something we serve for our families almost every Thanksgiving and Christmas morning. It is also a great weekend breakfast all year round.

Best French Toast Casserole

This perfectly tender French toast bake with a sweet crisp topping is on our Christmas morning menu this year (and every year!). A baked french toast casserole is actually something my mother-in-law makes every year for Thanksgiving/Christmas and her recipe inspired this one! When I asked my mother-in-law where she got her recipe from, she said Pioneer Woman and thus, the inspiration for this French toast casserole recipe toast was born. Most overnight French toast recipes are made with tons of white sugar, butter, and cream, so I thought I’d get inspired by the flavors in Ree’s recipe and lighten things up a bit without sacrificing flavor.

Healthy Swaps

Like we stated above, we lightened things up by removing the classic french toast bake “custard” and replaced it with better-for-you ingredients that are equally as delicious. Check it!

cream –> full-fat Greek yogurt white sugar –> maple syrup + more spices white bread –> sourdough AP flour –> white whole wheat flour

I promise these alterations will not affect the flavor of this baked french toast casserole, they will truly enhance them!

Baked French Toast Casserole Ingredients

In this French toast casserole recipe, we used a fresh loaf of sourdough from the bakery, but the normal sandwich sourdough would work as well. Actually, you can use whatever kind of bread you want including white, whole wheat, etc. Here’s what else you need:

sourdough bread pecans eggs full-fat Greek yogurt maple syrup ground cinnamon ground nutmeg milk (any kind) salt

Try adding a 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the french toast bake for added flavor and warmth!

Best Streusel Topping

The streusel topping for this easy french toast casserole really makes the recipe! It’s basic and made with 4 ingredients. Here’s what you need:

white whole wheat flour – option to use AP flour. pecans – walnuts would work too! brown sugar – feel free to use coconut flour instead. butter – coconut oil works just as well, but butter truly tastes better and is what we recommend.

Easy Preparation (step by step)

Why do I need to let me French toast casserole sit?

The reason why we suggest letting your French toast casserole sit overnight night is so that the bread has time to absorb all of the eggy milk magic! Don’t want to wait that long? Here are 2 options for you: Know that they both work and taste great. It really all depends on your personal plan and how much time you have for breakfast preparation.

maple syrup – this is a give-in and so tasty! peanut butter – you may think this sounds weird, but this is how I personally eat my French toast! Try it and let me know what you think. yogurt – an easy way to add more protein. fresh fruit – any kind of fresh fruit is delicious. Try banana or berries for starters.