Skip to content

French Toast Bake

This scrumptious French Toast Bake is golden delicious, with the best caramelized bottom layer. Everyone asks for this recipe, so here it is. Easy, make-ahead, and a crowd pleaser every time.

Note: Updated instructions and photos can be found at this Texas French Toast Casserole Recipe

Texas French Toast Casserole

Video: Watch Us Make This Recipe

French Toast Bake

  • What makes this French Toast Bake superb is the use of a fresh loaf (not frozen) of Texas Toast, in place of regular sliced bread.
  • If you aren’t familiar with Texas Toast, it is typically found in the sliced bread aisle of grocery stores, and the thing about it is… well, it’s Texas-sized.
  • It looks like white bread, sliced extra thick and made extra dense.  If you use a less dense bread, the results will not be the same.

Baked Texas French Toast

Use the right kind of bread

I usually buy whole-grain bread, so it’s something special for me to reach for this white enriched sandwich bread.  Though whole-grain  bread has come a long way in texture and flavor, the fluffy white slices above brought me back to my childhood.

Be sure you’re using the fresh sliced bread; not the frozen Texas toast. The right bread makes all the difference here.

It’s hard not to cheat and eat the bread straight out of the bag.  Just remember that you’ll need to use almost the entire loaf for the French Toast Bake, so try. Just try.

Baked Texas French Toast

Key Recipe Ingredients

This Texas French Toast Casserole is something that will easily go on your family’s list of favorites.

  • Butter and brown sugar meld together to create the best caramelized bottom layer.
  • 1 entire loaf of Texas Toast fresh sliced bread (Not frozen. Don’t use other breads.)
  • Eggs, milk, and vanilla extract make up the custard that soaks into the bread.
French Toast Casserole

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

  1. Put butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until melted. Add 1 cup brown sugar and stir until well incorporated Pour into bottom of a greased 9×13 pan, spreading mixture evenly.
  2. Beat eggs, milk, and vanilla until incorporated. Set aside.
  3. Lay a single layer of Texas Toast in pan, cutting pieces to fit if needed. Spoon 1 cup of egg mixture evenly over bread. Sprinkle with half of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Repeat with second layer, using up the rest of egg mixture over that layer, and ending with a sprinkling of brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Try to get the custard evenly soaked into the bread slices.
  4. Cover tightly and chill overnight in fridge.
  5. Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes on lower middle rack — covered for the first 30 minutes, and uncovered after that. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Be sure to scrape up all the bottom sticky goodness. If desired, serve with pure maple syrup.

Assemble This the Night Before

This is one of the most ideal, no-fuss offerings for brunch on Christmas, New Years, or any weekend morning.  It’s simple to assemble the night before.

Wake up late the next morning, pop it in the oven, and give your family a carefree smile.  My family loves anything French Toast-ish, and they flipped for this one.

Devoured the whole pan the same day.  I’m talking no leftovers, not even a few crumbs.

French Toast Bake

What to Serve With French Toast

Eggs, Bacon, and Sausage

Potatoes

Fruit

Jams, Butters, Yogurt

Oatmeal

Toppings

Did you make this?

Please give us a rating and comment below. We love hearing from you!

Baked Texas French Toast

Texas French Toast Bake

4.62 from 195 ratings
This Texas French Toast Bake will knock your morning socks off! Everyone who’s tasted this has wanted the recipe, so we put it here and hope you enjoy it as much as our friends/family all do! Be sure to use a nice, thick, fresh loaf of thickly sliced Texas French Toast bread. (In fresh bread aisles, not frozen.)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 10
Author: Amy Dong

Ingredients  

  • ½ cup melted butter, 1 stick
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 entire loaf, 1 lb, 12 oz Texas Toast fresh sliced bread (Not frozen. Don’t use other breads.)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 TB vanilla extract
  • 2 TB light brown sugar, mixed with 2 tsp cinnamon
  • Powdered sugar for sprinkling
  • Real maple syrup for serving, if desired

Instructions

  • Put butter in a microwave safe bowl and microwave in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until melted. Add 1 cup brown sugar and stir until well incorporated Pour into bottom of a greased 9×13 pan, spreading mixture evenly.
  • Beat eggs, milk, and vanilla until incorporated. Set aside.
  • Lay a single layer of Texas Toast in pan, cutting pieces to fit if needed. Spoon 1 cup of egg mixture evenly over bread. Sprinkle with half of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Repeat with second layer, using up the rest of egg mixture over that layer, and ending with a sprinkling of brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Try to get the custard evenly soaked into the bread slices.
  • Cover tightly and chill overnight in fridge.
  • Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes on lower middle rack — covered for the first 30 minutes, and uncovered after that. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Be sure to scrape up all the bottom sticky goodness. If desired, serve with pure maple syrup.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 340kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 289mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 451IU | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 5mg
Course: Breakfast, brunch
Cuisine: American
Method: Bake

French Toast Bakes you’ll swoon over

  1. French Toast Casserole with Streusel. We’ve made this countless times, always to rave reviews. Easy and prepped the night before for an easy breezy morning.
French toast casserole streusel
  1. Apple French Toast Casserole . This one takes after the star recipe here, but infuses apples and cinnamon into the layers. Nothing but awesome. Perfect for fall, but we adore it any weekend of the year.
apple texas french toast bake 3
  1. Pumpkin French Toast Casserole. Simply amazing, especially during fall. But I keep a stash of pure pumpkin in my pantry for whenever the craving strikes!
Pumpkin French Toast Casserole 4
  1. Hawaiian Apple Bread Pudding. I suppose this is technically dessert, but I’m all about dessert for breakfast. There are apples here, it’s semi-healthy-ish maybe. But 100% delish!
Hawaiian Apple Bread Pudding 4_edited-1
  1. Nutella Croissant Bread Pudding. Again, technically dessert. Clearly a pattern, but I figure…if one can legit eat a fried doughnut at 9am, why not bread pudding? And Nutella?!  Oh yeah.
Nutella Bread Pudding 3

Add a comment

Recipe Rating




133 comments

    • Melissa
    • 5 stars

    So delicious! I made it with Trader Joe’s thick sliced brioche. Baked perfectly! Thank you for sharing your recipe.

      • Amy Dong

      Yay!! That makes me super happy, Melissa 🙂

      • Jon
      • 5 stars

      Me too, on the TJ Brioche, we have been making this for at least five years, it’s now our Xmas morning tradition, great recipe overall. Also great with raspberry jam between the layers!

    • Trish

    We only have frozen Texas Toast break in my area, could i use brioche??

      • Amy Dong

      You can use brioche, yes. Slice it into 1-inch thick slices to use in this recipe. Please come back and let us know how you liked it! 🙂

    • racheal hanes

    I keep going to watch your video and you get 30/45 second in and it switch video.

      • Amy Dong

      Yes, for some reason, you have to click “keep watching” so the video will finish playing. Otherwise, it thinks you want to move on. Thank you, Racheal 🙂

    • Colleen Shepard
    • 5 stars

    Can I use one large pan if i’am Tripleing the the recipe

      • Amy Dong

      If you have a pan large enough for tripling, and you’re still able to keep it to 2 layers, then that is fine. Otherwise, we recommend using separate pans.

Get our free email series: 5 Easy Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less

Plus our newest recipes each week