French Toast Casserole with Streusel Topping
- By Amy Dong
- Updated Oct. 26, 2026
I love this French Toast Casserole with Streusel Topping for weekend brunch, potlucks, and holidays. It’s different from other recipes, as it soaks overnight in a sweet vanilla custard, then bakes up golden under a crunchy layer of brown sugar, pecans, and cinnamon. Just minutes of prep the night before, and it feeds a crowd. Serve this up next weekend!
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Amy’s Notes
Weekends at our house mean a full table and a lot of hungry people, and this French Toast Casserole with Streusel is the dish that disappears first. You do the work the night before, so all that’s left in the morning is put it into the oven. I love this dish for brunch potlucks and gatherings, too. Here’s why you’ll love it:
- Make-Ahead Friendly: Just 10 minutes of prep the night before.
- Feeds a Crowd: One 9×13 dish serves plenty of eaters, so it’s perfect for holidays or gatherings.
- Pantry Staples: Bread, eggs, milk, brown sugar, and pecans. That’s pretty much it.
- Works with Any Bread: We even use whole wheat bread, and nobody can tell.
Planning a bigger spread? Browse our holiday brunch recipes, or bake a pan of homemade cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting to go with it.
Key Recipe Ingredients
For the Streusel Topping
- Brown Sugar: Packed light brown sugar melts into the butter and bakes into a crunchy, caramel-like topping.
- Pecans: Chopped pecans add a rich, buttery crunch to every bite.
- Salted Butter: Holds the streusel together, and the salt keeps all that sweetness in check.
- Cinnamon: Four whole teaspoons give the topping its warm, bakery-style flavor.
For the French Toast Casserole
- Bread: Any hearty bread works, even whole wheat. Day-old bread soaks up the custard without turning mushy.
- Whole Milk: Makes the custard rich and creamy. A dairy-free milk works if you need it.
- Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the custard so every bite tastes like classic French toast.
- Maple Syrup: Optional, but a drizzle of pure maple syrup on top is hard to skip.
Substitutions and Variations
- Dairy-Free or Gluten-Free: Use your favorite plant milk, dairy-free butter, and gluten-free bread.
- Nut-Free: Leave out the pecans. The brown sugar and cinnamon still bake into a sweet, crumbly topping.
- Fruity: Fold blueberries, strawberries, or diced apples into the bread cubes. Fruit lovers should also try our blueberry lemon French toast bake.
- Sweet and Salty: Stir crispy bacon pieces into the bread, or sprinkle them on top.
- Extra Cinnamon: Swap the plain bread for cinnamon swirl bread.
- Richer Bread: Brioche or challah makes it extra soft and rich.
Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions
- Make the streusel. Mix the brown sugar, pecans, butter, and cinnamon until it looks like damp sand. Cover and chill.
- Soak the bread. Add the bread cubes to a buttered 9×13 dish. Whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla, then pour it over the bread and toss to coat. Cover and chill overnight.
- Bake. Toss the bread to pick up any custard on the bottom. Sprinkle the streusel over the top and bake at 350°F until golden brown and bubbly.
- Cool and serve. Let it rest 10 to 15 minutes, then drizzle with maple syrup and dig in.
→ For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
How to Prep Ahead
- Streusel: Mix it up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge.
- The Night Before: Assemble the casserole, cover it, and chill overnight. In the morning, sprinkle on the streusel and bake.
- Short on Time: An hour of soaking in the fridge still works. Overnight just gives you the softest, most custardy middle.
- Storage: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or microwave a slice. To freeze, wrap tightly in foil for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge.
French Toast Casserole with Streusel Topping
Ingredients
For the Streusel:
- 2 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- ½ cup salted butter, sliced
- 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the French Toast Casserole:
- 12-13 cups hearty bread, cubed, preferably a day or two old
- 8 large eggs
- 3 cups whole milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Pure maple syrup, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Combine all streusel ingredients in a bowl, mixing well until they resemble wet sand-like chunks. Cover and keep in the fridge until ready to use.
- Grease a 9×13 baking dish with butter. Place 12 cups of bread cubes in the dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, granulated sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes, tossing to ensure they are well coated. If there seems to be too much liquid, add another cup of bread cubes until it is mostly absorbed. (There will be a thin layer of excess liquid at the bottom.)
- Cover the dish and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight. Gently toss the soaked bread cubes again before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Sprinkle the chilled streusel topping over the top of the casserole. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and bubbly. If it starts looking too browned at the 45-minute mark, loosely tent the baking dish with foil, and continue baking.
- Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes, and serve warm topped with maple syrup, if desired.
Notes
- Substitutions: Dairy-free milk, dairy-free butter, and gluten-free bread all work, with a bit of ratio adjustment. We often use whole wheat bread with great results.
- Prep Ahead: The streusel keeps up to 3 days in the fridge. Assemble the casserole the night before and sprinkle on the streusel right before baking.
- Storage: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve it with our cheesy ham and hash brown casserole for a sweet and savory brunch.
- This recipe is part of our Breakfast Casserole Recipes collection.
Nutrition (per serving)
What to Serve with French Toast Casserole
Savory Sides
- Hash Brown Tomato Breakfast Casserole: A cheesy, savory bake that balances out all the sweetness.
- Bacon or Breakfast Sausage: Something salty on the side always goes fast.
Fruit and Drinks
- Fresh Berries: A big bowl of strawberries and blueberries keeps things bright.
- Coffee and Orange Juice: Set out a pot of hot coffee and a pitcher of OJ, and brunch is done.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use bread that’s a day or two old, and make sure the cubes are coated, not swimming. If there’s a lot of liquid left in the dish, add another cup of bread before chilling. A thin layer on the bottom is totally fine.
Overnight gives you the best texture, with a soft, custardy middle and a golden top. If you’re short on time, an hour in the fridge still works.
Any sturdy bread works. French bread, brioche, and challah make it extra rich, and we use whole wheat all the time with great results. Skip very soft, fresh sandwich bread, since it can turn mushy.
Yes. Mix it up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Sprinkle it on cold, right before baking.
Covered in the fridge, leftovers keep 3 to 4 days. Reheat at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes, or warm a slice in the microwave.
Yes. It’s best fresh from the oven, but you can wrap baked leftovers tightly in foil and freeze them for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven.
Absolutely. Swap in your favorite plant milk and dairy-free butter, and use gluten-free bread.
More to Cook and Eat
- Strawberry Cream Cheese French Toast Bake: Creamy, fruity, and perfect for Mother’s Day brunch.
- Pumpkin French Toast Casserole: All the fall spice, ready to bake the night before.
- Coconut Pancakes: Fluffy, lightly sweet, and a fun change from the usual stack.
- English Muffin Breakfast Casserole: The savory make-ahead partner to this one.