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Best French Toast Casserole Recipe

The Best Texas French Toast Casserole Recipe also happens to be an easy overnight dish that can be completely prepared ahead of time. This is a jackpot breakfast bake that’ll become a fast favorite among your family and friends.

(Note: This is an updated post with additional step-by-step photos and instructions added. You can read original post with comments here.)

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Best French Toast Casserole

I don’t often remake recipes once they’ve been thoroughly tested and have earned a spot on the blog. After all, there are approximately 27 times more brand new recipes I want to create than I actually have time for.

I’m tickled when people ask me whether it’s hard to come up with recipes to make…I’ve totally got the opposite problem. Buried in my files is a mountainous pile of yummy ideas that I’m craving to make with time I don’t have. My please-cook-me collection keeps growing with a life of its own.

But. This Best French Toast Casserole? It gets ongoing requests for repeat appearances. Ever since Miss Texas French Toast casserole hit the Pinterest runway back in 2012 (here’s my original blog post), it’s been hot 🔥 It’s one of the most Pinned breakfast bakes on the scene for years now.

Apparently, everyone loves a French toast bake with a crispy bottom layer that tastes so good, it doesn’t need maple syrup.

People who try this French Toast Bake are rewarded with a perfect pan of mouthwatering magic. Occasionally, someone asks for help. So today, I’m updating this breakfast casserole post to include some new how-to photos. I’ve updated specific instructions to ensure a super easy, fail proof, jaw dropping result every time.

You’ll end up with pan that’s no-crumbs-left empty. You’ve been warned: leftovers are highly unlikely…

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Tips for the best French Toast Casserole:

  • Be absolutely sure you have the right kind of bread. (See above image.) You can find fluffy, white, thick loaves of Texas Toast in the fresh bread aisle of your grocery store. Not all stores carry it, but I have always been able to find it at major grocery stores, including Target.
  • If you can’t find Texas Toast, you can slice up a big loaf of French or Italian bread — just make sure to slice each piece about 1 1/4″ thick. The slices need to be thick for this hearty breakfast casserole.
  • If you’re staring at frozen garlic/cheese type “Texas Toast” – this is not the right kind of bread. Run away from frozen garlic bread labeled Texas Toast (unless you’re serving it with Lemon Basil Orzo with Chicken for dinner, in which case it would be all good.)

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  • Hand whisk the egg mixture ingredients together: eggs, milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and a bit of salt. No fancy electric mixers needed.
  • Don’t skip the almond extract. It’s SO worth it to grab yourself a little bottle of almond extract if you don’t have any in your spice cabinet. The almond extract truly imparts a sensational flavor to the dish. You can also use your almond extract to make Award Winning Almond Dessert Bars and Lemon Almond Poppy Seed Bread.

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  • Use pastry brush or even the back of a spoon to slowly brush on 1 cup of the egg mixture to first layer of bread slices.
  • Take your time. It’s worth a few extra seconds to ensure an even coating and thorough bread soaking, so you don’t end up with any risk of sog-factor at the bottom. If you pour the egg mixture too quickly over the bread slices, it won’t soak into the bread; it’ll just slide right into the bottom of your pan.
  • Be sure to get lots of wonderful egg mixture into the edges of each bread slice. It will make a difference.
  • Yes, you can just hand-dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture if you prefer; however, I find that’s actually messier and trickier than simply using my pastry brush.

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  • Generously sprinkle delightful cinna-sugar over that first layer of sliced bread.
  • Repeat it all for a second layer of sliced bread.
  • I like to sprinkle most of the dry cinna-sugar mix in the middle, reserving just a bit for the top. It helps prevent the top from getting too overly browned in the oven.
  • Cover tightly with foil, chill overnight, and bake in the morning.
  • Serve with maple syrup and berries, if you like.
  • But really, it’s so good you don’t need syrup at all.

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  • Wake, Bake, and Eat. Repeat.
  • Repeat again next weekend (and maybe all the weekends from now and forever more.)

Enjoy 🙂

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You may also want this for your morning:

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Best Texas French Toast Casserole Recipe

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: chewoutloud
  • Prep Time: 20 min
  • Cook Time: 40 min
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 20 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American
Print

Description

The Best Texas French Toast Casserole Recipe also happens to be an easy overnight dish that can be completely prepared ahead of time. This is a jackpot breakfast bake that’ll become a fast favorite among your family and friends.

Scale

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted, melted butter (1 stick) 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 fresh-sliced bread loaf of Texas Toast (Not frozen; found in fresh sliced bread aisle) 4 large eggs 1 1/2 cup whole or lowfat milk 1 TB pure vanilla extract 1 tsp pure almond extract 1/8 tsp table salt Cinnamon Sugar Mixture: 2 TB light brown sugar, packed 2 tsp ground cinnamon Optional Toppings: powdered sugar, real maple syrup, fresh berries

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. Use rubber spatula to evenly press mixture into bottom of a greased 9×13 pan, spreading mixture evenly. Use hand whisk to combine eggs, milk, vanilla extract, almond extract, and salt until fully incorporated. Mixture should be about 2 3/4 cup total. Set aside. Lay a single layer of Texas Toast in pan (about 6 whole slices,) cutting additional pieces to fill pan bottom, if needed. Very gradually and slowly brush 1 cup of egg mixture evenly over every slice of bread, taking care to saturate edges (do not hastily pour egg mixture or all of it will end up at the bottom.) Sprinkle evenly with most of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture, reserving about 2 tsp of the mixture for topping. Repeat with second layer, using another 6 slices or so of bread. Slowly brush remaining egg mixture over that layer, again paying special attention to the edges. Ensure all slices are well saturated. End with sprinkling of remaining cinnamon sugar mixture. Cover tightly and chill overnight in fridge. Preheat oven to 350F, with rack on lower middle position. Let casserole rest at room temp while oven preheats. Bake for 40-45 minutes, covered for the first 30 minutes, and uncovered after that. Be sure to scrape up all the bottom sticky goodness when serving. Serve with optional toppings, if desired.

Notes

*If you don’t have time to chill overnight, let the casserole soak for at least 35 minutes at room temp before baking.

Keywords: French Toast Casserole, Texas French Toast Bake

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Oh to Be a Muse says

    Oh my word! I need you to come over and make this Texas French toast casserole for me. It looks so darn delicious. And that French toast streusel at the end…mouth watering for sure! Now I want brunch!

    Reply

  10. Gervin Khan says

    You give an idea of what to do for our breakfast. This is one of my kids favorites and I will try to make this for them.

    Reply

  12. annick says

    oh my, this looks SO YUMMY! all that delicious gooeyness makes me want to make this immediately even though its hardly 10am over here.. you’ve got such an amazing ig btw!

    Reply

  15. Surekha Busa says

    Such a nice and another delicious version of a french toast. I will definitely try this for my kids breakfast.

    Reply

  16. Joanna says

    Your post made me so hungry! I love French Toast but never tried it as a casserole before! It does make sense though as you can make it so much faster than the classic pan one.

    Reply

  18. presiiicom says

    Glad you found the time to share this with us. It looks absolutely delicious. And the recipe is very detailed. Thx for sharing

    Reply

  19. Elaine says

    I loooove French toast, so of course this is a winner for me! And with the holidays coming up, which inevitably means a full house of guests, this easy prepped breakfast is going to be my go-to! Thanks for making my life a little easier. 🙂

    Reply

  22. Sydney | A World in Reach says

    I shouldn’t have read this while I’m hungry! This looks so good and now I have an intense craving for french toast haha

    Reply

  31. Choryene says

    French toast is my forever favorite and will definitely try to make this recipe for my kids I am sure they will like it.

    Reply

  36. Charlaine says

    I made this about 10 days ago and made it again last night for this morning. It is so good!! We love French toast. My husband gave this 10 stars. Said it is what he would expect out of a top of the line restaurant. If any one is having a bunch over for breakfast this is the way to go. A serving of scrambled eggs on the side and guest will be very pleased for sure. Many people say it looks good- well, it is Good!! Left overs heat up great.

    Reply

  37. Gem Star says

    I added a layer of cream cheese mixture ( 8oz cream cheese at room temperature, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract ) in between the bottom & top layer of French toast. I also used a squeeze bottle to apply egg mixture to bread. Worked fantastic. Increased bake time to 50 minutes.

    Reply

  38. Donna Kirkwood says

    I would like to find out how carbs their is in this wonderful dish. Can you please let me know?

    ★★★★★

    Reply

  39. Amy says

    I have served your Texas French toast bake every Christmas morning for the past 5 years (soon to be 6!). It started as a lucky Pinterest find, then turned into a family tradition. It was my father’s favorite, and in an effort to feel connected to him, I continued making it after his unexpected passing. My picky husband and two young children love it, as do the random variety of people that show up to my house for Christmas brunch.

    ★★★★★

    Reply

    • chewoutloud says

      Oh, that is the kind of recipe-story that makes me so happy and keeps me loving the work I do 🙂 Thanks so much for coming over to share that with us! Happy continued baking, Amy 🙂

      Reply

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