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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

4.64 from 203 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
4.64 from 203 votes (176 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




146 comments

    • Karen Harris

    I can see the convenience of making it the night before, but is the chilling step necessary? Would it be good if I just made it and stuck it straight in the oven?

      • chewoutloud

      I think the chilling step lets it soak completely and gives it time to set. You could try doing it sooner, maybe soaking less time?

        • Angel

        Made this for breakfaat this morning. Prepared it last night and had it in the fridge by 8pm. Put it in the oven at 6am and ended up cooking it for the full 45 min on the lower rack. The flavor was great but the texture not so much. What happens to butter when its heated? It melts. So with the bottom layer of bread soaking up all the brown sugar butter mixture all night and then heating it up to cook what do you think happens? The butter melts in the bottom layer of bread creating a soggy bottom. I just can’t see how you can avoid this and I’m very surprised more have not mentioned it. Also to get the entire loaf of texas toast into a 9×13 pan you must squish it in. I see no sense in cutting the bread to make it fit as the recipie says to…you might as well just use less bread slices then? I’d love suggestions for the bottom layer soggy-ness if anyone has some!

    • brighteyedbaker

    There must be a recipe out there for Texas Toast, right? Because I’m making it, and then I’m making this. It seriously looks so. incredibly. delicious. MMMmmm

    • petit4chocolatier

    This looks and sounds delicious. Perfect!

    • heymacks

    Oh gosh, yum!

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