Name: Brioche French Toast Casserole
Prep time: 70 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 115 min
Yield: 12 Servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 pound loaf of bread; 8 eggs; 3 cups milk; 4 Tablespoons butter, melted; 1/2 cup brown sugar; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon cardamom; 4 Tablespoons all purpose flour; 4 Tablespoons butter (cold); 10 Tablespoons brown sugar; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon cardamom

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Brioche French toast casserole is the perfect breakfast for any special occasion. It's an easy French toast bake that can be prepped the night before you want to serve it, or you can assemble the breakfast casserole and bake it the same day.

Slice of baked french toast on a white plate being drizzled with maple syrup, with text overlay reading "Brioche French Toast Casserole."

It's the first Monday of the month, and that means it's time for the Taste Creations Blog Hop. This month, we're sharing Easter breakfast recipes. If you're looking for a delicious breakfast bake for your holiday morning, this overnight French toast casserole is an amazing option. Be sure to check out the other irresistable Easter brunch recipes from my blogger friends at the end of the post.

If you want the fabulous flavor of a French toast recipe, but have a busy morning or need to feed a crowd, baked French toast casserole is the way to go!

If you prefer a savory breakfast, try this crescent roll breakfast casserole, made with eggs and sausage.

Slice of baked Brioche French toast casserole on a white plate, drizzled with maple syrup, and next to fresh berries and edible flowers.

This easy breakfast is delicious with a drizzle of maple syrup, some fresh fruit, or even just plain. One of the things I love about baked French toast is that it's very flavorful, but is not overly sweet. I like mine best plain, with a side of fruit. If you like fruit baked into your French toast casserole, try this blueberry french toast bake.

How to Make Baked French Toast Casserole

Ingredients for baked French Toast Casserole Recipe on a white marble surface.

This recipe for baked French toast is broken down into two sections: the basic French toast casserole and the the streusel topping for the breakfast bake. For a full printable recipe, scroll down to the bottom of the post, where you'll find a one page PDF version of this recipe.

Easy French Toast Casserole Recipe

1 pound loaf of bread
8 eggs
3 cups milk
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cardamom

Challah bread being cut into cubes for a Baked French Toast Casserole Recipe.

Buttery brioche bread or challah bread are best for this recipe, but you could use a crusty French bread or even sourdough, too. Slice the bread into thick slices. Cut the bread slices into 1-inch cubes and place in a 9x13 pan or a casserole dish. Some baked French toast recipes call for using whole slices of bread, and while that looks pretty in the pan, I prefer the overall consistency when I cut my bread into cubes. It soaks up the custard mixture more evenly, making the baked French toast perfectly moist and rich, with a delightful, crunchy brown sugar crumble on top.

This is a favorite way to use up stale bread, but you can absolutely use fresh bread, too.

Custard egg mixture for baked French toast casserole recipe in a silver bowl with a whisk.

Beat the eggs with a whisk until well combined and a light yellow color. Add the milk, melted butter, salt, brown sugar, and spices and whisk to mix everything together well.

Unbaked French toast casserole soaking in custard and covered with plastic wrap.

Pour the milk mixture over the bread cubes and cover with plastic wrap. If you want to bake the French toast casserole the same day, let it sit on the counter for one hour before baking, so the bread has a chance to soak up the custard mixture completely. If you want to bake the breakfast casserole the next day, place the covered dish in the fridge. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before you intend to bake, to give it a chance to warm up a bit.

Ingredients for streusel topping for a baked french toast casserole, on a white marble surface next to a pastry cutter.

While the casserole is resting and soaking up all that custard, it's time to make the streusel topping. If it looks familiar, that's because I use the exact same streusel topping I use on my family's favorite coffee cake.

Streusel Topping for Baked French Toast Casserole

4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
4 Tablespoons butter (cold)
10 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom

Bowl of streusel topping for a baked French toast casserole.

To make the streusel topping, combine all of the dry ingredients, then use a pastry cutter or two knives to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Continue cutting the butter in until the mixture looks like crumbs.

Do not put the streusel topping on the French toast casserole until you are ready to bake it! Store the streusel in the fridge until it's time to add it to the top of the casserole.

Brioche French Toast Casserole ready to be baked in the oven in a 9x13 pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Just before baking, sprinkle the streusel over the top of the dish. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown.

Brioche French Toast Casserole baked in a 9x13 pan, on a white marble surface.

This is a great recipe for mother's day, Christmas morning, Easter morning--or really, weekend mornings in general. It's a breakfast recipe that can make any morning feel special without a whole lot of fuss and work.

If you're thinking, "hey, this seems just like bread pudding!" yes, you're entirely right. I'm happy to eat it for special occasions, no matter what you want to call it!

Slice of brioche French toast casserole on a white plate, drizzled with maple syrup.

I like it even better than individual pieces of French toast! The silky texture of the base combined with the crunch of the top layer is absolutely sublime.