Overnight French Toast Casserole

Written by
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Diana Rattray
Updated 10/16/20
Overnight French Toast Casserole

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
277 Calories
18g Fat
21g Carbs
8g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 277
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g 23%
Saturated Fat 10g 52%
Cholesterol 192mg 64%
Sodium 143mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Protein 8g
Calcium 103mg 8%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

If you're used to having visitors spend the night at your house, you're familiar with hectic times in the kitchen, trying to feed an army of people. Baked casseroles, sweet or savory, are great options for large groups of people because they go a long way when served with fruit and spreads (or a small cheese plate), are easy to prep, and there won't be much to clean after, besides your guests empty plates.

This overnight French toast casserole is especially convenient since it can be prepared the night before and then baked in the morning. You might also like New Orleans Style French Toast or pain perdu, or a different French toast flavor like in our vanilla version.

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
  • 12 slices ​French bread (3/4-inch-thick)
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups​ milk (or half-and-half)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Garnish: confectioners sugar (to taste)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Overnight French Toast Casserole ingredients

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Spread butter over bottom of large jelly roll baking pan with 1-inch-high sides or a casserole dish.

    buttered casserole dish

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Arrange bread slices in the pan.

    casserole dish with bread

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Combine eggs, milk, sugar, syrup, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk until well blended.

    Combine eggs, milk, sugar, syrup, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Pour egg mixture over bread and turn bread slices until evenly coated.

    Pour egg mixture over bread

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

    cover the bread in the casserole dish with plastic wrap

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  7. When ready to bake, remove pan from refrigerator to let sit for 30 minutes while the oven pre heats to 400 F.

    casserole pan with bread, wrapped with plastic

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  8. Remove plastic wrap and bake in the pre heated oven for 10 minutes. Turn the bread over and continue baking just until a rich golden brown, about 5 to 6 additional minutes.

    baked Overnight French Toast Casserole

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

  9. Transfer cooked French toast to plates and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar if desired. Serve hot with maple syrup or your favorite topping.

    Overnight French Toast Casserole with powdered sugar on top

    The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

Glass Bakeware Warning

For premade casseroles or leftovers that are in a glass baking dish and have been refrigerated, do not place directly into a hot oven as the glass can shatter. Instead, place any cold glass bakeware into a cold oven to warm up while it preheats. Or, allow the bakeware to rest outside of the fridge for 30 minutes to reach room temperature while the oven preheats.

Toppings for Your Toast

French toast is a great brunch dish and can be the centerpiece of an even tastier spread by using one of the following variations:

  • Sweet Savory Toast: Follow the recipe to the letter and while the toast bakes, pan-fry 12 slices of bacon until crispy. Discard the fat. Serve each portion of toast with 2 strips of bacon and extra maple syrup on the side.
  • Chocolate Toast: Follow the recipe to the letter and 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time, sprinkle 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips on top of the toast. Finish baking and serve each slice with freshly cut strawberries.
  • Croque Madame Toast: Follow the recipe to the letter and bake the toast in two separate pans, dividing the bread evenly into the pans. Once the slices of French toast are cooked, take both pans out of the oven and top one of the pans with 1 layer of sliced Gruyere cheese and 1 layer of good quality ham. Cover the toast that has the ham and cheese with the undressed slices, making sandwiches, and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes. While they bake crack open 6 eggs and fry them. Top the French toast Croque Madames with a fried egg each.

Raw Egg Warning

Consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs poses a risk of food-borne illness.