How to Make Baked French Toast

Schedules can be busy during the holidays and creating a delicious brunch for your family can be the furthest thing from your mind! This baked French toast recipe can be prepared the night before, which makes this an appealing choice for families who are on the go. This is an especially nice breakfast choice for Christmas Day!

Baked French Toast Recipe

Adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

For The French Toast

1 loaf crusty bread, any kind
8 whole, large eggs
2 cups whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

For The Topping

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
Pinch of nutmeg
1 stick cold butter, cut into pieces

For Serving

Maple syrup
Chocolate syrup
Whipped cream
Chocolate chips
Berries

Directions:

This dish is an ideal choice for a busy morning because it can be prepared the night before and stored in the refrigerator. Just make sure you preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit before you take it out of the refrigerator. If you’re making this dish right when it is prepared, preheat the oven as you start assembling the ingredients.

Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cut the bread into cubes, or tear it into chunks with your fingers. Evenly distribute them in the baking dish and set aside. Crack the eggs into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Scramble the eggs vigorously using a balloon whisk. Add the milk, cream, brown sugar, and vanilla extract to the eggs and whisk until well combined. Pour the mixture into the baking dish over the bread.

At this point, if you plan on baking the French toast the next morning, you can cover it tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Otherwise, move on to the next step.

To make the topping, add the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg to a food processor. Pulse until the dry ingredients are well combined. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like small pebbles. If you’re making the dish right away, sprinkle the topping over the French toast mixture and place in the center of the preheated oven. Otherwise, place the topping in a plastic bag and refrigerate until you’re ready to make the French toast.

Bake the French toast for 45 minutes if you like a softer texture, and up to 60 minutes if you like it to be crispier.

To serve, scoop out individual portions onto a plate. Leave a variety of topping choices on the table and let people create their own combinations. We hope you and your family enjoy this baked french toast recipe!