It’s my professional opinion that whenever you dust a baked good with powdered sugar, it becomes instantly classy. So, while you can find all the ingredients needed for my decadent Baked French Toast at your local grocery store, I promise you someone will say “Oooh! Fancy” when you serve it. And you didn’t even need to stand over a hot stove to make it! Instead, it’s baked effortlessly in the oven until soft, custardy, and delicious. You can even prep it the night before and have it ready to go the next morning! I love serving this breakfast casserole with fresh berries for the ultimate breakfast treat.
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What is Baked French Toast?
My family loves French toast, but I don’t always love standing at the stove flipping slices of bread. So, I came up with this baked version that’s just as delicious and even easier to make! My baked brioche French toast casserole is similar to bread pudding, but the slices are kept whole. I make it from brioche bread, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon, and other simple ingredients, then top it with a super easy homemade caramel sauce. It’s the perfect treat for lazy Sunday mornings with the family, potluck brunches, or special occasions like the holiday season or even baby showers!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make the BEST baked French toast recipe:
- Brioche Loaf: I love the buttery, sweet richness of brioche bread in this recipe. It adds the most decadent flavor and texture. However, other sturdy bread options like challah, sourdough, or French bread will work too! Just note the flavor and texture may vary slightly. Believe me, Brioche French Toast is the only way!
- Eggs: Adds a custard-like texture and richness to this oven baked French toast. I specifically use large eggs.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: This is my secret ingredient for making the most indulgent and delicious breakfast treat. It’s super creamy, sweet, and makes each bite even more irresistible!
- Milk: Add this to the egg mixture to create a silky smooth custard. It thins out the eggs and sweetened condensed milk, making it easier to soak in the bread.
- Cinnamon: My favorite spice for adding warmth and cozy flavor to any recipe. Just a sprinkle into the eggy custard mixture will do the trick!
- Caramel Sauce: I make an easy caramel sauce by melting salted butter, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Pour it over the unbaked casserole and watch it transform into a gooey caramel topping in the oven. Trust me, this is the cherry on top of an already delicious dish!
- For Serving: I like garnishing this dish with powdered sugar and fresh (or frozen!) berries. The powdered sugar makes it look pretty, and the berries add a little tartness to balance out the sweetness!
Topping & Serving Ideas
If it’s just my family enjoying this dish, I usually keep things simple with powdered sugar and berries. However, if I’m hosting guests or feeling fancy, here are some extra special topping and serving ideas I like to use:
- A drizzle of maple syrup (for anyone with a MAJOR sweet tooth)
- Topped with any fruit preserves, compotes, or sauces instead of fresh berries, like a homemade strawberry jam or pumpkin butter
- Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top (breakfast for dessert vibes!)
- Chocolate chips or chopped nuts layered between the bread slices
- Add blueberries and a streusel topping before baking for a blueberry muffin flavor twist!
- Sprinkle over toasted shredded coconut before serving
- Serve it alongside air fryer bacon, eggs (any type), and/or breakfast potatoes for a complete brunch spread!
Recipe Success Tips!
- Dip, don’t pour! I dip each individual bread slice into the egg mix before layering it in my baking dish. Please don’t pour all the egg mixture on top of the slices at once—it won’t soak through evenly, and you’ll end up with some dry spots!
- Make sure your egg and milk mixture is thoroughly combined. Like I suggest in my scrambled eggs recipe, we don’t want to see any streaks or globs of egg whites! Otherwise, you could end up with bits of egg white in your final dish.
- Gently heat your caramel sauce until creamy. It only takes about 6-8 minutes to do this; anything longer, and there’s a good chance the caramel will harden up, and we don’t want that.
- Don’t worry if your baked French toast doesn’t layer exactly like mine! Just try to stagger the pieces so they overlap slightly while filling the dish as evenly as possible. I actually readjusted my slices about halfway through to better fit my dish—no stress here!
- Be sure to use LARGE eggs. I discovered while testing this recipe that 4 large eggs created the perfect ratio of eggs to milk. Anything smaller can make your breakfast casserole soggy as it won’t set up as well.
Make it Ahead
This recipe for baked French toast can easily be made ahead of time! I’d assemble everything as directed but leave off the caramel sauce until just before baking. Cover it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 24 hours before baking. I’d add a few minutes to the baking time to ensure everything cooks through, as the bread slices and egg mixture will be chilled.
Storing Leftovers
Lucky enough to have some leftovers? Well, I’ve got good news for you! The leftovers are absolutely delicious when warmed up or eaten cold. I’d keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days until you’re ready to enjoy them again. To reheat this breakfast casserole, pop it in the oven at 350F or microwave individual servings until heated through.
Baked French Toast Recipe
Servings 8 slicesIngredients
French Toast Ingredients
- 4 large eggs ($1.24)
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk ($2.23)
- ½ cup milk ($0.09)
- ½ tsp cinnamon ($0.04)
- 1 brioche loaf, sliced ($3.42)
Sauce Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter ($1.59)
- 1 ¼ cup brown sugar ($1.02)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract ($0.47)
To Garnish
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar ($0.06)
- 1 cup mixed berries (frozen or fresh!) ($1.79)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and butter an 8×10 casserole or baking dish. Whisk together eggs, sweetened condensed milk, milk, and cinnamon.
- Gently dip a slice of brioche bread in the egg mixture. I find that brioche absorbs the egg mixture very fast compared to sourdough, so you don't want it to sit in the mixture; just a quick dip to make sure it's covered, and then transfer it to a greased 8×10 baking dish.* (Important: See note.)
- In a small saucepan, add sauce ingredients: butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and melt over medium heat until creamy and just a little bubbly, about 6-8 minutes. Don't cook for too long, or it will turn into a tacky caramel instead of a sauce.
- Pour warm sauce over the top of dipped and arranged brioche.
- Bake uncovered** for 30 min with the 8×10 baking dish on top of a cookie sheet! You may experience some bubbles that run off the side, and you don't want this delicious breakfast to make a mess in your oven.
- Let cool for 10-15 minutes. Then, top with powdered sugar and mixed berries.
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Equipment
- 8×10 Baking Dish
Notes
Nutrition
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how to make Baked French Toast – step by step photos
Preheat oven to 350F and butter an 8×10 casserole or baking dish. Whisk together 4 large eggs, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, ½ cup milk, and ½ tsp cinnamon.
Gently dip a slice of brioche bread in the egg mixture. I find that brioche absorbs the egg mixture very fast compared to sourdough, so you don’t want it to sit in the mixture; just a quick dip to make sure it’s covered, and then transfer it to a greased 8×10 baking dish (Important: See note.)
In a small saucepan, add sauce ingredients: ¾ cup salted butter, 1 ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, and melt over medium heat until creamy and just a little bubbly, about 6-8 minutes. Don’t cook for too long, or it will turn into a tacky caramel instead of a sauce.
Pour warm sauce over the top of dipped and arranged brioche.
Bake uncovered** for 30 min with the 8×10 baking dish on top of a cookie sheet! You may experience some bubbles that run off the side, and you don’t want this delicious breakfast to make a mess in your oven.
Let cool for 10-15 minutes. Then, top with 2 Tbsp powdered sugar and 1 cup mixed berries.
This indulgent baked brioche French toast recipe means you can feed a crowd without spending all morning in the kitchen. It’s seriously easy to make, and you can even prepare it ahead of time!
Can this be prepared the day before?
100% yes. There are day-ahed-prep tips in the blog post, but add the caramel sauce day-of, just before you put it in the oven. Enjoy!
Hello! I do not like caramel but really want to make this! Do i just not make caramel or should i be adding something in its place? Also, do you have a link for 8×10 baking dish? for some reason i can’t easily find one. Thank you in advance!
An 8×11 or 9×13 would work, the size of the baking dish isn’t as important as making sure each slice of bread is covered and smothered! If you go with a larger dish, it will just mean slightly less overlap of the slices, which is ok. I don’t have an alternative to the caramel during baking (the texture it creates is out of this world!), but you could add some fruit jam, a little extra sweetened condensed milk, maple syrup, melted peanut butter, or even whipped cream on top when it comes time to serve.