French Toast Casserole with Caramelized Brown Sugar Base
By Miles Carr
Prep
10 min
Cook
30 min
Total
40 min
Servings
8
Level
Easy
Forty minutes and one baking pan are all this French Toast Casserole needs for a practical breakfast. Cubed French bread bakes over a buttery brown sugar layer, with a golden top and caramel-like base that brings classic French toast flavors to the table without standing at the stove.
The pan starts with melted butter and packed brown sugar, stirred until smooth and spread across the bottom. French bread cubes sit over that layer, then absorb a custard of eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. A final sprinkle of cinnamon and brown sugar gives the surface extra color and a lightly crisp finish as it bakes.
Look for a golden-brown top after 25 to 30 minutes in the hot oven. The key is making sure the egg mixture reaches all of the bread cubes, so dry pockets do not remain in the center. Very soft, fresh bread is the most common issue because it can turn soggy instead of soaking up the custard evenly.
Serve the casserole warm with the optional powdered sugar over the top. For a busy morning, assemble the pan through the final baking step, cover it, and refrigerate it overnight; bake it the next morning as directed. Leftover baked casserole can also be frozen after it has cooled completely.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Saves stove time because the full batch bakes in one 9-by-13-inch pan instead of requiring individual slices to be cooked in batches.
- Uses familiar breakfast staples, including eggs, milk, butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, and French bread, so the grocery list stays short and straightforward.
- Prep takes 10 minutes because the bread is simply cubed, the butter mixture is stirred in a saucepan, and the custard is whisked together.
- Works for advance planning since the unbaked casserole can be assembled, covered, refrigerated overnight, and baked the following morning as directed.
- Keeps cleanup manageable with one baking pan, one small saucepan, and one bowl handling the butter base, custard, and baking process.
- Feeds eight servings from a single pan, making it useful when several people need breakfast without repeated skillet batches or complicated timing.
Ingredients
- •0.5 loaf French bread (about 8 oz, cut into cubes)
- •0.5 cup butter (plus more for buttering the pan)
- •1 cup brown sugar (packed)
- •6 eggs
- •2 cups milk
- •2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- •2 teaspoons cinnamon (divided)
- •1 Tablespoon brown sugar (for topping)
- •powdered sugar (for topping, optional)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- 2
Butter a 13x9-inch baking pan and set aside.
- 3
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.
- 4
Stir in the packed brown sugar until dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
- 5
Pour the butter and brown sugar mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan and spread evenly.
- 6
Add the bread cubes to the pan, spreading them over the brown sugar and butter mixture.
- 7
Whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a medium bowl.
- 8
Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes, ensuring that all pieces are saturated.
- 9
Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 tablespoon brown sugar.
- 10
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- 11
Remove from the oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
382
Protein
9g
Fat
17g
Carbs
48g
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