Easy Overnight Sourdough French Toast Casserole
This easy and delicious sourdough French toast casserole makes the perfect Christmas morning breakfast… or any morning for that matter! Homemade sourdough bread is covered in a cinnamon and vanilla custard and then refrigerated overnight. Once you’re ready to bake, top it with a brown sugar crumble and bake until golden brown and bubbly.
As if there weren’t already enough reasons to love sourdough… let’s turn it into a delicious French toast bake! I’ve been on a breakfast food making kick lately. From sourdough scones to cinnamon swirl banana bread, the delicious options are pretty much endless.
That being said, it was high time a delicious French toast recipe made it to the blog! Overnight French toast is popular…and for good reason. I wanted to create a sourdough version, and this easy French toast casserole recipe does the trick. This recipe works for experienced and novice sourdough bread bakers alike! You may be looking for a delicious way to use up a loaf of bread that turned out less than ideal. Or, maybe you are such a pro at sourdough you just need a creative way to use up all the delicious loaves of bread you’ve got hanging around your kitchen. Either way, this recipe works great and will come out delicious every time. I promise!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Use up leftover bread: Although this recipe is just as delicious with fresh bread, it is a great way to use up any leftover bread you may have hanging around your kitchen!
- Makes for a quick and delicious breakfast: Since most of the prep work is done the night before, all that is left to do is top with the brown sugar crumble and bake!
- Great for serving a crowd: This recipe yields a large baking dish full of delicious, baked French toast, making it perfect for feeding a crowd!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Sourdough Loaf: I use my recipe for same day sourdough bread for this casserole. I cut it into slices about 1 inch thick.
- Heavy Cream & Milk: We’re using a combination in this recipe to get a rich and velvety custard mix.
- Maple Syrup: I love using maple syrup in recipes and find the flavor complements the vanilla and cinnamon nicely. You can substitute granulated sugar in this recipe with no issue.
- Eggs: An essential French toast ingredient. This recipe calls for 6 large eggs.
- Vanilla Extract: I always recommend pure vanilla extract.
- Cinnamon: The addition of cinnamon adds a delicious spice to the dish.
- Pecans: I used roughly chopped pecans in the crumble topping. You could substitute chopped walnuts or almonds!
Step by Step Instructions
- Begin by lightly greasing a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with 1 tbsp softened butter or nonstick spray. Slice sourdough bread into slices, about 1 inch thick. Begin lining them along the bottom of the pan, overlapping them as you make more rows. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Whisk together well and then evenly pour the mixture over the bread.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
- The next morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pull the casserole out of the fridge and allow it to sit on the counter while the oven preheats.
- Make the crumble topping: In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, chopped pecans, flour, salt, and cinnamon. Using a cheese grater, grate 1 stick of cold butter over the top of the mixture. Begin incorporating the butter into the sugar and flour mixture until crumbly. Evenly spread over the top of the casserole before placing in the oven.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown on the top and the eggs are set.
- Let cool slightly in the pan before slicing and serving. Garnish with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup. Enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Overnight is best. Assemble the bread and custard layers and let it sit overnight in the fridge before baking. This time gives the crusty bread a chance to soak up the vanilla and cinnamon spiced egg custard.
- Quality bread. Since bread is the main ingredient in any French toast casserole, be sure not to skimp on the quality! Flimsy bread is usually the culprit to soggy French toast.
- Keep an eye on it! If you find the top of the casserole is browning too quickly in the oven, you can loosely tent it with aluminum foil to keep it from burning.
- Cube instead of slice. You can always cut the bread into cubes rather than slicing, if you prefer.
FAQs and Storage
Any kind of thick, quality bread. Soft sandwich bread is not recommended.
I recommend covering tightly and placing in the fridge, where it will keep for up to three days.
The options are endless! I think this recipe pairs well with a serving of fresh fruit, cooked bacon or sausage, scrambled eggs or even an omelet stuffed with your favorite toppings.
This is usually an issue with the kind of bread you used. Flimsy store-bought sandwich bread simply can’t soak up enough of the custard mixture, leaving a soggy mess. Instead, use quality bread like homemade sourdough, Italian bread, etc.
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Overnight Sourdough French Toast Casserole
This easy and delicious sourdough French toast casserole makes the perfect Christmas morning breakfast... or any morning for that matter! Homemade sourdough bread is covered in a cinnamon and vanilla custard and then refrigerated overnight. Once you're ready to bake, top it with a brown sugar crumble and bake until golden brown and bubbly.
Ingredients
French Toast Casserole
- 1 loaf sourdough bread, sliced or cubed into 1 inch slices
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups milk
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Crumble Topping
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Begin by lightly greasing a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with 1 tbsp softened butter or nonstick spray. Slice sourdough bread into slices, about 1 inch thick. Begin lining them along the bottom of the pan, overlapping them as you make more rows. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Whisk together well and then evenly pour the mixture over the bread.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight.
- The next morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pull the casserole out of the fridge and allow it to sit on the counter while the oven preheats.
- Make the crumble topping: In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, chopped pecans, flour, salt, and cinnamon. Using a cheese grater, grate 1 stick of cold butter over the top of the mixture. Begin incorporating the butter into the sugar and flour mixture until crumbly. Evenly spread over the top of the casserole before placing in the oven.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown on the top and the eggs are set.
- Let cool slightly in the pan before slicing and serving. Garnish with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and a drizzle of maple syrup. Enjoy!
- Cover tightly and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
If you loved this recipe for make ahead French toast casserole, be sure to come back and give it a 5 star recipe rating and a comment! I would love to know how it turned out for you.
