This Overnight French toast is the yummiest and easiest French toast recipe you’ll ever make. Because you prep it the night before, Christmas morning becomes a breeze—simply pop it in the oven and bake! As it cooks, the house fills with the coziest aromas of nostalgia, caramel, and buttery warmth. It’s my boys’ favorite holiday breakfast, and it’s one we look forward to all season long.
This was inspired by my Simple Dutch Baby recipe on this site, and pairs well with this Easy Quiche Recipe.
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Overnight French Toast
- Equipment Needed for Overnight French Toast
- Ingredients & Why They Work (with substitutions)
- How to Make Overnight French Toast
- Variations for Overnight French Toast
- Tips for Success
- How to Store & Reheat Overnight French Toast
- FAQs: Overnight French Toast
- More Breakfast Recipes
- Cooking With Lori Recipes
- Overnight French Toast
Why You’ll Love This Overnight French Toast
You will love this Overnight French toast because:
- It’s made with healthy, simple ingredients.
- It’s incredibly easy to make and perfect for busy mornings.
- Everyone—kids and adults—loves it.
- It’s prepped the night before, making mornings stress-free.
- It’s a great make-ahead Christmas breakfast casserole.
- It slices beautifully like an overnight French toast casserole, and leftovers reheat perfectly.
Equipment Needed for Overnight French Toast
Even though this recipe is simple, having the right tools makes it even easier.
- Measuring cups – to measure the ingredients accurately.
- Cutting board & bread knife - to cube the bread
- Medium Size Bowl - to mix the custard in
- Large Bowl - to mix the cubed bread & custard in
- 9X13 baking dish - to bake the Overnight French Toast in
Ingredients & Why They Work (with substitutions)
Bottom Layer
- ¾ C butter, melted - Adds richness and creates that gooey caramel bottom layer. Substitution: coconut oil or vegan butter works well.
- 1 ¼ cup maple syrup or brown sugar - Sweetens the baked French toast and caramelizes as it bakes. Substitution: brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla - Adds warmth and enhances the custard flavor. Substitution: almond extract.
- ½ cup chopped pecans (optional) - Adds crunch and nutty flavor.
Substitution: walnuts or omit entirely for nut-free. - 12 slices dry bread - Dry bread soaks the custard beautifully, preventing sogginess. (For reference-the bread used in this post is Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 and is approximately 4" X 4.25" X ½") Substitution: brioche, challah, gluten-free bread, or sourdough.
Custard
- 7 eggs - Help create the classic custard that makes French toast tender.
Substitution: use liquid egg substitute or 4 eggs + ¼ cup Greek yogurt. - 1 cup heavy cream - Makes the custard extra creamy and decadent.
Substitution: half-and-half or coconut cream. - 1 cup milk - Balances the richness of the cream. Substitution: almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, or whole milk
See recipe card for full recipe.
How to Make Overnight French Toast
Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees & Prep the Maple Butter Layer
Combine the melted butter, maple syrup (or brown sugar), vanilla, and optional pecans. Then pour this mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
Step 2: Make the Custard & Prep the Bread
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, and milk. Cube the bread into roughly 9 pieces per slice and place all the cubes into a very large mixing bowl or pot.
Step 3: Soak the Bread
Pour the custard over the bread cubes and toss gently until every piece is coated. Next, spread the soaked bread evenly over the maple-butter layer in the baking dish. Soak for 8 hours refrigerated or gently toss the custard and bread in a bowl until all the custard is soaked up. Then, pour the custard bread over the maple butter layer evenly.
Step 4: Bake & Serve
Bake uncovered at 350°F for 45 minutes, or until the top is slightly crispy and the center no longer jiggles. Spoon each serving and flip upside down so the caramelized maple-butter layer becomes the topping.
Variations for Overnight French Toast
- Gluten-free option – simply use your favorite gluten-free bread; thicker varieties like gluten-free brioche, sourdough-style loaves, or Ezekiel gluten-free work best because they hold up beautifully during the overnight soak.
- With or without nuts – pecans and walnuts both taste incredible.
- Add warm spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, or cardamom.
- Alcohol twist – add rum, bourbon, or brandy (1–2 tablespoons) to the custard for a holiday flavor boost.
Tips for Success
- Use dry bread. A day-old loaf works best. Even better, sourdough, French bread, or Ezekiel bread give great structure. Avoid fresh sandwich bread.
- Bake uncovered. This ensures the top gets crispy.
How to Store & Reheat Overnight French Toast
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm in the oven at 350°F until hot and crisp on top, or microwave for quick reheating.
Freezing Instructions
This french toast casserole freezes well! Bake the casserole, let it cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze for up to 1 month.
Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake uncovered at 350°F until hot and crispy again.
FAQs: Overnight French Toast
Yes—simply use gluten-free bread.
Bake uncovered for the best texture.
No. It must be refrigerated while soaking.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is crisp and the center doesn’t jiggle.
Absolutely! In fact, it needs at least 8 hours to soak up all the yummy custard goodness or alternatively, toss the custard and the bread cubes in a bowl together until all the custard is absorbed by the bread.
No problem at all! Simply toss the custard and the bread cubes in a bowl together until all the custard is absorbed by the bread. Then pour the custard bread over the maple butter, then bake.
More Breakfast Recipes
Cooking With Lori Recipes
Overnight French Toast
Ingredients
- ¾ C butter melted
- 1 ¼ C maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 t vanilla
- ½ C pecan chopped (optional)
- 12 slices bread dry. (For reference-the bread used in this post is apx 4" X 4.25" X ½")
Custard
- 7 eggs
- 1 C heavy cream
- 1 C milk
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a small sauce pan, melt the butter.
- Combine the melted butter, maple syrup (or brown sugar), vanilla, and optional pecans. Pour this mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, and milk until smooth.
- Cube the bread.
- Place the cubed bread into the custard bowl and toss gently to ensure every piece soaks up the custard.
- Spread the soaked bread evenly over the maple-butter layer in the dish.
- Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or bake uncovered right away if all the custard is soaked into the bread before pouring over the maple butter layer.
- Bake uncovered at 350°F for 45 minutes, or until the top is slightly crispy and the center no longer jiggles.
- Spoon each serving and flip it upside down so the caramelized maple-butter layer becomes the topping. Serve with optional berries & powdered sugar.
Notes
Variations
- With or without nuts – pecans and walnuts both taste incredible.
- Add warm spices – cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin spice, or cardamom.
- Alcohol twist – add rum, bourbon, or brandy (1–2 tablespoons) to the custard for a holiday flavor boost.
Tips for Success
- Use dry bread. A day-old loaf works best. Even better, sourdough, French bread, or Ezekiel bread give great structure. Avoid fresh sandwich bread. Bread used in this recipe post is Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9.
- Bake uncovered. This ensures the top gets crispy.
