Baked French toast casserole is everything you love about a classic French toast recipe, but is done with minimal effort because it’s made in a casserole dish! This delicious breakfast dish is perfect for a special homemade brunch like Christmas morning, or for hosting an event like Mother’s Day or Easter brunch!
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First Things First, The Best French Toast Casserole Recipe
Our easy French Toast Casserole recipe is made with simple ingredients like bread, large eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. We make our French toast bake with brioche bread (the best bread!), but you can easily sub this type of bread out for French bread or challah bread if preferred.
Our recipe has a rich custard base, like you’d use to dip regular French toast in. Instead of dipping each slice of bread into the egg mixture and then frying it on the stovetop, you pour it over bread cubes in a baking dish. After a rest period, it’s baked until golden brown. This recipe can be prepped the night before to create an overnight French toast casserole that can be baked off in the morning too!
Making brioche French toast casserole is the best way to start your day, especially when paired with yummy toppings and sides.
Toppings for French Toast Casserole
Top your French toast casserole with one of these delicious toppings:
- Add fresh berries on top of your French toast casserole. Great options include fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries.
- A drizzle of maple syrup (I recommend pure maple syrup vs. pancake syrup).
- A dusting of powdered sugar.
- Whipped cream.
- Fruit syrups like blueberry syrup, strawberry syrup, etc.
- Fruit compotes like a homemade cherry compote, mixed berry compote, etc. This homemade rhubarb compote with strawberries and apples would be a great choice too!
- Toasted pecans or walnuts.
- Nutella hazelnut spread.
- Chocolate syrup.
- Honey.
- Plain or vanilla Greek yogurt. You can serve this both on the side of or on top of your French toast bake! I like to mix mine with maple syrup and add it right on top.
- Drizzles of warm peanut butter (or just slather some on!).
Best Side Dishes for French Toast Bake
Serving side dishes along with your French toast casserole is a great way to create a balanced and hearty meal. Add one or two of these great side dish recipes to your meal spread next time you make this sweet French toast bake.
Eggs
Having some savory options alongside your sweet French toast is a great way to balance your meal. Eggs are one of the easiest ways to do this! Whether it’s simply making a pan of scrambled eggs, or making a special quiche or an egg breakfast casserole, egg dishes are a great addition to your breakfast table.
- Scrambled Eggs. Keep things simple with a big batch of scrambled eggs. You could kick things up a notch with these soft scrambled eggs with ricotta.
- Egg Bakes / Egg Casseroles. Try this hearty chicken sausage, broccoli, and cheese egg bake or this bacon and veggie breakfast casserole recipe.
- Quiche. Quiches are a great option for brunches. Try this crustless zucchini quiche, this smoked salmon and spinach quiche, or this ham and swiss quiche.
- Egg Bites. Egg bites are fun and easy to make thanks to the use of a muffin tin! Try these cheesy bacon egg bites or these healthy egg muffin cups.
- Frittatas. This easy skillet egg dish is another great savory option to serve alongside your French toast bake! You can make frittatas with all kinds of delicious flavors too, making it a fun and versatile egg option. Try this southwestern frittata or this tomato, pepper, and arugula frittata.
- Egg Tarts. For a little fancier option, puff pastry egg tarts are great for special occasions.
Breakfast Meats
Breakfast meats like bacon, sausage links, and sausage patties are another breakfast staple that pair nicely with French toast casserole. You could also serve a nice piece of smoked salmon for guests to enjoy as another meat option.
Fresh Fruit
Adding fresh fruit to your brunch spread is an excellent way to add a light and fresh element to your meal. It can be as simple as having a bowl of orange slices or fresh strawberries set out. Or take a few extra minutes to make a yummy fruit salad. This fresh fruit salad with honey lime dressing is a family favorite! Or try this fall spiced fruit salad.
Yogurt
Serving yogurt or yogurt parfaits with French toast bake is another great way to fill out your meal!
I personally like to keep it simple with vanilla Greek yogurt (which also adds a nice source of protein to the meal), but you could definitely select your favorite strawberry yogurt, blueberry yogurt, or other yogurt flavor of choice.
If you’re making mini parfaits for your guests, this homemade maple nut granola is a delicious option!
Don’t Forget the Drinks
Be sure to have a variety of beverages available for your friends and family to enjoy with their French toast casserole.
Coffee
Having a hot pot of coffee on for brunch is a must! Keep things simple by brewing a pot of coffee and having sugar and cream available for your guests. Or have a little fun with some fancy DIY coffee recipes too.
Juice
Serving juice with any type of breakfast is always a nice touch. Whether you’re grabbing a jug of your favorite orange juice, or making a fresh juice like this fresh-squeezed grapefruit orange juice, or this fun Hawaiian POG drink, your breakfast guests are sure to enjoy!
Brunch Cocktails
If you’re having your girlfriends over for brunch, hosting an event like Mother’s Day or Easter Brunch, having a breakfast cocktail is a fun choice. If you love mimosas, try out a cranberry mimosa or apple cider mimosa too! A French 75 is also a fun, fancy, and easy brunch cocktail that is sure to delight. An espresso martini with baileys would also be a fun addition to your brunch.
Try some of our other favorite sweet breakfast recipes!
If you love French toast casserole, you need to give these sweet breakfast dishes a try too!
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