Overnight French Toast Casserole with Cinnamon Streusel
By Jonah Pike
15 min
Prep
50 min
Cook
65 min
Total
12
Servings
Easy
Level
Make ahead French toast casserole for a brunch meal that serves multiple people and can use stale bread like challah bread dipped in a vanilla custard with spices and served with a topping of cinnamon and brown sugar and a soft, custardy middle.
I bake this dish in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and cut the bread into 1-inch cubes to fully immerse the bread in the custard, making sure no bread is visible above the surface of the custard before baking. Chilling the bread and custard overnight before baking gives a more consistent finished dish with less time needed to make the custard in the morning and keeps the fresh bread from getting soggy once it's immersed in custard.
Make the topping while the oven is preheating. Use fingers or a pastry cutter to cut cold butter into other topping mixtures until crumbs form, not powder. Bake the topping uncovered until the topping is golden brown and other filling ingredients are set. Cover with foil if the topping browns before other filling ingredients are done. I like to add cinnamon to both topping and other fillings for extra cinnamon flavor.
I let the casserole sit for 10 minutes before serving to keep slices from sliding off the serving plate, even though this casserole has a custard layer and a crumbly topping. Desserts containing this casserole can be served at the end of a meal if a sweet dish is wanted after the main course.
Why we keep this one around
- It serves 12 people. Most of the preparation is done outside business hours when the restaurant is closed.
- A 9-by-13-inch baking dish may be useful for serving at brunch or holiday breakfast events.
- The brown sugar streusel topping gives the top of the cake a cinnamon flavor while the middle stays soft.
- Day-old bread is durable and suitable for long soaks. Slices of day-old bread are easy to cut after resting.
- Offer syrup and berries for people to add what they want at the table.
- Covered cooked leftovers can be eaten for another breakfast. You don't need to make custard again the next day.
Ingredients
- •1 loaf challah or brioche bread (day-old, about 16 oz, cut into 1-inch cubes)
- •8 large eggs
- •2 cups whole milk
- •1 cup heavy cream
- •¾ cup granulated sugar
- •2 tsp vanilla extract
- •1 tsp ground cinnamon
- •¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- •¼ tsp salt
- •½ cup packed brown sugar
- •½ cup all-purpose flour
- •1 tsp ground cinnamon (for streusel topping)
- •¼ cup unsalted butter (cold and cut into small cubes, plus more for buttering the baking dish)
Instructions
- 1
Generously butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- 2
Fill the prepared dish with the bread cut into 1-inch cubes.
- 3
Whisk the 8 eggs, 2 cups whole milk, 1 cup heavy cream, 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp salt in a large bowl until combined.
- 4
Pour the custard over the bread, then gently press the bread down until it starts absorbing the liquid.
- 5
Cover the dish tightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight.
- 6
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- 7
Make the streusel by combining the 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour, and 1 tsp cinnamon, then cut in the 1/4 cup cold cubed butter until coarse crumbs form.
- 8
Remove the dish from the refrigerator and sprinkle the streusel evenly over the French toast.
- 9
Bake uncovered for 45-55 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the center is set.
- 10
Rest the casserole for 10 minutes before slicing, then serve warm with maple syrup and fresh berries.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
420
Reviews
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