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    Home » Breakfast & Brunch

    Brioche French Toast Casserole

    Published: Dec 6, 2022 » Modified: Dec 6, 2022 by Haley » This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump To Recipe Print Recipe
    Brioche french toast casserole pinterest.

    This Brioche French Toast Casserole is such an easy breakfast recipe to feed a crowd on weekend mornings. Moist buttery brioche bread soaked in a cinnamon-filled custard and baked until fluffy on the inside and golden on top. Top with powdered sugar, syrup, and berries! Great for a holiday morning, Mother’s Day, or any cozy Sunday! 

    straight-on image of a slice of brioche french toast casserole with blueberries.
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients
    • Ingredient substitutions
    • Step by step instructions
    • Tips and tricks
    • What to serve with french toast casserole
    • Storage and reheating
    • FAQs
    • More brunch recipes 
    • Recipe

    Ingredients

    This easy french toast bake takes just a few simple ingredients outside of kitchen staples: 

    Ingredients for brioche french toast casserole on a table.
    • Brioche bread: brioche is different from other breads because it’s made with an enriched dough (specifically eggs, butter, flour) and has a slightly sweeter flavor. It’s incredibly soft and fluffy, making it perfect to soak up the custard mixture. 
    • Heavy cream and whole milk: these are the base of the creamy custard. I really like going 50/50 on these, but you could do all whole milk if you prefer. All cream might be a bit too thick. 
    • Eggs: large eggs. Get pasture raised if you can, this means the chickens have full range of a plot of land outside to live on. 
    • Cinnamon: plenty of cinnamon brings such a classic french toast flavor to this casserole.
    • Nutmeg: a little nutmeg just adds depth of flavor with the warm spice. 
    • Vanilla extract: another element of flavor – the combination of vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg is a perfect trio.
    • Salt: balances everything out. 
    • Butter: a little bit of unsalted butter to rub on the casserole dish before adding the bread. 

    Ingredient substitutions

    A few substitutions you can make are listed below in the event you don't have everything needed on hand.

    • Instead of brioche bread you could use challah or french bread
    • Make this french toast casserole dairy free by using coconut cream and coconut milk. I have not tried almond milk or oat milk, but if they are full-fat they are likely fine.
    • Use any combination of spices you’d like – cinnamon and cloves, cardamom and nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, etc. – I’d recommend just saying within the “warm spices” category
    • Use vanilla bean paste in place of vanilla extract if you have it

    Step by step instructions

    This is a super easy french toast casserole with brioche, check out the steps below! Full recipe can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

    1. Cut the bread. Using a bread knife, cube the brioche bread slices into 1-inch cubes. 

    2. Make the custard. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, whole milk, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. 

    Side by side images of bread being cut and custard being mixed.

    3. Prep the baking dish. Grab your 11x7 baking dish (you can also use a 9x13) and rub the butter all over it. 

    4. Add your bread. Place the bread cubes into your buttered casserole dish, doing so pretty densely to make sure there are no large holes. 

    Side by side images of the buttered baking dish with the dry bread put inside.

    5. Add the custard. Pour the milk mixture over the top of the casserole in the baking dish. Make sure it’s covering the entire surface level and all pieces of bread are wet. Cover with plastic wrap and set it in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. 

    6. Bake. Remove the casserole from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking (so your dish doesn’t crack). Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 50 minutes until golden. 

    side by side images of the casserole soaking and after baking.

    Tips and tricks

    Absolutely crush this baked french toast casserole recipe by following the tips and tricks below.

    • How to avoid a soggy french toast casserole – let the custard fully absorb into the bread, make sure your oven is at the right temperature, and bake it for the full 50 minutes. All of these steps combined should ensure a non-soggy casserole. A casserole gets soggy when the custard to bread ratio is off, it is not soaked for enough time, and/or it is not baked long enough.
    • Make sure when you put the cubed brioche bread into your casserole dish you’re really packing it in there – fill any gaps! 
    • If you want, add fresh blueberries or chocolate chips into the casserole before you bake so they bake right in there.
    • Keep an eye on it in the oven – when it’s done it’ll be puffed up and the center will have just a little jiggle. 
    • This recipe actually doesn’t use any sweetener because brioche is a rather sweet bread, but if you want, you can add some maple syrup, brown sugar, or granulated sugar to the custard mixture. Alternatively, you can top it with a cinnamon sugar mixture before baking for a sweet little crust. 
    • If you can’t find a brioche loaf, you can use brioche rolls and cut them into smaller pieces.

    What to serve with french toast casserole

    This breakfast casserole will be the star of the table and pairs so nicely with a variety of other breakfast foods. I recommend serving with:

    • Pure maple syrup
    • Homemade whipped cream
    • Powdered sugar
    • Bacon or sausage
    • Fresh fruit or fresh berries 
    • Overnight oats
    • Scrambled eggs or other egg dish (such as a quiche)

    Storage and reheating

    Instructions on storing, reheating, and freezing this brioche french toast casserole are below:

    To store, cut the casserole into serving sizes and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. 

    Reheat in the oven at 350°F until warmed through, or in the microwave for a few minutes.

    To freeze, let it come to room temperature, cut it into individual servings, then wrap tightly. It’s good in the fridge for a few months. Reheat in the microwave. 

    • Overhead image of french toast in a casserole dish with powdered sugar and blueberries.
    • Overhead image of slice of brioche french toast casserole with a bite taken out.

    FAQs

    Can I make this in advance? 

    Yes! You can soak the bread overnight (up to 12 hours) in the fridge and bake it off the next morning. Just take out 20-30 minutes before you bake it to get the chill off. 

    What’s an enriched dough?

    An enriched dough is one that is made from fats, sugar and dairy. It is different because other breads are typically made of water, yeast, and flour. Learn more about it here.

    Where is brioche bread from?

    Brioche originated in Normandy (France) in the middle ages.

    Do I need to use stale bread?

    Nope! Not necessarily. Freshly baked would be too soft, but it doesn’t need to be stale. 

    More brunch recipes 

    • Fluffy Almond Milk Pancakes
    • Fluffy Buttermilk Dutch Baby Pancake
    • Sourdough French Toast
    • Lemon Ricotta Blueberry Muffins

    Recipe

    straight-on image of a slice of brioche french toast casserole with blueberries.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe

    Brioche French Toast Casserole

    This Brioche French Toast Casserole is such an easy breakfast recipe to feed a crowd on weekend mornings. Moist buttery brioche bread soaked in a cinnamon-filled custard and baked until fluffy on the inside and golden on top. Top with powdered sugar, syrup, and berries! Great for a holiday morning, Mother’s Day, or any cozy Sunday! 
    5 from 2 votes
    Prep time: 15 mins
    Cook time: 50 mins
    Resting time 2 hrs
    Yield: 6 servings
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    INGREDIENTS 

    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 1 cup whole milk
    • 6 large eggs
    • 1 lb brioche bread
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
    • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

    INSTRUCTIONS

    • Using a bread knife, cube the brioche bread slices into 1-inch cubes. 
    • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, whole milk, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. 
    • Grab your 11x7 baking dish (you can also use a 9x13) and rub the butter all over it. 
    • Place the bread cubes into your buttered casserole dish, doing so pretty densely to make sure there are no large holes. 
    • Pour the milk mixture over the top of the casserole in the baking dish. Make sure it’s covering the entire surface level and all pieces of bread are wet. Cover with plastic wrap and set it in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight. 
    • Remove the casserole from the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking (so your dish doesn’t crack). Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for 50 minutes until golden. 

    NOTES

    • How to avoid a soggy french toast casserole – let the custard fully absorb into the bread, make sure your oven is at the right temperature, and bake it for the full 50 minutes. All of these steps combined should ensure a non-soggy casserole. A casserole gets soggy when the custard to bread ratio is off, it is not soaked for enough time, and/or it is not baked long enough.
    • Make sure when you put the cubed brioche bread into your casserole dish you’re really packing it in there – fill any gaps! 
    • If you want, add fresh blueberries or chocolate chips into the casserole before you bake so they bake right in there.
    • Keep an eye on it in the oven – when it’s done it’ll be puffed up and the center will have just a little jiggle. 
    • This recipe actually doesn’t use any sweetener because brioche is a rather sweet bread, but if you want, you can add some maple syrup, brown sugar, or granulated sugar to the custard mixture. Alternatively, you can top it with a cinnamon sugar mixture before baking for a sweet little crust. 
    • If you can’t find a brioche loaf, you can use brioche rolls and cut them into smaller pieces.

    NUTRITION ESTIMATE PER SERVING

    Calories: 575kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 370mg | Sodium: 637mg | Potassium: 171mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1626IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 2mg
    Course: Breakfast, Brunch
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: Brioche, French toast
    Author: Haley
    DID YOU TRY THIS RECIPE?Tag @cozycravings and use #cozycravings

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