Baked French Toast Recipe with Praline Topping
This baked French toast recipe is a showstopper that will please the masses! Try this easy breakfast casserole with crunchy praline topping today.
Breakfast will never be the same after you try this amazing twist on a beloved classic. Prepare to have your family begging for it every weekend!
Perhaps the best part of this dish (apart from how delicious it is) is that it’s a make-ahead and bake meal. You put it all together the night before, and then top and bake it in the morning. So much less stress than trying to make a big breakfast before you’ve had your coffee!
It’s perfect for special occasions like Christmas or Easter morning. But it’s also an amazing way to wow your overnight guests. Serve this warm, indulgent French toast bake any time you want to turn breakfast up a few notches.
Ingredients for this baked French toast recipe
For the French Toast:
- Bread
- Eggs
- Heavy cream
- Milk
- Brown sugar
- Spices: Vanilla extract, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt
For the Praline Topping:
- Butter
- Flour
- Brown Sugar
- Chopped Pecans
- Spices: Cinnamon and salt
What kind of bread should I use?
It’s all in the name! This baked French toast casserole is made with… French bread!
It’s easy to find, inexpensive, and hearty enough to hold up to the custard. Just slice and assemble!
If you don’t want to use French bread, you can also use brioche or challah. They are rich and dense enough to not go soggy on you.
A quick note on the bread: Do not use a French baguette, as it is too crusty for this recipe. If you choose to use a richer bread such as brioche or challah, I recommend letting the torn pieces sit out overnight (before assembling) to let it stale or to dry it in the oven, as these are softer breads that won’t hold up as well in the custard.
How to make it:
- Prepare a 9×13 baking dish by greasing it with butter or non-stick cooking spray.
- Tear your bread loaf into 1” pieces and place them in the baking dish in an even layer.
- Mix the custard in a large bowl. Do this by gently mixing together the eggs, heavy cream, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. You don’t want to get it bubbly, just well-blended.
- Pour the mixture evenly over your bread. Press down gently with the back of a spoon to ensure all of the bread is submerged.
- Cover with plastic wrap and pop it in the refrigerator for an overnight soak. (If you don’t have room in the fridge to chill a 9×13 baking dish overnight, try my Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding Breakfast Casserole instead!)The next day…
- Preheat your oven to 350F.
- Make the praline topping by mixing all the ingredients in a bowl. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to make sure it’s combined well.
- Sprinkle the praline mixture evenly over the soaked French toast.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until golden brown and puffed up.
- Serve hot and enjoy with maple syrup!
Why would baked French toast get soggy?
There are a few different reasons this might happen:
- The Bread — Choosing the wrong type of bread for this recipe could definitely give you a soggy bake. Sandwich bread, for instance, is much too soft and will turn to soup. Stick with dense breads like French, Italian, brioche, or challah.
- Not Enough Rest — The reason you need to let the bake rest overnight is so that the bread can soak up ALL of the custard. If you leave it for only a few minutes or a couple of hours, just the outside soaks it up. That makes it extra soggy outside and dry inside.
- Super-Sized Eggs — If the eggs you’re using are unusually large, it could be too much custard for your bread. Cut back to seven instead of eight.
- Wrong Shaped Pan — If your baking dish is smaller than 9×13, it could funnel all the custard to the bottom rather than allowing an even soak. Similarly, if you’re using a 9×13 but it narrows at the bottom, it could cause the same issue.
As long as you follow the recipe and use the right sized pan, this breakfast bake is bound to be a crowd-pleaser! And it really couldn’t be easier. Just a few minutes of prep and a good night’s sleep, then a quick bake and you’re done!
More Favorite Breakfast Recipes
- Monkey Bread (From Scratch!)
- Fluffy and Crisp Buttermilk Waffles
- Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes
- Homemade Pop-Tarts
I hope you’ll put this on your menu for a holiday morning, or the next time you want an extra-special breakfast! If you make it, I’d love if you would take a moment to stop back and share a review below. ENJOY! 😍
Baked French Toast Recipe with Praline Topping
Ingredients
- 1 loaf (1 ) hearty French or Italian bread, about 1 pound
- 1½ cups (8 ) heavy cream
- 1½ cups (473.18 ml) whole milk
- 8 (244 ml) eggs
- ½ cup (2 tablespoons) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) salt
For the Topping:
- ½ cup (227 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (220 g) light brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
- Pinch (Pinch) salt
- ½ cup (0.5 teaspoon) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ½ cup (99 g) chopped pecans
Instructions
- Prepare the Casserole: Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Tear the loaf of bread into bite-size 1-inch pieces (you should have about 10 to 12 cups) and place in the baking dish in an even layer.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the heavy cream, whole milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Evenly pour over the bread pieces in the baking dish. Using the back of a spoon, gently press down on the bread so that it is all submerged in the custard. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Make the Topping: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the butter and, using a pastry blender, fork, or your fingertips, work the butter into the flour mixture until only pea-sized pieces remain. Toss in the chopped pecans. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Bake the Casserole: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and allow to sit at room temperature while the oven preheats.
- Sprinkle the topping evenly over the casserole.
- Bake until golden brown and puffed, approximately 40 to 50 minutes (an instant-read thermometer should register at least 165 degrees F when inserted into the center). Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Top with powdered sugar and maple syrup for a traditional French toast flavor!
Notes
- Bread: Do not use a French baguette, as it is too crusty for this recipe. If you choose to use a richer bread such as brioche or challah, I recommend letting the torn pieces sit out overnight (before assembling) to let it stale or to dry it in the oven, as these are softer breads that won’t hold up as well in the custard.
- Custard: You can replace all of the heavy cream and whole milk with half-and-half if you’d like, or you can use all whole milk for a slightly lighter, albeit less rich, casserole. I do not recommend using low-fat milk in this recipe.
- Nuts: You can substitute different nuts for the pecans in the topping, or omit them altogether.
- Bake Immediately Option: While this is an ideal make-ahead recipe since it should be assembled the day before baking to allow the bread to absorb the custard, you CAN make it the same day, if desired. After pouring the custard over the bread, allow to sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before baking. The inside will be less soft, but still delicious!
- Freezing Instructions: This casserole can be baked, cooled completely, refrigerated for at least 2 hours, then frozen. To freeze, cover the pan tightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a 350-degree oven, covered, until warmed through, about 15 minutes.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Originally published in 2011, this has been updated to include new photos, and an updated (and improved!) recipe based on user feedback. If you wish to make the original recipe, you can find it here.
[photos by Ari of Well Seasoned]
My family loves this – it’s our standard Christmas breakfast. But I like the original better and I can’t find my recipe. Could you send me a link please? Thank you😋
The only French bread I could get because of COVID-19 was a low-quality, soft loaf. I probably should have shredded it and let it sit out for a day before using it, because the texture was a little on the soggy side. BUT the flavor was fantastic! And the smell of it baking got my high school/college kids out of bed! :) I’m going to try it again once I can get a legit loaf! Thanks for sharing!
This recipe is very similar to a Paula Deen recipe called Baked French Toast Casserole I used to make all the time. It was a breakfast favorite of my husband’s. Her’s has a praline topping as well, but left the bread in slices.
Now add 1/2 pkg. cooked and chopped bacon to the mix and you’ve really got something! Of course more bacon on the side is good too😁. I just made something similar this week and my husband loved it. We’re not used to bring home for breakfast 😳…at least not M-F.
Great recipe! Yum!
Who needs to wait for Christmas? I made this last weekend for a houseful of guests. There was none left!! It is the perfect dish for entertaining as it can be made the night before.
This recipe turned out so well! I was delicious! My husband said it was the best French Toast he had ever had! I put the topping on the night before and it baked up fine the next morning. (I wanted to streamline things for Christmas morning! ?) I love your site and your recipes! Thank you! Happy New Year!
We had your French Toast with Praline Topping for breakfast Christmas morning. Everyone loved it! Because it was Christmas, I substituted one cup of eggnog for one of the cups of milk. Thank you for a great recipe!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe!! (I love all your recipes and check your blog daily!) This particular recipe has become part of my husband and I’s Christmas tradition for the past 3 years. We have it every Christmas morning and plan to every year. Thanks for helping us start our own family traditions!! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas this year!
Hi,
Looks amazing! I have a question though, does this toast bake up crispy and crunchy, or is it mushy? I don’t care for mush, but it looks awesome and like it might be firm in texture. Thanks! Merry Christmas 2015!
You are wanting snow and here in Texas we do not. At least not until Christmas is over. Joseph looks so cute with Santa.
My husbands best friend from Viet Nam lived near Pittsburgh. He had a new Cadillac and kept it in garage all winter. Lost him about 3 years ago.
My daughters boss is from Boston and has already gone home for the rest of the year.
A casserole–sure beats standing over a stove skillet in hand.
Absolutely no offense intended here, Michelle, but if you want snow for Christmas, then I’d like to suggest that you might like to take a trip to someplace snowy :) :) Not that I’m enjoying all of the rain here in the Pittsburgh area, mind you, but at least we don’t have to shovel it. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy & Healthy New Year, and thanks for all of the great recipes that you have given to us all this year, as well as all of the cute pictures of Joseph!!!
This sounds amazing!
This looks amazing!!!
Kari
http://www.sweetteasweetie.com
Is there anything you can replace the nuts with? I’m serving this to an allergy aware crowd and I don’t want to seem insensitive.
Hi Julie, I would just omit them, unless you want to use something liked dried fruit.
Really good!!! Made for brunch today and the pan was cleaned and guests were caught scraping the sides and bottom for more. I used Challah bread that was slightly dry and I think it held together well. Also used ground pecans so it was like a paste I spread on the top. Very successful recipe.
Hi Michelle, this sounds awesome! Unfortunately my wife has an aversion to soggy bread! Does it bake long enough to dry the bread, or does it still come out a bit soppy?
Thanks a bunch for all the great food ideas :-)
Rob
Hi Rob, This isn’t soggy, but the bread doesn’t dry out. It has the consistency of custard.
I made this for our Christmas morning breakfast and it came out great. My husband and our 3 year old really enjoyed it. It’s very sweet! I love sweet things but for some reason, after we added the syrup it was a bit much for me so early in the morning. lol I will most likely make this one again for another special occasion or holiday. I may consider leaving out the praline topping on half of the bake and see if I enjoy it more that way.. I figure it’s worth a shot.