Overnight French Toast with Berries

Overnight French Toast Casserole topped with a brown sugar crumble and berries. A delicious spin on french toast and perfect for holiday gatherings or Sunday brunch!

This french toast bake is one of my absolute favorite dishes to make when serving a big crowd. It’s easy, delicious and can be assembled the day before. Quiche, cinnamon rolls, breakfast casserole and German pancakes are also go-to dishes as well.

French toast casserole

One of my favorite parts about the holidays is the food. I love cooking for family and friends and enjoying a delicious meal together. However on days like Christmas morning, the last place I want to be is in the kitchen.

While I’m a big fan of classic french toast, I love that this overnight french toast bake is SO easy and convenient. The best part about this overnight french toast is that you can make it the day before and pop it in the oven the next morning. It’s perfect for days like Christmas, when you want to just put something in the oven and enjoy time with the family. It’s a great recipe for company and always a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients for french toast casserole

Check out the ingredients for the french toast casserole recipe below.

• French bread 
• Milk
• Eggs
• Brown sugar
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Butter
• Flour
• Berries

How to make overnight french toast

This simple overnight french toast bake starts with a French bread base (I like to use a thick, day old bread, so that it doesn’t become soggy). Then you’ll beat together the milk, eggs, brown sugar and cinnamon and pour it over the top. This will sit overnight and soak up nicely into the bread.

Then you’ll add a brown sugar crumb topping and berries to the top of the bread right before baking. I also love adding frozen mixed berries to the top, because we always have them on hand in the freezer. The berries make this french toast casserole extra delicious. I love the sweet flavor they add!

I love to cook my french toast casserole the full hour so that the top of the bread becomes a little caramelized/toasted and the center is cooked through. If you’d like the center more of a bread pudding texture, I would take it out about 15 minutes sooner. Either way it’s delicious!

Quick tips for french toast casserole

• I like to use thick, day old French bread. This prevents the french toast bake from getting soggy.
• Sourdough and challah bread work great too.
• I typically always add fresh or frozen berries to this overnight french toast recipe, however you can leave them out if you’d like.
• Feel free to use other types of fruit, like peaches or apples.
• If you want to omit fruit all-together, try adding some chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts). Or check out my eggnog french toast bake.
• When serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with maple syrup. Sometimes I’ll add a drizzle of homemade caramel if I have it on hand.

Frequently asked questions for overnight french toast bake

Should you toast bread before making French toast? For this overnight french toast recipe, I don’t toast the bread before assembling. Because I use thick, day old bread, it’s already on the hard side. If your bread is feeling a little too soft, try toasting prior to assembling.

How do you store french toast overnight? To store overnight, simply cover french toast casserole with foil and place in the fridge. It needs to chill for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight so that the flavors blend together nicely.

Do you cover baked French toast in the oven? No, you don’t need to cover this french toast casserole when you bake it in the oven.

How long do I cook French toast casserole? For a toasted and caramelized french toast casserole, cook for about an hour. For more of a bread pudding texture, cook for around 45 minutes.

Overnight French Toast Recipe

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Overnight french toast

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Servings: 10

Calories: 412

Author: Jamielyn Nye

Overnight French Toast Casserole topped with a brown sugar crumble and berries. A delicious spin on french toast and perfect for holiday gatherings or Sunday brunch!

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Ingredients

French Toast:

• 1 loaf day old french bread (sour dough or challah work great too, about 10 cups)
• 2 cups whole milk
• 7 large eggs
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Topping:

• 1/2 cup salted butter (cubed)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup berries (I used frozen)

Instructions

• Grease a 9×13″ casserole dish and set aside.
• Cut the french bread loaf into cubes and layer evenly in the pan. You should have about 2 layers. Beat the milk, eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium size bowl. Then pour evenly over the bread, making sure it covers each piece. Cover with foil and refrigerate over night, or at least 3 hours.
• In a medium size bowl, mix together the butter, flour and brown sugar with a pastry cutter or two knives. Use your hands if needed to make crumbs. Cover and refrigerate.
• When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Add the crumb topping on top of the bread and then evenly disperse the berries on top. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned and the center is cooked through.
• Enjoy by itself or topped with syrup.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 412kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 364mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 11.2% | Vitamin C: 0.5% | Calcium: 12.1% | Iron: 14.3%

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Hope you enjoy this french toast casserole! It has definitely become one of my family’s favorites to make over the years.