Easy Oven Baked French Toast Recipe

This simple Baked French Toast is a sweet and delicious recipe that can be prepared the night before to serve and enjoy the next morning. Perfect to make and share with your family!

If you're craving more tasty recipes for French toast, then be sure to make some Rum French Toast.

If you like French Toast, then you will love this recipe for baked French toast. This recipe is easy and very affordable. When I'm at the grocery store I usually make it a point to pass by the discounted bakery section to see what goodies I can find there.

I love to find bread that has been deeply discounted because I can use it to make breadcrumbs, cornbread dressing, bread pudding, or French toast. It doesn't even matter if the bread is a little stale for bread pudding or French toast because the liquid mixture will soak into the bread and make it super moist.

On a recent trip, I was lucky enough to find a $0.99 loaf of French bread and decided to make, what else but French Toast. To change it up a bit I decided to make a baked version instead and it was a total success. Be sure to give it a try.

Let's get started!

Ingredients You'll Need

1. Butter - You may use salted or unsalted butter whichever you prefer. Melt the butter to add to the recipe to provide a creamy buttery flavor to the base of the French toast.
2. Brown Sugar - Provides sweetness, may use light or dark brown sugar. White sugar (cane sugar) could also be used instead. 
3. Bread - Try to select thick and crusty bread because it soaks up the milk mixture the best and holds up well while baking. The best bread to use are French bread, sourdough bread, challah bread, or Texas toast. Day-old bread instead of fresh bread should be used. You may also remove the crust from the bread before cutting the bread slices into cubes. 
4. Eggs - Needed to create the milk-egg mixture to cover the slices of bread. It gives the bread that nice crispy texture. Be sure to use large room temperature eggs. 
5. Milk - Combine with the eggs to create the mixture to pour over the bread. Try to use whole milk or heavy cream for the best results. A creamy almond milk or soy milk could be used instead. 
6. Vanilla Extract - Adds vanilla flavor to the toast recipe.  Be sure to use pure vanilla extract and not imitation if possible.
7. Ground Cinnamon - Provides original French toast flavor. If you prefer to use a little more, then go for it.
8. Ground Nutmeg - Adds a nice nutty and slightly sweet flavor.
9. Powdered Sugar - Sprinkle on top of the finished French toast recipe for an extra layer of flavor. This ingredient is optional.

See the recipe card below for exact ingredient quantities and instructions.

Step By Step Instructions

Begin the baked French toast casserole by melting the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave for a few seconds until completely melted. You may also melt on the stovetop in a small saucepan over low heat. Once the butter has melted, whisk in the brown sugar until combined. 

Lightly spray a 9x13-inch rectangle baking dish with cooking spray. Evenly spread the butter and brown sugar mixture into the bottom. This mixture will be thick, so spread it in an even layer as best as you can.

On top of the brown sugar mixture, add the bread cubes and spread them out in an even layer. 

In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg until combined.

Pour the egg mixture on top of the bread cubes into the baking dish. Use a spatula to gently press down the ensure the bread is covered in the egg mixture. Cover the baking dish with some aluminum foil and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to overnight to bake the next day.

When ready to bake, remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place into the oven to bake for 25 to 30 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Carefully remove the aluminum foil and continue baking for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

Carefully remove the French toast from the oven and sprinkle the powdered sugar on top in an even layer. Slice and serve warm topped with maple syrup and fresh fruit. Enjoy!

This recipe makes a hearty and filling breakfast or brunch on its own. But if you're craving more, then try pairing it with a batch of salmon patties or pairing it with a bacon frittata.

Storage

If you have any leftover French toast bake, try storing it in an airtight container or cover it tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

When ready to serve again, reheat in the microwave in a microwave-safe container for a minute. You can also reheat in the oven at 300 degrees F. until warm. 

More Easy Breakfast Recipes You'll Love

• Rum French Toast
• Bacon Frittata
• Southern Cheese Grits Recipe
• Salmon Patties 
• Sun Dried Tomato Quiche 
• Croque Madame 
• Croque Monsieur 
• Sheet Pan Breakfast Bake 

Have any comments, questions, or other tasty ideas for this Baked French Toast Recipe? Please share them in the comments below!

📖 Recipe

Original post date 04/15/2013. Updated 01/05/2024.