I’m going to help you step up your breakfast/brunch game with this Simple French Toast Bake!
Mother’s Day is right around the corner, and what better way to show mom how much you care than with a super delicious breakfast!?
This french toast bake is filled with maple syrup, cinnamon and brown sugar. The egg mixture that makes the french toast is lightly sweetened and baked to perfection to give it a silky custard texture on the bottom, while the top is buttery and slightly crisp. When served with berries and whipped cream, it’s the perfect breakfast!
The ingredients are super simple. Bread, eggs, milk, butter, brown sugar and a little vanilla.
To boost the flavor profile a little more, I used a little cinnamon and maple syrups in the egg mixture. Nutmeg and cloves would also be great additions for a little extra flavor.
To start your french toast bake you’ll want to use some french bread. I had some of the Pillsbury French Bread in my fridge and baked it until golden brown, then sliced into discs.
You could also use day old french bread that’s cubed. I like the way this turned out with the discs, but it’s up to you how you want the finished breakfast bake to look!
Underneath my bread is a mixture of melted butter and brown sugar. This give the base a nice caramel crust. It’s what I imagine heaven to taste like.
When it comes to the egg mixture, the ratio of eggs to milk is critical. Too much milk and it’s just soggy. Too much eggs and it’s too eggy.
The perfect combo will result in a smooth custard that is beyond delicious. I’ve found that 6 eggs to 1 1/2 cups milk (and I use 2% milk), it just perfect.
Once you have soaked the bread, sprinkle it with a little more brown sugar and cinnamon… because, why not!?
Then drizzle the top with some melted butter, which helps to make the top a nice golden brown.
Here’s the hard part…
Cover it with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. The bread will soak up all the custard mixture overnight while you get your beauty rest.
In the morning just take it out of the fridge while the oven is preheating and sprinkle it with just a little cinnamon and sugar before baking.
The results are magnificent!
I dusted the top with powdered sugar to make for a beautiful presentation. How perfect would this be for Mother’s Day?! Or any day, really…
Serve with berries, fresh whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup. It truly is divine and so so simple!
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Simple French Toast Bake
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of Pillsbury French Bread, baked according to package instructions
- 1 cup brown sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup butter, + 2 tbsp melted (divided)
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups 2% milk
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
Instructions
PREPARE THE NIGHT BEFORE SERVING
- Combine 1/4 cup melted butter and 3/4 cup brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir just until combined. Spread mixture in the bottom of an 8" x 8" baking pan, into an even layer.
- Top the brown sugar mixture with evenly sliced french bread, stacking them slightly on top of each other and in three rows. Set aside.
- In a large bowl combine the eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon. Whisk until smooth and combined. Ladle the egg mixture over the top of the bread, making sure to cover any dry bread.
- In another small dish combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture over the top of the french toast casserole, then drizzle with the remaining 2 tbsp melted butter. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight, or for at least 4 hours.
How to Bake:
- Before serving, remove french toast bake from the fridge and set on counter while oven preheats to 350 degrees F. Remove plastic wrap. Combine 2 tbsp sugar and remaining 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon in a small dish and sprinkle over the top. Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the custard has set.
- Let cool slightly before slicing and serving with fresh whipped cream, berries and maple syrup. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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The flavor was good. If you make this in a dish bigger than 8×8, make sure you increase the egg mixture to allow for sufficient overnight bread soaking. My first try was more toast than French.
I love french toast bakes! They are always so so comforting. Love the photos!
This looks so good! I never really thought about a french toast bake. Reminds me of a yummy version of bread pudding. Can’t wait to try it.
Love a quick and easy recipe with shortcuts!
I love that you sliced the bread into discs instead of cubes. They’re a perfect serving size this way!
Thanks Roxana! I love the discs too! 🙂
LOVE simple prep-ahead breakfasts like this! Perfect for breakfast after church on Sunday.
YES!! I totally agree with you! Thanks Kristan! 🙂
Hi Shawn, this would be a super contribution to Food on Friday: Bread over at Carole’s Chatter. Please do bring it over to join in the fun. Cheers
Sounds like fun! Thanks Carole! 🙂