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Easy French Toast Bake with Brioche

This is the perfect French toast recipe for weekend mornings. Custard soaked brioche bread bakes up into a savory, sweet casserole that makes a delicious and hearty breakfast.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American, American Classic
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Soaking Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 537kcal
Author Diana Reis

Equipment

  • 1 13"x9" Baking Dish Casserole Dish

Ingredients

  • Loaf Brioche thick sliced bread
  • 2 Cups Heavy Cream
  • ½ Whole Milk
  • 6 Eggs
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Cream Cheese Filling

  • 8 Ounces Cream Cheese
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • ½ Cup Powdered Sugar
  • 2 Tablespoon Cream or Milk

Bacon Pecan Streusel Topping

  • ½ Cup Bacon fried diced
  • ½ Cup Pecans chopped
  • 3 Tablespoons Flour
  • ½ Cup Light Brown Sugar
  • ¼ Cup Butter cold

Instructions

  • Make the cream cheese filling by placing softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract into a bowl and mix until smooth and well combined.
  • Cut brioche bread into 1 inch cubes.
  • Place some of your bread cubes into a greased baking dish in a single layer.
  • Add several spoonsful of cream cheese filling to the first layer.
  • Then add more brioche cubes and more cream cheese filling. Do this until you fill your baking dish.
  • Make the French toast custard by whisking together heavy cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon.
  • Pour the cream mixture over the brioche.
  • Next, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap.
  • Use your hands on top of the plastic wrap to press the bread cubes down into the custard.
  • Let the casserole sit, covered, for at least 1 hour before baking. You can leave it overnight in the refrigerator and bake the next morning.
  • Make the streusel topping by cutting chopped pecans, flour, brown sugar, and butter.
  • Preheat your oven to 350°.
  • Remove the plastic wrap from your casserole. Sprinkle streusel filling crisp cooked bacon pieces over the top evenly.
  • Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes.
  • After 35 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Use a toothpick or knife to check the center of the casserole for doneness. When the French toast bake is fully cooked, the custard in the bread cubes should be firm and hot.
  • Serve with maple syrup and a side of fresh cut fruit.

Notes

FAQs
Why is my French Toast casserole soggy?
There are two reasons why your casserole might be soggy.
1.Too much custard. You don’t want your cubed bread to be swimming. Ideally you should have just enough custard to come up about an inch from the top of your baking dish. The bread should soak up all of the liquid and still be firm.
2.Under baking. You want to make sure you check the center of the casserole and that the custard filled bread has firmed up. The custard won’t set until it gets cooked and the soaked bread will be soggy.
Why is my French Toast Dry?
1.Too little liquid. If there isn’t enough liquid for every piece of bread to soak up you will end up with dry pieces of bread throughout.
2.Over baking. Cooking this dish too long will allow moisture to escape and dry out the bread.
Diana’s Tips for Success
When you start to preheat your oven, take your casserole out of the refrigerator so that it will be closer to room temperature. This will help it cook more evenly.
Storage and Reheating
Store the leftovers in the baking dish or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Reheating this is very easy. Place an individual portion in a microwave safe dish. Cover with a piece of damp paper towel and heat in 30 second intervals until it is warm throughout.

Nutrition

Calories: 537kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 230mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 1496IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 1mg