I’m always looking for great “hands-off” breakfast recipes. First thing in the morning I don’t want to be flipping pancakes on my stove top, I want to be drinking hot coffee and watching my breakfast bake itself! Brioche French Toast Casserole is an easy breakfast recipe- simply cube your bread, let it soak and make your streusel, then enjoy your coffee while it bakes.
If you are looking for a special brunch or breakfast recipe our french toast casserole with brioche is sure to impress. It is made in a baking dish, making it perfect to transport for a morning get together or serving guests in your home. Pair it with a cottage cheese bowl and a ham and cheese frittata for a complete spread.
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Why We Love Brioche French Toast Casserole
- Throw it together and it’s baking while you get to enjoy your morning slowly.
- Its great for get togethers- brunch, book club, or even a casual Saturday at home, our brioche casserole looks stunning. They pair great with our Coffee Cake Muffins
- Easy to find ingredients– pantry and fridge staples plus a loaf of brioche bread are all you need for this recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Brioche bread- brioche bread really makes the recipe, but you can swap with Challah or Texas Toast- any sweet bread will do.
- Eggs- this is a necessary ingredient for the custard
- Whole milk- any version of milk will work, but the custard won’t be as creamy as using whole milk
- Heavy cream- half and half or full fat coconut milk will work as a substitution.
- Granulated sugar- you can swap with brown sugar or coconut sugar
- Vanilla extract- try maple extract to compliment the maple glaze
Streusel topping
- All purpose flour- almond flour works for a gluten-free swap
- Packed brown sugar- can use coconut sugar instead
- Cold butter-cold coconut oil (solid) works as a dairy-free swap. It won’t crumble quite the same way, but it still creates a nice topping.
Maple Icing Ingredients
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Recipe Variations
- Cinnamon Brioche French Toast Casserole: Use Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Brioche bread instead of regular brioche. Omit the cinnamon in the custard since the bread already has cinnamon baked in.
- Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole: Add 1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling, dropped by spoonfuls throughout the bread cubes before pouring the custard over top. This gives you sweet apple tastes throughout the casserole, similar to our Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling.
- Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole: Cut 4 oz cream cheese into small cubes (about 1/2-inch pieces) and tuck them throughout the bread cubes before adding the custard. As it bakes, the cream cheese melts into creamy pockets that make every bite extra rich.
Equipment
- 9×13 baking pan
- whisk
- large and small bowl
- spatula
How to Make French Toast Casserole with Brioche
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish and spread cubed brioche evenly inside.
- Whisk eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together until smooth.
- Pour custard mixture over the bread cubes. Press down gently so every piece gets coated, then let it soak for 5-10 minutes.
- Mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then work in cold butter with a fork until it looks like coarse crumbs.
- Sprinkle streusel evenly over the soaked bread and bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and set in the center.
- Cool for 5-10 minutes, drizzle with glaze or dust with powdered sugar, and serve warm with maple syrup and fresh berries.
Glaze Instructions
- Mix together ½ cup confectioners’ sugar. 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup in a small bowl until the icing is smooth.
- Drizzle over the breakfast casserole before serving.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Use day-old bread for best results. If your brioche is fresh, you can cube it and let it sit out on the counter for a few hours, or toast the cubes lightly in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes. This helps the bread soak up the custard without falling apart.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
This is a great make-ahead recipe. Assemble everything up until the streusel step, cover tightly and place in the refrigerator. The next morning add your streusel topping and bake.
Can I freeze this?
We recommend baking the casserole and then letting it cool, cutting into individual portions and freezing those. They will freeze well for two months. Reheat in oven at 325°F, until warmed through.
How do I know when it’s done?
The top of the casserole should be deep golden brown and the center should feel set, not jiggly, when you gently shake the pan. A knife inserted in the center should come out mostly clean.
Other Breakfast Recipes to Consider
If you tried this brioche french toast casserole recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Brioche French Toast Casserole
There's something magical about waking up to a warm, custardy French toast casserole on a weekend morning. This recipe takes all the stress out of making brunch for your family. No standing at the stove flipping individual slices. Just cube the bread, whisk together the custard, and pop it in the oven while you enjoy your coffee.
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Equipment
- spatula
Ingredients
Breakfast Casserole Ingredients
- 1 loaf brioche bread (see notes below), about 10-12 slices or 8 cups, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 large eggs beaten
- 1 ½ cups whole milk can use 2% milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Streusel topping Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons cold butter cut into small pieces
Instructions
- Check to see if your brioche bread has parchment paper on the heels and bottom of the bread, Trader's Joes brioche bread does, and peel it off before cubing bread.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
- Spread the cubed brioche bread evenly in the prepared baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until well combined and smooth.
- Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread cubes. Press down gently with a spatula to make sure all the bread gets coated. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes so the bread can soak up the custard.
- While the bread is soaking, make the streusel topping. In a medium bowl, mix the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the cold butter pieces and use a fork or your fingers to work it into the dry ingredients until it looks like coarse crumbs.
- Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the soaked bread.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the center is set and the top is golden brown. A knife inserted in the center should come out mostly clean.
- Let the casserole cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with maple maple icing (recipe below in notes) before serving, or sprinkle with powdered sugar and maple syrup, iif desired.
Notes
Nutrition Facts are calculated without optional maple icing
Maple Icing Recipe:
Mix together ½ cup confectioners’ sugar. 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup in a small bowl until the icing is smooth. Drizzle over the breakfast casserole before serving.
Recipe Variations
- Cinnamon Brioche French Toast Casserole: Use Trader Joe’s Cinnamon Brioche bread instead of regular brioche. Omit the cinnamon in the custard since the bread already has cinnamon baked in.
- Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole: Add 1 can (21 oz) apple pie filling, dropped by spoonfuls throughout the bread cubes before pouring the custard over top. This gives you sweet apple pockets throughout the casserole, similar to our Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling.
- Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole: Cut 4 oz cream cheese into small cubes (about 1/2-inch pieces) and tuck them throughout the bread cubes before adding the custard. As it bakes, the cream cheese melts into creamy pockets that make every bite extra rich.
- Use day-old bread for best results. If your brioche is fresh, you can cube it and let it sit out on the counter for a few hours, or toast the cubes lightly in a 250°F oven for 10 minutes. This helps the bread soak up the custard without falling apart.
- Don’t skip the soaking time. Letting the bread sit in the custard for 5-10 minutes before baking makes a huge difference. It ensures every piece gets custardy and soft instead of having dry spots.
- Make the streusel ahead. You can mix up the streusel topping and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days before you need it. Just sprinkle it on right before baking.
- Check for doneness in the center. The edges will always set first, so make sure to test the very middle with a knife. It should come out mostly clean with just a few moist crumbs.
- Reheat individual portions easily. Cut leftover portions and microwave for 30-60 seconds. The casserole tastes just as good the next day!
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 440kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 241mg | Sodium: 388mg | Potassium: 153mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 926IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 120mg | Iron: 2mg
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