Brioche French Toast Casserole

a plate of brioche french toast with blueberries and strawberries.

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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.

Prep Time5

Cook Time35

Total Time40

Course: Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine: American

Keyword: french toast casserole, french toast bake, cinnamon french toast, breakfast casserole, brunch ideas, french toast

Servings: servings

Calories: 440kcal

Author: Renae Gerhardstein

Equipment

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 9x13-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.

TFN Pro Tips

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