Brioche French Toast Casserole
This easy and impressive brioche French toast casserole combines the buttery softness of brioche with French toast custard and a brown sugar butter sauce for a satisfying riff on the brunch classic. Baked in the oven and virtually hassle free, this breakfast casserole is great for a crowd and perfect for special occasion brunches with a low-key vibe. Serve it family style with eggs, bacon and hashbrowns, along with plenty of maple syrup, fresh fruit and whipped cream.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf brioche bread cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 ½ cups whole milk
- 6 eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt plus one pinch
- ¼ cup butter
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- The night before baking, cut the loaf of brioche into 1 inch cubes and leave it on the counter overnight to dry out.
- The next morning, preheat the oven to 375F and place the bread cubes into your preferred baking dish.
- In a medium sized bowl, combine the milk, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, 1 tsp cinnamon and ¼ tsp salt and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Pour the milk mixture over the bread cubes and lightly toss to coat; set aside.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter, then stir in the brown sugar, remaining ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and a pinch of salt; stir until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens slightly.
- Evenly drizzle the butter sauce over the top of the bread cubes.
- Bake the casserole, uncovered, in the middle rack of the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the custard has set and the top of the casserole is golden brown and slightly crunchy.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Serve warm alongside maple syrup, fresh fruit or any of your preferred toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Brioche French toast casserole will yield the best results when the brioche is slightly dried out before it’s soaked in the milk and egg mix. This can easily be done by cubing the bread the night before and leaving it to sit out on the counter.
If you forget to prepare the bread the night before, don’t sweat it! You can dehydrate the cubes by placing them in a 350F oven for 10-15 minutes. Let them cool completely before building the casserole.
To amp up the flavor of the casserole, a simple melted butter and brown sugar sauce is drizzled over the top before baking. This step is completely optional, but definitely takes the casserole to the next level.
The recipe will work in a 2 quart baking dish or in a 9x13 inch pan. If you prefer a thicker slice of French toast, use the 2 quart dish, and if you prefer a thinner French toast use the 9x13 inch pan.
Nutrition
Serving: 6gCalories: 412kcalCarbohydrates: 45.3gProtein: 11.4gFat: 20.8gCholesterol: 197mgSugar: 17.9g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!