Easy Overnight French Toast Bake
13
Published Sep 27, 2019, Updated Dec 19, 2022
This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
Make French Toast for a crowd with this easy Overnight French Toast Bake that’s dairy-free! To lighten things up a bit this recipe uses a mixture of eggs and egg whites, almond milk and maple syrup for sweetness. This post is sponsored by Almond Breeze.
We are big fans of French Toast over here! What do we love more than French Toast? Challah French toast that can be made in advance.
Isaac’s mom makes homemade challah that is to die for and Isaac always makes French Toast from it when we are lucky enough to snag a loaf from her. Knowing Isaac’s love for challah French Toast, I decided to create an easy French Toast bake that’s perfect for a weekend brunch or a tasty holiday breakfast. With this recipe all the prep is done the night before so, the morning you’re serving it, you simply pop it in the oven and enjoy.
Traditionally, French Toast bakes are made with heavy cream and butter, but we’re keeping this recipe dairy-free by using Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla almondmilk. Whether you’re sensitive to dairy, follow a vegan diet or just want to try a dairy-free milk, Almond Breeze almondmilk is the perfect alternative to cow’s milk. I love Almond Breeze almondmilks because one serving of their unsweetened varieties has only 30 calories and no added sugar. Bonus points for being a great source of calcium!
If you’re looking to shop for Almond Breeze, it’s available nationwide in almost all local grocery stores. They also have a handy product locator on their website if you want to search your area.
How to Make Baked French Toast
Baked French Toast is so easy and if you’re serving a crowd, this recipe saves you from spending all morning in the kitchen prepping individual slices of French Toast for everyone.
To start, you’ll simply prep a baking dish by spraying it with cooking spray and then arrange the bread cubes in a single layer in the baking pan.
Then you’ll whisk together the eggs, egg whites, Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla almondmilk, vanilla, almond extract, cinnamon and maple syrup.
Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes in the prepared baking dish, making sure the bread is fully covered and the liquid saturates the bread. Cover the dish and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Uncover the baking dish and top the bread and egg mixture with your toppings. We’re using sliced almonds and brown sugar.
Bake the French Toast casserole for 50 minutes.Top with dried cranberries and serve more with maple syrup for drizzling!
I did also want to note, if you can’t find challah or prefer a different type of bread, feel free to sub in another type of bread! Brioche or a crusty French bread will also work great for this recipe.
Prep the Night Before and Let Soak Overnight
Like I mentioned, this recipe is designed to be prepped ahead of time! Mix everything together at night, cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning all you have to do is uncover the baking dish, sprinkle on sliced almonds and brown sugar and bake!
If you’re running short on time and want to prep this the morning you’re going to serve it, you can skip the overnight method. Just let the bread soak up the custard for 30 minutes to an hour before baking. It will still taste delicious.
Does French Toast Casserole Need to be Refrigerated?
Yes! You’ll refrigerate the French Toast bake while the bread absorbs the liquid overnight and then I recommend storing any leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge. It’s still pretty moist, even after baking, and would go bad quickly if you left it out at room temperature.
Serving Suggestions
Hosting people for breakfast or brunch? My mind always goes to mimosas! Here are some other serving suggestions:
More Almond Milk Recipes You Might Enjoy
- Banana Almond Butter Smoothie
- Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Healthy Breakfast Casserole
- Peanut Butter Cup Overnight Oats
- Gluten-Free Cinnamon Rolls
- Vegetarian Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole
- Egg White Bites (Starbucks Copycat)
French Toast Bake
Ingredients
- 1- pound loaf challah, crust on, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 15 cups)
- 8 large eggs
- ½ cup egg whites
- 2 cups Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla almondmilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup + more for topping
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange bread in a single layer in the baking pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla almondmilk, vanilla, almond extract, cinnamon and maple syrup. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the baking dish, spreading it around so the liquid saturates the bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight. If you don’t have time to let it soak overnight you can get by with 30 minutes.Â
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Uncover the baking dish, sprinkle on sliced almonds and brown sugar and bake for 50 minutes.
- Top with dried cranberries and serve warm or at room temperature with more maple syrup for drizzling.
Notes
- Adapted from The Food Network.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yum, I added a cup of pumpkin purée and ginger, cloves and nutmeg. I didn’t add the egg whites. Used oat milk and chopped pecans. I let it sit for 30 minutes before baking. It is so delicious!
Oh yum! I love the addition of the pumpkin and ginger — so festive and perfect for fall. And thank you so much for coming back to the recipe to leave a comment and star rating. This feedback is super helpful and means the world to me!
How much nutmeg, ginger and cloves did you add? Did you follow the recipe but just added pumpkin, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg?
Can this be frozen in individual servings after baking?
Hi Joli. I haven’t tried freezing it, but I would assume it would be okay to freeze after cooling. Let me know if you try it.
Can you give the nutritional value of this? Thanks.
Just added it! Sorry about that. 🙂
Do you think this could be made with gluten-free bread and still be the right consistency? Thanks!
I haven’t experimented with gluten-free bread for this recipe, but I’m sure it will still work, but yes may taste a bit different. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out!
I love this recipe! It is so easy to just cube some bread, mix up the eggs and milk, then bake the next morning. The hardest part is waiting for it to be done because the whole house smells delicious! Thank you, Brittany for an easy, perfect French toast dish.
The waiting part is always the toughest part! I am excited to hear that you are loving this recipe and that it was a hit. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!
Oh my goodness, absolutely amazing! I halved the recipe for my small family. It looked so incredibly beautiful when I took it out of the oven with the roasted almonds all toasted. The house smelled great. Best of all, it was delicious. Thank you for a great recipe!
YUM! This is so great, Heather. I am glad you loved this recipe and it turned out delicious for you. Thank you for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!