Brioche French Toast Casserole

French toast is a delicious breakfast, but brioche French toast casserole is better in almost every way you can think of. It’s still the same classic mixture of egg and bread, but forget about standing over a hot stove. Instead of hovering over a skillet, frying one or two slices at a time, you can slide breakfast for the whole crew into the oven and then relax over coffee for 40 minutes instead. That’s a win, right?

We’ve tested a lot of breakfast casserole recipes, but this one stands out for its simplicity and elegance. Brioche is something you probably don’t have just hanging around in your kitchen, but it’s worth buying a loaf just for this recipe.

Brioche French Toast Casserole Ingredients

• Brioche loaf: Soft, rich brioche bread makes for an extra-rich, deluxe version of the popular breakfast casserole.
• Eggs: Eggs are essential. They bind the other ingredients, and also bring richness and protein.
• Milk: Thinning the eggs with milk creates a soft, custardy texture. Eggs alone have a firmer, drier texture.
• Brown sugar: Brown sugar sweetens the casserole and gives it a gentle butterscotch flavor.
• Butter: The modest amount of butter in the egg mixture adds flavor and richness.
• Vanilla: Vanilla brings out the flavors of the other ingredients, while adding its own sweet warmth to the casserole.
• Cinnamon and nutmeg: Cinnamon and nutmeg bring comforting warm flavors to the casserole. Additionally, nutmeg has an intriguing ability to make custards taste creamier.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the pan

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Preheat your oven to 350°F. Layer the cubes of brioche into a greased 13×9-inch baking dish.

Step 2: Make the casserole

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In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg until they’re well combined. Pour this mixture over the brioche cubes and toss the bread gently until it’s all well coated. Bake, uncovered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until the casserole is set. Let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

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Brioche French Toast Casserole Variations

• Give it a saucy bottom: Ordinarily a casserole like this might be served with maple syrup, like regular French toast. Adding ingredients to the bottom of the pan, where they’ll make a sauce as the casserole bakes, is another alternative. One option is the always-popular creme brulee French toast. Bring butter, brown sugar and a spoonful or two of corn syrup to a boil in a small saucepan. When the brown sugar is dissolved, pour the mixture into the casserole dish and add the egg-soaked brioche. You might crib the nut topping from this French toast casserole instead, or the peach mixture from our peach French toast. Each of these requires refrigeration overnight, so the sauce can form properly, and then it just goes into the oven in the morning.
• Swap out the bread: Brioche is rich and makes a wonderful casserole, but you have alternatives. Challah is a like-for-like substitution, if that’s easier to find in your area. Better yet, bake your own. Homemade challah is much simpler than brioche, and better than store-bought. During the holidays, this is a good way to use up leftover panettone, pandoro, stollen or similar sweet loaves (you can cut the sugar by 1/3). You can even use leftover yeast-raised cinnamon rolls, which use a similarly rich dough and are pre-flavored with cinnamon.
• Tweak it with some add-ins or toppings: As with any other casserole, a few well-chosen add-ins or toppings can make this one extra-special. Nuts are a good starting point, for example. Walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds are all excellent choices. So are dried fruits, candied citrus, fresh or dried citrus zest, diced apples, and cranberries or blueberries. For an alternative to an all-sweet casserole, consider incorporating some cooked bacon, ham or sausage to provide a savory contrast. Anything you enjoy with French toast is fair game. Bread pudding recipes provide another source of inspiration, because at heart this recipe is also a bread pudding.

How to Store French Toast Casserole with Brioche

Leftovers should be refrigerated as soon as possible after the meal. You can simply cover the original pan with its lid or your wrap of choice, for overnight storage. If you won’t be eating the remainder immediately, transfer it instead to a food safe container with a tight-fitting lid.

How long will brioche bread French toast casserole last?

Keep the leftover breakfast pastry casserole in your fridge for 3 to 4 days. Remove individual servings as desired, or reheat the casserole in its original pan in a low oven until it reaches a food safe temperature of 165°F. For longer-term storage, slice the casserole into your chosen portion sizes and freeze them on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Once frozen, wrap or bag the portions. They’ll keep for 3 to 6 months in your freezer, though they’ll be at their best in the first 1 to 3 months.

Can I make this French toast casserole ahead of time?

Yes, you can. Your best option is to make up the pan of casserole and then refrigerate it, covered, overnight for next-morning consumption. Give it 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature, while the oven warms up, before you put it in. Alternatively, bake the casserole ahead of time and reheat it to serve. Its texture will be slightly firmer and drier this way, but that’s what syrup is for.

Brioche French Toast Casserole Tips

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I like the crusty edges. Is there a way to do this recipe as individual portions?

Sure! A lot of people like that textural contrast between the casserole’s crispy edges and soft, custardy center. Lean into that by preparing the casserole in individual ramekins instead. Arrange them on a sheet pan for easy handling, and expect about half the baking time. You’ll need about a dozen 8-ounce ramekins for a full recipe. Muffin pans also work, and will bake even faster. You’ll need two standard muffin pans of 12 cups each. If you have jumbo muffin pans, expect to make 12 to 15 portions. Just remember to check them frequently for doneness, starting at about 18 to 20 minutes for ramekins or 15 to 18 minutes for standard muffin pans.

Can I use whole bread slices, so it looks more like French toast?

You sure can, and in fact some recipes call for the bread to be handled that way. Your pan is probably only 2 inches high at the sides, so the number of layers depends on how thickly your French toast casserole brioche is sliced. Brioche loaves also vary in shape, so take a moment to think how you’ll fit the most bread into your pan. Trim the slices to fit, or use smaller pieces to fill in any gaps.

What can I serve with the casserole instead of maple syrup?

If maple syrup isn’t your thing, of if you just want to change it up occasionally, you have lots of options. Honey is a tasty choice, especially if you have a flavorful local honey on hand. Agave syrup and sorghum or pomegranate “molasses” are good, as well. So is any kind of fruit-based syrup, like our peach syrup or strawberry syrup. If you’re comfortable with doubling down on sweetness, try dulce de leche or salted caramel sauce. This butter pecan syrup is an especially decadent variation on the theme. You also can’t go wrong by simply serving the casserole with fresh fruit or berries, either plain, macerated with a bit of sugar or along with homemade whipped cream.