This challah French toast casserole is the best easy brunch recipe for entertaining! It's ready in just 50 minutes with soft bread, fresh berries, and a crunchy streusel topping, making it a breakfast casserole that's certain to please.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This French Toast Breakfast Casserole
- Ingredient Information and Substitutions
- How To Make Baked French Toast Overnight Casserole
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Tips For Making Overnight French Toast Casserole Recipe
- What To Serve With French Toast Casserole Overnight
- Other Brunch Recipes To Try
- Challah French Toast Casserole
Why You'll Love This French Toast Breakfast Casserole
It's always good to have an easy, go-to brunch option, and this one has become a favorite of mine for gatherings. I did a little research and pulled together the ideas I loved most, mixing in berries and a streusel topping since both felt like must-haves. Every time I make this dish, I'm still so happy with how it turns out.
It's definitely sweet, with the berries adding a bright, fresh note and the streusel topping adding a delicious crunch. The inside stays custardy and delicious, just like good French toast should be. Here's why this French toast casserole with challah bread is a total winner:
- Make-ahead
- Sweet and custardy
- Great for entertaining
- Crowd-pleasing
Ingredient Information and Substitutions
- Stale challah- Ideal for soaking up the custard thanks to its slightly dried texture. I like to cut it up in advance and leave it out for a day or two.
- All-purpose flour- Forms the base of the streusel topping.
- Granulated sugar- Adds a touch of sweetness to the custard.
- Brown sugar- Gives sweetness and a deep, caramel-like flavor to the streusel.
- Salted butter- Brings the streusel together and adds richness. Unsalted butter works as a substitute, with a pinch of extra salt added.
- Eggs- Form the custardy base of the dish.
- Whole milk- Adds richness and helps create the custard texture. 2% milk works as a substitute.
- Berries- Use a mix of berries for the best color and flavor. Frozen berries work too, but thaw and pat them dry first since they can release extra liquid.
- Ground cinnamon and nutmeg- Adds warm spice to the streusel topping.
- Vanilla extract- Adds warm, classic flavor to the custard.
- Kosher salt- Balances the sweetness and enhances the other flavors.
How To Make Baked French Toast Overnight Casserole
Step 1- Preheat the oven and prep the pan.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Step 2- Make the custard.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, salt, and vanilla until well combined.
Step 3- Layer the challah and berries.
Place half the challah in the baking pan and top with half the berries. Add the remaining challah, then top with the rest of the berries.
Step 4- Add the custard.
Pour the egg mixture evenly over everything.
Step 5- Weigh it down.
Top with wax or parchment paper and weigh it down with another pan for 10 minutes.
Step 6- Make the streusel.
Mix the flour, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter until well combined and crumbly.
Step 7- Add the streusel.
Remove the top pan and paper, then sprinkle the streusel topping over the challah.
Step 8- Bake and cool.
Bake uncovered for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until nicely browned. Allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing and serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this challah bread French toast casserole is easy to assemble ahead, though it's best to add the streusel topping right before baking.
Stale or slightly dried-out challah works best, since it soaks up the custard without getting mushy. If you only have fresh challah, leave it out overnight (uncovered) to dry out a bit first.
No, this dish doesn't need syrup since it's already sweet from the berries and streusel, though it's fine to add if you're a syrup lover. A dusting of confectioners' sugar is a nice (optional) touch too.
Tips For Making Overnight French Toast Casserole Recipe
- If you don’t have time to let the bread dry overnight, toast the challah cubes in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 5-10 minutes to dry them quickly.
- Weigh the pan down for the full 10 minutes so the custard soaks evenly into every piece of challah.
- Cut the challah into similar-sized cubes so it soaks and bakes evenly throughout the casserole.
- Watch closely toward the end of baking, since it can go from golden to overly browned quickly in the final stretch.
- Let the casserole cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing, so it holds together better when served.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Make the streusel topping and cut the challah into cubes up to a day in advance. You can even assemble the casserole ahead and refrigerate, then weigh it down and top with streusel just before baking.
- Leftovers and storage- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
What To Serve With French Toast Casserole Overnight
I love pairing this with a few savory brunch dishes to balance out the sweetness. Here are some of my favorite pairings:
Other Brunch Recipes To Try
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5 star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below ⬇️ and/or a review in the comment section further down. Check out my Amazon Store for all my favorite tools, including those used in this recipe. And follow @thelifejolie on Instagram and TikTok!
Challah French Toast Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
Baked French Toast:
- 6 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups whole milk
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 pinch Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups fresh berries divided (I used raspberries and blueberries)
- 1 loaf stale Challah cut into 1 ½ inch cubes (I cut mine and left it out overnight with a couple pieces of paper towel placed on top)
Alton Brown's Streusel Topping
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 dash ground nutmeg
- 2 Tablespoon salted butter softened
Instructions
Baked French Toast:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray the 9" x 13" baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a separate bowl mix the first five ingredients and whisk until well combined.
- Put half of the Challah pieces into the baking pan and top with half of the berries.
- Then put the rest of the Challah into the pan and top with the rest of the berries.
- Pour your egg mixture evenly over the Challah and berries.
- Top with wax or parchment paper and weigh down with another pan for 10 minutes (I happen to have multiple 9" x 13" pans and I put books in the empty one to weight it, but whatever will fit works).
- Remove the pan and the paper and top the Challah with Streusel topping (recipe below).
- Bake uncovered for around 50 minutes- 1 hour or until nicely browned. Allow at least 20 minutes to cool and then slice and serve.
Streusel topping:
- Mix all ingredients together until well combined and "crumbly."
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have time to let the bread dry overnight, toast the challah cubes in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 5-10 minutes to dry them quickly.
- Weigh the pan down for the full 10 minutes so the custard soaks evenly into every piece of challah.
- Cut the challah into similar-sized cubes so it soaks and bakes evenly throughout the casserole.
- Watch closely toward the end of baking, since it can go from golden to overly browned quickly in the final stretch.
- Let the casserole cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing, so it holds together better when served.
- Ingredients to prep ahead- Make the streusel topping and cut the challah into cubes up to a day in advance. You can even assemble the casserole ahead and refrigerate, then weigh it down and top with streusel just before baking.
- Leftovers and storage- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Debi @ Surroundings by Debi says
Jessy says
Alyssa @ Piece of Home says
Jessy says
Laci says
Jessy says
Sharon Rowe says
Jessy says
Jann Olson says
Jessy says
Tara Siudy says
Jessy says
MIra says
Jessy says