Baked French Toast

Our baked French toast recipe is an irresistible combination of soft bread and warm spices that's easy to prepare and perfect for any occasion.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Chill Time8

Total Time8 55

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Baked French Toast Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 396kcal

Ingredients

1 pound French bread loaf, cut into ½ to ¾-inch slices
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, to grease the baking dish
1 ½ cups whole milk
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups light brown sugar, packed and divided (¾ cup mixed with the eggs and ½ cup for the cinnamon sugar topping)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Optional garnish

Powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

Place the bread slices out onto a clean counter, or cutting board, in a single layer allowing them to dry out for about 30-60 minutes. The drier bread will hold up better when dipped in the egg mixture.
Generously grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with the unsalted butter and set aside.
To a standard blender add the milk, eggs, ¾ cup brown sugar, and vanilla. Blend on high for 10-15 seconds or just until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish or bowl.
Dip the sliced bread into the egg mixture allowing all sides to become fully coated and the center of the bread to absorb the mixture. Remove, allowing any excess egg mixture to drip back into the dish, and place into the prepared baking dish in a stacked layer. Repeat until all the slices have been dipped and stacked in the baking dish. You should end up with 3 rows of approximately 6 slices per row in your baking dish.
Pour the remaining egg mixture (after all the slices have been dipped) evenly over the rows of bread in the baking dish.
Stir together in a small bowl the remaining ½ cup brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the entire top surface of the french toast.
Tightly cover the dish with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for a minimum of 8 hours or up to overnight. This will allow the bread to soak up the excess egg mixture.
Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and allow the french toast to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to remove the chill so it bakes evenly.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. If your dish was covered with plastic wrap, remove it and replace with aluminum foil tightly sealing the edges.
Bake for 20 minutes, tightly covered with foil, remove the foil and continue baking for the remaining 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. For a soft crust (not crisp and golden) you can keep the foil on the french toast for the entire bake time.
Allow the baked french toast to cool in the dish for 5-8 minutes before lightly dusting with powdered sugar and serving.

Notes

If you do not have a blender, you can simply whisk the egg mixture in a shallow dish or bowl. You want to make sure you whisk the eggs vigorously so that they are very well broken up and all the ingredients are smooth and well incorporated.
If all the egg mixture has not been absorbed by the bread after refrigeration, carefully spoon the mixture over the top of the bread slices before covering with foil and baking.
The longer you are able to allow the french toast to refrigerate, the more the bread will have time to absorb the egg mixture ensuring a more even texture when baked.

Nutrition