Go Back
Golden baked french toast casserole with cinnamon streusel in a 9x13-inch dish, served for a weekend brunch

Overnight French Toast Casserole With a Crunchy Cinnamon Streusel

A make-ahead French toast casserole with custardy French bread cubes and a crunchy brown sugar pecan streusel. Assemble it tonight and bake it tomorrow.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Chilling Time 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 8 About 1 piece
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 607
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the casserole
  • 1 loaf 16 ounces day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes, about 10 cups
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1 3/4 cups whole milk
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter softened, for the dish
  • Warm maple syrup for serving
For the streusel
  • 1/2 cup King Arthur all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter cubed
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl and whisk
  • 9x13-inch baking dish (glass or ceramic)
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Serrated bread knife
  • Aluminum foil

Method
 

  1. Grease a 9x13-inch dish with the softened butter. Spread the bread cubes in an even layer until the dish looks full and slightly mounded.
  2. Whisk the eggs, milk, cream, 1/2 cup brown sugar, vanilla, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon salt for 1 minute, until smooth, pale tan, and slightly frothy with no white streaks.
  3. Pour the custard slowly over the bread and press the cubes down with a spatula until every cube looks wet and liquid reaches about halfway up the dish.
  4. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours, until the bread has absorbed nearly all the custard.
  5. Stir 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Rub in the cold butter for 2 minutes until the mixture looks like damp, chunky sand with pea-size pieces, then fold in the pecans and chill.
  6. Set a rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake 30 minutes, until the edges puff slightly and the center still looks soft.
  7. Remove the foil, scatter the streusel evenly over the top, and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, until the top is deep golden and the center reads 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
  8. Rest on a rack for 10 minutes, until the edges pull away from the dish and the custard firms enough to slice.
  9. Cut into 8 squares and serve with warm maple syrup.

Notes

Day-old French bread works best. If your bread is fresh, dry the cubes at 300°F for 12 to 15 minutes first.
Add the streusel only after the foil comes off so it stays crisp.
Storage: refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container, or freeze cut squares up to 2 months.