Baked French Toast
My Baked French Toast has everything you love about the classic. It has warm spices, rich custard, and a sweet cinnamon sugar crust all without a single minute standing over the stove. It’s the perfect weekend breakfast or brunch.
I’m a huge fan of French toast especially when it’s light, fluffy, and perfectly spiced. I also love a good bread pudding. Like really love it! This recipe is the best of both worlds.
My baked French toast skips everything you hate about the classic version. There’s no standing over the stove, no soggy centers, and no sad limp bread slices.
I use thick-cut challah dipped into a spiced egg custard made with heavy cream, whole milk, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, and nutmeg. Then, the slices stand upright in a baking pan and a get a buttery, brown sugar and cinnamon coating on top.
As it bakes, the tops get crunchy and the centers stay soft and fluffy. It bakes up in about 30 minutes, so you can have breakfast on the table in no time!
Tips for the Perfect Baked French Toast
Don’t over–soak the bread. A quick 2 to 3 second dunk in the batter on each side is plenty. You want the bread to soak up some of the egg mixture but it shouldn’t feel heavy or soggy.
Discard any extra egg mixture. This isn’t a French toast casserole that needs to sit and soak up extra egg mixture before baking. There’s no need to pour any leftover custard into the baking dish. Just toss it or make regular French toast!
Use a sturdy bread. Make sure to use thick-cut sturdy bread like challah or brioche. Cut the slices about 1-inch thick so they hold up to the egg custard.
How to Make Baked French Toast
Start by preheating the oven to 350°F, and lightly greasing an 11×7-inch pan with butter or cooking spray.
Combine the eggs, heavy cream, whole milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, nutmeg, and salt in a shallow dish. Use a dish that you can easily fit a slice of bread into.
Dip both sides of the sliced bread pieces into the egg mixture. Don’t let bread sit in the mixture and soak up a lot of the moisture. A quick 2 to 3 second dip on each side is plenty.
Arrange the dipped bread slices into the prepared baking dish. You’ll want to vary them a little by alternating between large and small pieces.
Place them in vertically so the top of the loaf if facing upright. Combine the cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle it over the top.
Next, drizzle melted butter over the cinnamon sugar. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is crunchy and golden brown and the center is soft and cooked through.
If any raw egg areas remain, cook it for a few minutes longer. Tent the French toast with foil if the bread starts to brown too quickly at any point.
Serve it with warm maple syrup, blueberry compote, fresh berries, strawberry sauce, or a dollop of whipped cream.
How to Store Leftovers
My baked French toast is best right out of the oven. If you do have leftovers, store them in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Common Questions
Ingredients
Egg Mixture
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 1 large challah loaf, cut into 10 to 12 slices about 1-inch thick
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 4 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly grease an 11×7-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, milk, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.4 large eggs½ cup heavy cream½ cup whole milk¼ cup granulated sugar½ teaspoon ground cinnamon½ teaspoon vanilla extract¼ teaspoon ground ginger⅛ teaspoon ground nutmegPinch of salt
- Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture for 2 to 3 seconds per side. Don’t let the bread soak or become too heavy.1 large challah loaf
- Arrange the dipped bread slices vertically in the prepared baking dish with the tops of the slices facing up. Alternate larger and smaller pieces as needed to fit.
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the mixture over the bread, then drizzle the melted butter over the top.4 tablespoons light brown sugar½ teaspoon ground cinnamon2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crisp and the center is cooked through.
- If any raw egg mixture remains, bake for a few more minutes. Tent with foil if the bread starts to brown too quickly.
