Cinnamon baked French toast is a delicious breakfast casserole full of cinnamon sugar goodness! Soft brioche bread pieces get baked in a sweet creamy custard. French toast has never been easier!
French toast is a breakfast classic! I love the texture of the soft bread on the inside with the crisp edges on the outside. Don’t miss this secret ingredient French toast or this easy air fryer French toast. And make sure you try my crème brûlée French toast because it’s out of this world!
Baked French Toast
This version of baked French toast is layers of rich brioche bread soaked in a sweet cinnamon sugar custard. Sprinkled with a cinnamon and sugar topping this casserole gets baked to perfection. The bread is soft and the outside edges have a sweet caramelized sugar coating that is irresistible!
There’s nothing better than starting your day off with a hearty breakfast. This baked French toast is a must-make, but you’ll have to pair it with some delicious oven-baked bacon, scrambled eggs, and homemade buttermilk syrup!
Ingredients Needed
A short list of pantry staple ingredients is all it takes to create the best cinnamon baked French toast! You will be obsessed with this stress-free breakfast! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
- Brioche Bread: This is my favorite kind of bread to use for baked French toast. It’s dense and made with eggs and butter so it’s rich, delicious, and perfect for French toast.
- Eggs: Eggs add richness to our baked French Toast, and you’ll need eight large ones.
- Milk: You could use any kind of milk you want, from skim milk to heavy creamy, but the higher the fat content, the richer the baked French toast will be. I like to use a sort of middle-of-the-ground choice which is whole milk. It’s not as rich and fattening as heavy cream, but still results in a rich custard.
- Sugar: Sugar isn’t exactly traditional in classic French toast, but I like to add just a little bit to the custard to sweetened it up. We also sprinkle on a little extra sugar on top right before baking to help crisp up the top of the baked French toast as well.
- Cinnamon: For me, French toast isn’t complete without a little bit of ground cinnamon. In this recipe, we use it both in the custard and also sprinkle it on top just before baking along with the sugar.
- Vanilla: The last pertinent ingredient in French toast. Use 100% pure vanilla extract for the best flavor!
How to Make Baked French Toast
Baked French toast is one of my favorite brunch items to make on the weekend for many reasons. First, because it’s SO easy to throw together. Second, it can be made ahead of time. And lastly, EVERYONE loves it.
- Preheat the Oven/ Cut the Bread: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9×13 inch pan. Cut the bread into bite sized pieces and place into the prepared dish.
- Make the Custard/ Pour Oven the Bread: In a medium sized bowl combine eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour the egg mixture over the bread.
- Make the Topping: In a small sized bowl add the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, and cold butter. Using a pastry blender combine ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle on top of casserole.
- Bake: for 50-60 minutes or until the top is brown and and the center is set and comes out clean with a toothpick. Top with warm maple syrup and fresh berries if desired.
Tips and Variations
This delicious cinnamon baked French toast is always a hit! Follow my tips and variations below to help you master this recipe.
- Use Day-Old Bread: Be sure the bread is one day old or dry it out. If the bread is fresh, you risk the baked French toast becoming super soggy.
- Tips For Drying the Bread: I like to leave the bread out on a sheet pan overnight, but if you don’t have time for that, you can also put the bread pieces on a sheet pan and bake at 275 degrees Fahrenheitfor 20-45 minutes until it resembles stale bread.
- Bread Options: If you can’t find brioche, you can also use challah, Italian bread, ciabatta, or French bread.
- Add Nuts: For extra crunch, sprinkle the baked French toast with chopped walnuts or pecans.
- Cut Thick Pieces: Make sure your bread slices are at least 1 1/2 inches thick.
- Switch Up the Extract: Add in one teaspoon of almond extract for a nice flavor in addition to the vanilla.
