French Toast Casserole – Make Ahead Freezer Breakfast

This make-ahead French Toast Casserole is great to pop in the oven for an easy weekend breakfast. It also works well to take with you to a potluck brunch.I like that it’s also a good way to use leftover bread. You can use whatever type of bread you happen to have on hand in this recipe. Try it with different varieties such as white, sourdough, wheat, and rye.

Our weeks are so busy. I would like to say that our weekends are relaxing, but with so many kids, it’s not as relaxing as I’d like. Every little thing that can be done to make it easier helps. That’s why it’s so nice to have some breakfasts like this one made ahead. I can pull one out of the freezer and have a nice weekend breakfast or brunch without having to do any work.

This one is also great for making ahead for Christmas morning or for serving larger crowds for brunch.

French Toast Casserole Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf of bread (about 18 slices)
• 1/2 cup sugar (brown, white or any sweetener you prefer – I used monk fruit sweetener)
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2/3 cup flavoured coffee creamer (I used hazelnut, but you can use cinnamon vanilla, Irish cream or any flavoured creamer you like best)
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

For serving:

• additional maple syrup

Optional for topping:

• 1/2 cup oats
• cinnamon

Assembly Instructions:

1. Cut up the bread slices into small bits.
2. Put the bread pieces, sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
3. In another bowl, mix in all of the wet ingredients (milk, coffee creamer, eggs, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla).
4. Gently pour the liquid onto the bread pieces.
5. Fold over carefully until all of the bread has absorbed the liquid.
6. Use a large spoon and gently transfer the wet bread into a large resealable freezer bag.
7. Squeeze all the air out and seal. Lay flat and freeze.
8. If you are using the oats and cinnamon topping, put that in a medium-sized resealable bag and staple it to the large bag above the seal.

Cooking instructions:

1. On the day of baking, move from the freezer to the fridge the night before or thaw for 30 minutes so you can pour it out of the bag into a 9×13 glass oven-friendly container.
2. Sprinkle the oats topping and bake at 400° for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden brown.
3. Allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes.
4. Pour maple syrup over the entire casserole or over individual portions when serving.

For storage:

1. Cool completely.
2. Put a lid on the container and save it in the fridge for 5 days.
3. Reheat before serving.

This recipe serves 8-12 depending on if you are serving other things with it and when you make it, you can double it and split it into two casserole dishes before baking so it’s a good one for a crowd.

Tips for French Toast Casserole as your make ahead Christmas breakfast:

This is a wonderful option for Christmas morning because you can make it weeks or months ahead and have it waiting in the freezer ready to pop in the oven. To make it even easier, you can freeze it in a foil tray or casserole dish so that it’s completely ready to bake.

• Use holiday flavors of coffee creamer to make this extra festive. For example, use Peppermint creamer to put a holiday spin on this breakfast casserole.
• Replace the milk with egg nog!
• Serve with fresh fruit for a complete meal.

Check out some of our other delicious make-ahead breakfast ideas:

On the Go Breakfast Taco Cups

Everything Bagel Breakfast Muffins

Breakfast Sausage Hand Pies

Print

French Toast Casserole

Course: Breakfast

Keyword: breakfast casserole, french toast

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 228 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of bread about 18 slices
• 1/2 cup sugar brown, white or any sweetener you prefer
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 cup milk cow's, almond, coconut or any milk you prefer
• 2/3 cup flavoured coffee creamer I used hazelnut, but you can use cinnamon vanilla, Irish cream or any flavoured creamer you like best
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 3 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

For serving:

• additional maple syrup

Optional for topping:

• 1/2 cup oats
• cinnamon

Instructions

Assembly Instructions:

1. Cut up the bread slices into bite-sized bits.

2. Put the bread pieces, sugar, and cinnamon in a large bowl.

3. In another bowl, mix in all of the wet ingredients (milk, coffee creamer, eggs, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla).

4. Gently pour the liquid onto the bread pieces.

5. Fold over carefully until all of the bread has absorbed the liquid.

6. Use a large spoon and gently transfer the wet bread into a large resealable freezer bag.

7. Squeeze all the air out and seal. Lay flat and freeze.

8. If you are using the oats and cinnamon topping, put that in a medium-sized resealable bag and staple it to the large bag above the seal.

Cooking instructions:

1. On the day of baking, move from the freezer to the fridge the night before or thaw for 30 minutes so you can pour it out of the bag into a 9x13 glass oven-friendly container.

2. Sprinkle the oats topping and bake at 400° for 30-40 minutes until the top is golden brown.

3. Allow it to cool for 5-10 minutes.

4. Pour maple syrup over the entire casserole or over individual portions when serving.

For storage:

1. Cool completely.
2. Put a lid on the container and save it in the fridge for 5 days.
3. Reheat before serving.