This post contains affiliate links and we make a small commission for purchases made using these links.
There’s something about baked French toast that feels a little magical considering how little effort it actually takes. You put it together the night before, shove it in the fridge, go to bed, and then somehow wake up feeling like the kind of person who has breakfast “handled.” Which, frankly, is not always my usual morning energy, haha.
This version uses thick slices of brioche, which means it’s soft in the middle, golden on top, buttery in all the right ways, and very much in the “people quietly keep going back for another piece” category. It’s also one of those recipes that makes the house smell suspiciously productive.
I started making this baked French toast with brioche bread years ago because I got tired of standing at the stove flipping individual slices while everyone hovered around asking when breakfast would be ready. This solved that problem immediately. Everything goes into one pan, you bake it all at once, and nobody has to eat in shifts like a breakfast diner.
Also, this is probably my favorite make-ahead breakfasts of all time.
download our free
Meal Planner & Grocery List
dinner made easy
Why You’ll Love This Baked French Toast
This baked French toast is soft and custardy underneath with crispy buttery golden edges on top. The brioche bread gives it that rich bakery-style texture without you having to do anything complicated.
It’s also very forgiving, which I appreciate deeply in a breakfast recipe. You can prep it ahead, bake it fresh in the morning, and it still feels special even if you’re standing in the kitchen reheating coffee for the third time.
And unlike stovetop French toast, you’re not standing at the stove flipping slices while everyone else is already halfway through breakfast. Which is exactly why I love this for holidays, overnight guests, or honestly just random Sundays when I’d also like to sit down and eat.
Brioche Actually Makes It Better
As you can guess, the single most important ingredient in this recipe is, of course, the soft and luxurious brioche bread. Brioche is a French bread that’s enriched with butter, eggs, and a hint of sweetness. This results in a light, delicate texture and subtle richness that’s absolutely perfect for baked French toast (among other things, haha). You could use another bread, but it wouldn’t be as good.
Ingredient Notes
- I really like to use dark brown sugar int his recipe for extra richness and caramel-like flavor, but either light or dark sugar will work great, so use what you’ve got.
- Make sure to let the melted butter cool for a few minutes before adding the eggs, so they don’t scramble (it’s gross…ask me how I know).
- Store-bought brioche bread is perfect (you can find it in the bakery, but make sure it’s day-old or leave it out overnight to dry out a bit, more on this in the recipe tips below).
- You can use any kind of milk (even dairy-free will work).
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Cut the brioche slices diagonally into triangles and spread them out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast for about 10 minutes, until dry and lightly golden. This step makes a big difference and helps prevent soggy French toast later.
- Then arrange the toasted bread slices snugly, overlapping them slightly in a baking dish. You can also use cubes of bread, if you prefer. I like to cut the slices diagonally because it looks a little bit fancy and so pretty when it comes out of the oven, but either method will work great.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and sea salt until smooth. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes so the eggs don’t accidentally scramble. Nobody wants sweet breakfast scrambled eggs.
- Add the eggs a few at a time, whisking well after each addition until smooth and fully combined.
- Pour in the milk and whisk again until the custard is completely combined.
- Slowly pour the mixture evenly over the bread, making sure all the pieces get coated. Use a turkey baster to get any dry spots you missed (hey, what can I say, it happens).
- Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange the rack in the middle of the oven.
- Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake another 20 minutes until the top is golden and the custard is set.
- Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon, then serve warm with maple syrup.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Slightly stale, dry bread is best. This is probably the biggest thing. If the bread still feels really soft or squishy, toast it longer. You can let the brioche sit out for a few hours (or overnight) too.
- If your brioche loaf is on the smaller side, the custard may feel too heavy and make the center softer than intended. Either reduce the custard slightly or add more bread.
- Cut evenly sized pieces. This helps everything bake evenly and ensures every bite has the same soft texture.
- If you’re concerned about a runny texture, you can whisk 1 tablespoon of flour or cornstarch into the custard before pouring it over the toast for added stability. I usually don’t need it, but it’s helpful if your bread is especially soft.
- Let the bread sit in the custard for at least 10–15 minutes (or longer if you have time) so it fully absorbs the mixture.
- Lightly press the bread down into the custard to make sure all the pieces are coated and soaking.
- Watch the center. The middle should be set but still soft, overbaking can make it dry. If the center still looks wet after 40 minutes, cover lightly with foil and bake an additional 10–15 minutes until the custard is fully set.
- This is a great one to make ahead. Assemble it the night before, cover, and refrigerate. Let it sit at room temp for about 20 minutes before baking.
- Give the French toast 5–10 minutes to set before serving so it slices cleanly and holds together better.
Tip
If you prefer a softer, more custardy baked French toast that leans a little closer to bread pudding, you can increase the milk to 1-1/2 cups. I usually stick with 1-1/4 cups because it slices more neatly and holds together better for serving.
Storage & Reheating
Cover or transfer baked French toast to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days. Reheat in the oven at 325°F until warmed through (best for keeping the texture), or microwave individual portions in short intervals. Add a splash of milk if it seems a little dry.
Honestly, this is also very good cold straight from the fridge while standing at the counter deciding what to make for breakfast as well. Real-life review.
Freeze in portions in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven for best results.
Baked French Toast With Brioche Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 loaf brioche bread (day-old and sliced thick)
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar (light or brown, packed)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 8 eggs
- 1 1/4 cup milk (any kind or dairy-free, may use 1 1/2 cups to make it more like bread pudding)
- Powdered sugar and cinnamon (for sprinkling on top)
- Maple syrup (for serving)
Instructions
- Cut the brioche slices diagonally into triangles and spread them out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast for about 10 minutes, until dry and lightly golden. This step makes a big difference and helps prevent soggy French toast later.1 loaf brioche bread
- Then arrange the toasted bread slices snugly, overlapping them slightly in a casserole dish. You can also use cubes of bread, if you prefer. I like to cut the slices diagonally because it looks a little bit fancy and so pretty when it comes out of the oven, but either method will work great.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and sea salt until smooth. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes so the eggs don’t accidentally scramble. Nobody wants sweet breakfast scrambled eggs.1/3 cup unsalted butter, 1/3 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/2 tsp sea salt
- Add the eggs a few at a time, whisking well after each addition until smooth and fully combined.8 eggs
- Pour in the milk and whisk again until the custard is completely combined.1 1/4 cup milk
- Slowly pour the mixture evenly over the bread, making sure all the pieces get coated. Use a turkey baster to get any dry spots you missed (hey, what can I say, it happens).
- Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange the rack in the middle of the oven.
- Bake covered for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake another 20 minutes until the top is golden and the custard is set.
- Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and cinnamon, then serve warm with maple syrup.Powdered sugar and cinnamon, Maple syrup
Notes
- If you prefer a softer, more custardy baked French toast that leans a little closer to bread pudding, you can increase the milk to 1-1/2 cups. Using 1-1/4 cups will slice more neatly and hold together better for serving.
- Slightly stale, dry bread is best.
- If your brioche loaf is on the smaller side, reduce the custard slightly or add more bread.
- Cut evenly sized pieces.
- You can whisk 1 tablespoon of flour or cornstarch into the custard before pouring it over the toast for added stability. This is helpful if your bread is especially soft.
- Let the bread sit in the custard for at least 10–15 minutes to fully absorbs the mixture.
- Lightly press the bread down into the custard to make sure all the pieces are coated and soaking.
- If the center still looks wet after 40 minutes, cover lightly with foil and bake an additional 10–15 minutes until the custard is fully set.
- Assemble it the night before, cover, and refrigerate. Let it sit at room temp for about 20 minutes before baking.
- Give the French toast 5–10 minutes to set before serving so it slices cleanly and holds together better.
Love this recipe! It’s easy to make and is so, so good! And it looks gorgeous after baking. May family was impressed!
Hey Amy! Thanks so much! Isn’t it though, I never get tired of looking at it – it’s just pretty! Thanks for the review!
I’m always looking for fun new breakfast recipes, and found this on Pinterest. Thanks so much for sharing, it’s incredible! 🙂
Oh, I’m so glad, Nathan! Thanks for taking a minute to comment – it’s appreciated!
This is such a great recipe! Love these cookies – thank you for sharing!!!
It’s my pleasure Sonia. Thank YOU for the kind review, I’m trilled you loved the cookies too!
I made this french toast for breakfast this morning and it was amazing! I love that it was baked. So easy!
Thank you so much Tayler! I’m so glad you enjoyed the French toast, it’s a weekly staple over here! Haha!
What a beautiful meal. Brioche bread is perfect for this, and it was so easy to prepare and tasted delicious!
Thank you so much Justine! I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed it!
Delicious for Sunday brunch! I loved this recipe so much! Thank you!
You bet, and thank YOU Ned! So glad you enjoyed the French toast!
Hi! We made the recipe as stated. It was good but seemed a bit soggier than your photos show it. Any suggestions of how to avoid that? Thanks.
i am also wondering this same thing!
Hi Jeannie! A couple things can cause that. The biggest one is usually the bread itself. Brioche is really soft and if it’s too fresh, it can soak up the custard a little *too* well and stay softer in the middle. I definitely recommend using day-old brioche or toasting it a little longer before assembling everything.
You can also bake it a bit longer if the center still looks wet after 40 minutes. I’d loosely cover the top with foil and give it another 10-15 minutes. Every casserole dish seems to behave differently too, which is mildly annoying. 😂
If you prefer it a little firmer and less custardy overall, you can also reduce the milk slightly next time. Mine usually sits overnight before baking, which helps the bread absorb everything evenly without staying runny.
Do you have go soak
It overnight. I forgot 🤦🏻♀️
Hi Joanne! Yes overnight helps the bread really soak up the egg mixture. 🙂
Kristine, is the bread to be toasted prior to placing in casserole? Wouldn’t it be soggy when I bake if it’s not toasted?
Rosa
Yes, definitely toast it first! Especially with brioche since it’s such a soft bread already. The toasting step dries it out a bit so it can soak up the custard without turning mushy.
I usually toast it until it feels dry on the outside and just lightly golden. Kind of like making giant croutons for breakfast, honestly. Day-old bread helps a ton too.
Yummy
Thanks Lisa, so glad to hear it!
Question…ingredients says 8 eggs and directions state all 10 eggs. How many eggs should I use?
Hi Jane! It should be 8 large eggs. Thanks for catching that, I’ll amend the recipe right now!
This is the best French toast! My family said it was delicious and I believe it is better than my pancakes! I highly recommend this recipe! 10 STARS 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Okay, “better than my pancakes” is a VERY high compliment. I’m so glad your family loved it!! Thank you so much for making it and taking the time to leave such a kind comment. The 10 stars made my day a little bit. 💛
I made this today beautiful! But all of the bread stuck together and made it hard to serve. Any ideas?
I’m so glad you liked it! And yes, it actually *is* supposed to bake together a bit since it’s more of a French toast casserole than individual slices of stovetop French toast, especially with soft brioche bread. So it’ll naturally be a little scoop-y and cozy once baked.
That said, if it felt too stuck together or hard to serve, a couple things can help next time:
Make sure the bread is really dry before assembling. Toasting it a little longer helps a lot.
Layer the slices a little more loosely instead of packing them tightly together.
Let it rest 5-10 minutes after baking so the custard can set up a bit before serving.
Sometimes baked French toast just leans more “rustic casserole” than perfectly sliced squares. It’s till really good though, haha.
Has good taste but is super runny, any advice for the bread not to be so mushy?
Brioche can definitely go soft fast if the bread isn’t dried out enough first. I’d recommend toasting it a little longer before assembling, especially if the loaf is really fresh. You want it lightly golden and dry on the outside so it can soak up the custard without turning mushy.
If it still seems runny after baking, it probably just needs more time in the oven. Every baking dish is a little different. I’d loosely cover the top with foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until the center is fully set.
And one more thing, this is meant to be softer and more casserole-style than regular stovetop French toast, so it won’t have a firm texture like individual slices. Kind of cozy and scoop-y by design.
Can this be frozen before baking? I am making it for a bridal brunch and would like to make it many days in advance. Thanks!
Hi Madeline! Yes, you can absolutely freeze it before baking. I’d assemble the casserole completely, pour the egg mixture over the bread, let it soak for about 10–15 minutes, then wrap it tightly and freeze it. I’d thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before baking, for the best texture. It’s actually a great make-ahead option for events and holidays! 🫶🏻