Description
This Overnight Crème Brûlée French Toast Bake is a decadent and easy-to-make breakfast casserole featuring buttery brown sugar caramel, custardy soaked French bread cubes, and a creamy vanilla-flavored egg mixture. Prepared the night before and baked to golden perfection in the morning, it’s an indulgent brunch option served warm with sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries for a luscious start to your day.
Ingredients
Scale
Caramel Base
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) butter
- ¾ cup (159 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, corn syrup or pancake syrup
Bread Layer
- 6 to 8 1-inch thick slices French bread, cut into ¾-inch cubes
Custard Mixture
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Serving
- Sweetened whipped cream
- Fresh strawberries or raspberries
Instructions
- Make Caramel Mixture: Add butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1-2 minutes until the sugar dissolves, stirring to combine. Alternatively, melt and combine these ingredients in a pan on the stove.
- Prepare Pan: Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- Assemble Base and Bread: Spread the caramel mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Arrange the cubed French bread in a mostly single layer on top of the caramel, ensuring the bread covers the base closely.
- Mix Custard: In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, vanilla extract, and salt until fully combined.
- Soak Bread: Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread cubes, allowing the custard to soak all pieces thoroughly.
- Refrigerate Overnight: Cover the pan and place it in the refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours to allow the custard to fully infuse the bread.
- Preheat Oven and Bake: Remove the pan from the refrigerator and uncover it. Place the pan in a cold oven, then preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Once preheated, bake for 30-35 minutes until the bread is golden and the caramel syrup bubbles. Optionally, for a crustier top, bake for 20 minutes, flip the bread pieces gently with a spatula, then bake another 10-15 minutes.
- Serve: Serve the French toast bake warm, topped with sweetened whipped cream and fresh strawberries or raspberries.
Notes
- Texture Adjustments: For a softer, milkier French toast or if using thicker bread slices, increase half-and-half to 1½ cups and reduce eggs to 5 for a creamier custard.
- Bread Choice: For artisan breads with thick, heavy crusts, consider removing the crusts to avoid overly tough bites. Softer French bread with a thin crust works best.
- Bread Quantity: Use enough bread cubes to cover the bottom of the pan mostly in a single layer. A few pieces can overlap, but ensure even coverage over the caramel layer for best results.
- Refrigeration Time: The recipe requires overnight chilling (8 to 10 hours) to allow maximum custard absorption.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 220mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 7g
- Cholesterol: 150mg
