Description
This French Toast Casserole is a comforting and delicious breakfast dish featuring challah bread soaked in a spiced egg and milk mixture, baked to golden perfection with a sweet pecan topping. It’s perfect for a holiday brunch or a weekend treat, offering a delightful combination of creamy custard and crunchy topping served with maple syrup.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 loaf challah bread, about 1½ pounds, 1 or 2 days old, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 5 large eggs
- 1½ cups milk
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- Unsalted butter or coconut oil, for the pan
- Maple syrup, for serving
Topping
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Prepare the Baking Dish: Grease a 9×13-inch or similar baking dish generously with unsalted butter or coconut oil to prevent sticking. Then, place the cubed challah bread evenly in the dish.
- Mix the Custard: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sea salt until thoroughly combined. Pour this mixture evenly over the bread cubes, ensuring all pieces are soaked.
- Soak the Bread: If preparing ahead, cover the baking dish tightly and refrigerate overnight to let the bread fully absorb the custard. Otherwise, allow it to sit uncovered at room temperature for 30 minutes to soak.
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F to get ready for baking the casserole.
- Add the Topping and Bake: Drizzle the melted butter over the casserole and sprinkle the brown sugar and chopped pecans evenly on top. Cover the dish and bake for 35 minutes. Then, remove the cover and bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes or until the topping is golden brown and the custard is mostly set.
- Rest Before Serving: Remove the casserole from the oven, loosely cover it with foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes. This helps the custard finish setting and makes it easier to slice.
- Serve: Slice the casserole and serve warm, accompanied by maple syrup for drizzling.
Notes
- Using day-old challah bread helps the cubes absorb the custard better without becoming too soggy.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute milk with almond milk and butter with coconut oil.
- If you don’t have pecans, walnuts or almonds make great substitutes for the topping.
- Covering the casserole during most of the baking prevents the top from drying out while allowing the custard to cook evenly.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated in the oven for a crispy texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 250 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg
