Oven baked french toast
There is so much to love about this oven baked french toast recipe. From the bread used (brioche), which is high in egg and butter content giving it and light and tender crumb, to the delicate flavors of vanilla and almond extract. But what takes it over the top is that sweet maple syrup drizzled on top! Don’t forget to add a few sliced almonds on top for crunch!
Can I prep this overnight?
If you were to substitute the brioche with a sturdier bread — such as baguette or stale challah — you could assemble this the night before. But brioche is such a light, delicate bread that if you soak it for too long in the french toast custard, it will disintegrate. We definitely do not want that. This oven baked french toast recipe was developed with ease in mind. Nobody wants to spend a long time prepping breakfast in the morning! That’s why the prep time is less than 10 minutes. I’m confident you can squeeze this into your morning breakfast routine, whether on a busy weekday or for lazy Sunday brunch!
How to make baked french toast
There are two ways to assemble this baked french toast casserole. Both require you to first make an egg custard made from milk, heavy cream, eggs, pure vanilla extract, pure almond extract, ground cinnamon, vanilla bean paste, and a little bit of kosher salt (don’t skip this, it helps to balance out the sweetness from the overall recipe!).
Whisk these ingredients together in a large mixing bowl or a baking dish, then either dip sliced brioche into the custard, ensuring each piece is evenly coated on both sides, OR pour the custard over slices of brioche in a large baking dish.
Either way, you don’t want to brioche to sit in the french toast custard for more than ~30 seconds. I know, I know, that’s not very long at all! But again, the texture of brioche is such that if you leave it in longer — 2 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes! — it will completely fall apart.
Cook time for french toast bake
Transfer dipped slices of brioche into a standard loaf pan so that they’re standing up resembling a pieced together loaf (see below), then bake at 350F until golden brown, about 35 minutes.
Oh, this is key! The last 5 minutes, add sliced almonds on top so they can toast a little in the oven! The texture is so crucial!
Allow baked french toast to cool for about 5-10 minutes when it comes out of the oven, then sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Serve and drizzle generously with warm maple syrup. Warming the syrup up beforehand is totally not necessary, but it’s a nice little touch that always impresses!
This easy french toast bake is such a crowd pleaser! We love to make this as a family on Saturday mornings. And if you’ve got friends over? Nothing screams weekend brunch quite like a DIY bloody mary bar! I always serve at least one sweet dish (often this oven baked french toast recipe!), one savory (it doesn’t get much simpler than a homemade bagel board), and one cocktail. Keeps my brunch menu simple and manageable.
So that’s it! With a few simple ingredients, this easy, decadent oven baked french toast can be all yours. It is loved by all and just the best way to start your morning!
If you make this Oven Baked French Toast recipe, please let me know by leaving a rating and review below!
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For more delicious brunch recipes, check out the following:
- Baked shirred eggs with asparagus
- Dutch baby pancake with parmesan and fresh herbs
- How to create a bagel board
- Mini blueberry muffins with streusel topping
- DIY bloody mary bar!
- Lemon Ricotta Pancakes
Baked Vanilla-Almond French Toast Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 loaf brioche
- 1 cup milk do not use non-fat
- ½ cup heavy cream `
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pure almond extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- confectioner's sugar for serving
- maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Slice brioche into ½” thick slices.
- Spray a standard-sized loaf pan with baking spray or line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup milk, ½ cup cream, 4 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp almond extract, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, and ½ tsp kosher salt.
- Dip brioche into egg mixture, thoroughly coating each side, then place standing up in the loaf pan. Repeat until all bread is coated. You could also lay the bread flat in a baking dish and pour the egg mixture on top. Either way, don't leave the bread soaking for more than a minute or two. Brioche is extremely light and delicate, and additional time will cause it to fall apart.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then top with ¼ cup slivered almonds. Return to oven and cook for 5 minutes more, or until lightly golden brown on top and eggs has formed a thin crust on the bread. Cool for 10-15 minutes, then serve with powdered sugar and maple syrup.
Notes
- If you can’t find vanilla bean paste, simply omit and increase vanilla extract to 1 Tbsp.
- Do NOT leave brioche in egg mixture for longer than 30 seconds or it will disintegrate. Brioche is an extraordinarily light and airy bread, making it perfect for an oven baked french toast, but you definitely want it to maintain it’s shape!
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