This Overnight French Toast Casserole with Cream Cheese is a perfect make-ahead dish for breakfast!
Are you a fan of bread pudding? I never thought I was even though I had probably never even tried it. It seems to often contain raisins, which is kind of a deal breaker for me. When I found out that french toast casserole (which I love) and bread pudding are practically the same thing, I changed my mind. Leave out the raisins, and I will gladly accept a big bowlful!
I found a recipe for overnight french toast casserole in a magazine a few years ago, made it for Christmas morning, and a tradition was born. The whole family loves this one, and it’s easy to put together before bed and bake when you wake up. Drizzle with a little more maple syrup, grab a cup of coffee, and breakfast doesn’t get much better than that!
Sadly, I’ve had to give up wheat since I started making this french toast casserole with cream cheese, and I was afraid it meant the end of our Christmas morning tradition. Last year I made it with a combination of gluten-free and spelt (which I can eat) sandwich bread, and it still turned out great!! I was so happy to still indulge in a big hunk of bready goodness even though I can’t eat regular bread anymore.
While I don’t have a cookbook (yet), this recipe DID appear in print in my oldest’s preschool cookbook a few years ago. That might be as close as I get to hitting it big and getting my work in print. The recipe did feature a photo of my kid in his Christmas jammies eating this breakfast casserole, so it might be even better than a “real” cookbook. I hope you will keep coming back to this version again and again!
| Prep Time | 15 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
| Servings |
-8
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- 1 lb. French or sourdough bread diced into 1" cubes
- 4 oz. cream cheese I use reduced fat
- 8 eggs
- 1/4 c. sugar
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 c. maple syrup plus more for serving
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 1/2 c. milk
- 4 tbsp. melted butter
Ingredients
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Rate this recipe!
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- Spray a 9 x 13" baking dish with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 of the bread cubes into the pan.
- Drop small pieces of cream cheese evenly over the bread. (The only way I have figured out to do this is to pinch small pieces off with my fingers and sprinkle it around.) Spread remaining bread cubes on top.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and cinnamon until combined. Whisk in maple syrup, vanilla, milk, and melted butter. Pour this mixture over the bread.
- Press down on casserole with a spatula to help the bread absorb the liquid. Cover with foil and store in refrigerator for 8-12 hours.
- Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F until golden brown on top, about 45 minutes. Serve with maple syrup.
Adapted from Cooking Club magazine.
Here are some other breakfast casseroles you might enjoy:
Oh my, I have looked for this misplaced recipe for several years. Bet we had the same holiday magazine. I am so happy to have found your recipe because my family just loved it and it was so delicious to serve for Christmas brunch. I served mine with Apple syrup recipe in same magazine. Thank you, now once again we will have a yummy Christmas brunch with sausage and bacon fresh fruit, juice and coffee.
I made this with gluten free bread and lactose free milk – could not even taste the difference. Wonderful breakfast and everyone was able to enjoy.
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If we are baking 2 of these, how long would you suggest baking it for? Thanks! Looking forward to it!
[…] Overnight French Toast: Andi of The Weary Chef considers this a Christmas morning tradition. One surprising ingredient is […]
i’ve been making a version of this for many years. My recipe calls for 8oz of cream cheese cut into small cubes. I have no problem evenly arranging the cheese cubes over the bread cubes. Also, I use regular bread that is a few days old & also cinnamon swirl bread (about equal amounts of each) total 8 to 10 cups. Since I make mine in a 4qt oblong casserole, I use 8-10 eggs, 2 1/2 cups milk or half & half, 2tsp. vanilla, & 1/2 cup maple syrup all blended together. Pour over the bread & cream cheese, pat… Read more »
I’m confused as to why the recipe says to start with a baking sheet? Do you mean casserole dish or is there a step missing?
Thank you SO much for pointing that out so I could correct it! That was a typo and should have been baking dish not baking sheet (like a Pyrex dish). Thanks again, and Happy Holidays!
Just made this the other day and everyone loved it! Mine didn’t brown up very much on top so I ended up broiling it for a few minutes. The only thing I may do differently next time is to add more cream cheese. It’s the best part!
I’m so happy you liked it, Meghan! The original recipe did have more cream cheese, but I reduced it just to lighten it up a bit. I’ll make a note that you can add more to taste :) Thanks for your note!