Christmas French Toast Casserole: 5 Ways to Savor Cheer Recipe
This Christmas French Toast Casserole is a delightful, comforting dish perfect for holiday mornings. Featuring cubed French bread soaked in a rich custard of eggs, milk, cream, and warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, it bakes into a golden, fluffy breakfast treat. Topped with maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar, this casserole serves 8 and can be prepared ahead for effortless festive cheer.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes plus at least 2 hours refrigeration
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 1 loaf of French bread, cubed
Custard Mixture
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Toppings
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it’s at the right temperature for baking the casserole evenly.
- Prepare Custard Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until fully combined and smooth.
- Combine Bread and Custard: Add the cubed French bread to the custard mixture. Gently stir to thoroughly coat all bread pieces with the custard but avoid breaking the bread cubes.
- Transfer to Baking Dish: Pour the bread and custard mixture into a greased baking dish, spreading it out evenly for uniform baking.
- Refrigerate to Soak: Cover the baking dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight, allowing the bread to absorb the custard fully for a moist, tender texture.
- Bake: Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes until the top is golden brown and the custard is set.
- Serve: Drizzle the warm casserole with maple syrup and dust generously with powdered sugar before serving for a festive, sweet finish.
Notes
- For best results, use a day-old French bread to help the bread absorb the custard better without becoming too soggy.
- You can prepare the casserole up to overnight in advance to save time on the morning of serving.
- Adjust the amount of sugar or spices according to your taste preference.
- Serve with fresh fruit or whipped cream for added garnish and flavor.
Keywords: French toast casserole, Christmas breakfast, holiday brunch, baked French toast, festive breakfast casserole
