Easy Overnight Brioche French Toast Casserole

Get ready to enjoy a comforting and cozy breakfast. My Easy Overnight Brioche French Toast Casserole is the perfect recipe for Christmas morning or any holiday brunch! It’s easy, warm and delicious!

This baked french toast casserole has thick slices of buttery brioche bread soaked in aromatic autumn flavors like cinnamon and pumpkin along with a sweet apple mixture. 

Original Post: November 2022 | Post Updated: October 2024

Why this recipe works

This easy french toast bake uses basic ingredients. Just like my Classic French Toast without Vanilla and my Stuffed Whole Wheat French Toast, this is a great option for an easy brunch dish or special occasions! A brioche french toast bake is the perfect breakfast for weekend mornings. It’s a hearty breakfast so it is great by itself or with side dishes. This is a great recipe to make ahead of time and bake off first thing in the morning. 

Try these other brunch menu ideas: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Apple Pie Filling, Easy Crustless Zucchini Quiche with Goat Cheese .

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Ingredients

• Brioche bread. I like to brioche for it’s sweetness and texture. Any firm, stale bread or crusty bread works as well like ciabatta.
• Milk. Milk is used to balance out the heavy cream. I like to use 2%. Whole milk can be used, 
• Heavy cream.
• Eggs.
• Pumpkin puree.
• Maple syrup. This is used to sweeten the apples and also as a garnish for the french toast casserole.
• Vanilla extract.
• Cooking spray.
• Granny smith apples. Tart apples are the best for making any type of apple pie mixture. Gala apples will work as well. 
• Unsalted butter.
• Spices: ground cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom and allspice.

How to make

Step 1: Prepare the Spiced Apples: In a large pan, heat on medium to low, add the butter. When the butter is melted, add the apples along with the spices. Turn the heat down to low and let it cook for 5 minutes. Add the 4 teaspoons of maple syrup. Continue to cook for 3 more minutes then remove from the heat. Set aside.

Step 2: Cut the bread: Slice the brioche bread into 1 inch bread cubes. Spray the baking dish with the cooking spray. Then place the cubed bread into the pan.

Step 3: Prepare the wet ingredients: In a stand mixer on medium speed, add the milk, heavy cream, maple syrup, canned pumpkin, vanilla, and the eggs- one at a time. Mix until combined. 

Step 4: Add mixture to the bread: Pour the mixture over the top of the bread ensuring the bread is coated. Evenly spoon the spiced apple mixture over the top. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place in the fridge overnight. 

Step 5: Bake off the next morning: Preheat the oven to 375 degree F. Remove the casserole from the fridge and let it sit out for about 30 minutes. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until it is set and golden brown.

Step 6: Garnish: Garnish with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Storing leftovers

Store in airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave for about 90 seconds. 

Helpful tips for this Brioche French Toast Casserole recipe

Use a thick and sturdy white bread such as brioche bread, ciabatta, challah bread or French bread. Homemade bread works too. The best bread should have a super thick crust and be more absorbent in the middle. I recommend fresh loaf of bread from a baker versus using something like basic sandwich bread which is pretty fragile. Any leftover bread is great for an easy breakfast casserole.

• You can leave the apples out and use other comforting flavors such as a crumb topping or a cinnamon streusel. 

• Use a casserole dish or a large skillet that is oven safe. 

• If you would like to omit the pumpkin- you can replace it with a 1/2 cup heavy cream or add additional milk, nut pods or half and half. If you want a gluten free casserole, I suggest using the gluten free bread from Trader Joe’s as it’s more dense. 

Serving suggestions and alternatives

This casserole is pretty filling if you would like to serve it as is. However a nice thing about casseroles is that they are large servings and perfect for parties! Here are some side dish suggestions:

• Scrambled Eggs.
• Eggs Benedict.
• Asparagus Tart with Sweet Potato Crust.
• Frittata.
• Southwest Tofu Scramble.
• Bacon.
• Spiral Ham.
• Fresh Fruit or Fresh Berries.
• Crustless Quiche or regular Quiche.

And we can’t forget the toppings! Drizzling a caramel sauce or warm maple syrup on top helps balance it out because this casserole isn’t that sweet by itself. 

Recipe inspiration for this baked french toast recipe

I wanted to create a good breakfast casserole for the holidays (or any time of year). This brioche overnight french toast casserole is the best of both worlds with baked apple and warm pumpkin flavors.

Though I thought the pumpkin was subtle- my daughter says , “No mom- I taste the pumpkin, they’re just like your Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls but different!” LOL

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Whether it’s a holiday morning, weekend brunch, Mother’s Day or Easter, this easy french toast casserole recipe is a decadent breakfast the whole family will love. Fluffy brioche bread in any recipe never disappoints!

Making this recipe? I would love to see it! Tag me on Instagram @whensaltyandsweetunite or use hashtag #whensaltyandsweetunite .