This easy small French toast casserole is made for holiday mornings. Prep it overnight or bake it fresh—the buttery cinnamon-sugar top and custardy center make it irresistible either way.
Built for a small 8-inch square pan (about 4 large servings), it scales seamlessly—from a casserole for two to a big family-size dish. French bread gives it the wonderful texture, but most any bread will do.
Jump To (scroll for more)
- ❤️ Why You’ll Love This Small French Toast Casserole
- 🍞 Ingredients
- 👨🍳 Quick Overview: Small French Toast Casserole
- ⏲️ How Long to Cook French Toast Casserole
- 🥖 What Type of Bread to Use
- ✔️ Tips to Make It Right Every Time
- 🥣 Options and Variations
- 📆 Making Ahead
- ↕️ How to Make French Toast Casserole for Two or Double for Family Size
- 🤔 How to Prevent Soggy French Toast Casserole
- 🍴 How to Serve French Toast Casserole
- 📋 Other Breakfast Recipes
- ❄️ Storage and Reheating Leftovers
- ❓ FAQs
- 📖The Recipe Card
Featured Comment by :
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐"This one is a winner, Dr. Dan! Very easy to put together the night before, dead simple to finish in the morning, with a great presentation. Thank you!"
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Small French Toast Casserole
- Holiday-ready: Prep it the night before, then just bake in the morning.
- Small-batch friendly: Perfect size for an 8x8 pan, without drowning in leftovers.
- Scales up or down: Works just as well for two as it does for a family brunch.
- Simple & forgiving: Pantry staples, flexible bread choice, and no tricky steps.
- Great texture: Custardy center with a crisp cinnamon-sugar top.
🍞 Ingredients
- Bread — French bread is classic for texture, but brioche, sourdough, or Italian bread all work. Softer bread may be adapted—see the bread section below.
- Eggs — The base for the custard mixture.
- Milk — Whole milk gives the richest flavor, but 2% or half & half are fine.
- Pantry staples — Sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
- Topping — Melted butter mixed with cinnamon-sugar for a crisp golden crust.
- Serving — Maple syrup is a must. Add butter, powdered sugar, or fruit if you like.
👨🍳 Quick Overview: Small French Toast Casserole
1. Cut crusty French bread into 1-inch cubes and add to a buttered 8x8 or 6x9-inch baking dish.
2. Whisk together the custard (eggs, milk, sugar, salt, vanilla, cinnamon) and pour it over the bread cubes. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or bake right away.
✅ Pro Tip: Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Before baking, let sit at room temperature for 15–30 minutes while the oven preheats.
3. Brush the top with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
4. Bake at 350°F until golden brown and the center reaches 165°F—about 40–45 minutes. Let rest 5–10 minutes, then serve with butter, maple syrup, fresh fruit, or powdered sugar.
✅ Pro Tip: The bread will puff up near the end of baking—that’s the earliest you could pull it, but it will still be soft. Bake a few minutes longer for a drier, more set casserole.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏲️ How Long to Cook French Toast Casserole
French toast casserole must reach an internal temperature of 165°F for safety. A small 8x8 pan will bake in about 40–45 minutes, while a double-size casserole can take close to an hour. Time will vary with thickness, so always check the center for doneness.
🥖 What Type of Bread to Use
French bread is the classic choice for texture, but sourdough, Italian, or brioche are also excellent. If you’re buying just for this recipe, grab a small loaf or baguette.
The best results come from day-old, crusty bread cut into cubes. Softer breads can work too—if you like, you can dry them in a 200°F oven for about 10 minutes to help keep the casserole from getting mushy.
✅ Pro Tip: Stale bread makes the best French toast casserole. If yours is too fresh, a quick trip in the oven can give it that perfect texture.
✔️ Tips to Make It Right Every Time
- Overnight vs. bake now: You can bake it right away, but the overnight soak gives the best custard texture and makes holiday mornings easier.
- Check the temperature: Always bake until the center reaches 165°F for food safety.
- Milk options: Whole milk gives the richest flavor, but any milk works—including non-dairy.
- Covered or uncovered: Bake covered for a softer top or uncovered for a crispier finish—it’s up to you.
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🥣 Options and Variations
- Berries: Sprinkle on ½ cup of fresh blueberries before baking. Frozen works too if you’re refrigerating overnight. Mixed berries are just as good.
- Apples: Add small chopped apple pieces with the bread cubes or scatter on top. Toss first with a little brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Nuts: Pecans or walnuts add crunch—stir some in with the bread or use them in a topping.
- Streusel: A sweet, crunchy mix of brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts layered on top.
- Finishing touches: Drizzle with cream cheese glaze or dust with powdered sugar.
📆 Making Ahead
- Overnight (best option): According to the USDA, you can safely assemble the casserole up to 24 hours ahead. Cover tightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to bake, let it sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes while the oven preheats. (Some folks will tell you longer, but 24 hours is the food-safety line.)
- Freezer option: You can also make it completely ahead in an oven- or freezer-safe pan (like a disposable aluminum pan). Cool completely, then wrap well in plastic and foil. Freeze for up to 3 months.
👉 To use: Thaw in the refrigerator for about 24 hours, then reheat uncovered in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes.
↕️ How to Make French Toast Casserole for Two or Double for Family Size
This recipe is written for a small pan—an 8x8, 6x9, or 9-inch round dish makes about 6 servings. But it scales easily down for two or up for a family.
- For Two (half recipe): Use a 6-inch round (or similar small dish). Bake 25–30 minutes, until golden and the center is 165°F.
- Original recipe (6 servings): Use an 8x8, 6x9, or 9-inch round dish. Bake 40–45 minutes.
- Double recipe (family size): Use a 9x13 casserole or cake pan. Bake 50–60 minutes, until browned and the center is 165°F.
✅ Tips for scaling:
- Use the recipe card to adjust the servings—ingredient amounts change, but the instructions do not.
- Always bake to 165°F for food safety.
🤔 How to Prevent Soggy French Toast Casserole
Nobody wants a soggy casserole. Here’s how to keep it firm and custardy every time:
- Use the right bread: Day-old French, sourdough, or brioche hold up best.
- Size matters: A too-thick casserole stays wet in the middle. It’s better to use a slightly larger pan than to crowd the bread into a small one.
- Preheat fully: Always start with a fully heated oven for even baking.
- Bake long enough: Don’t stop when it puffs—it needs to reach 165°F in the center for safety and texture.
- Rescue a soggy bake: If it comes out too wet, spread pieces on a rimmed baking sheet and bake a little longer to dry them out.
🍴 How to Serve French Toast Casserole
Serve warm with butter and maple syrup, plus toppings like fresh fruit or powdered sugar.
It also pairs perfectly with breakfast meats:
- Crispy Baked Bacon
- Ham steak, slices, or other breakfast favorites
Baked Breakfast Sausage
The best and easiest way to cook crispy and juicy sausage is in the oven. We always bake breakfast sausage patties or links, Italian sausages, or other full-size sausages for perfect sausages every time without the mess.
📋 Other Breakfast Recipes
Looking for more sweet breakfast ideas? Try:
❄️ Storage and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Cover and store in the refrigerator for 2–3 days.
- Freeze: Wrap tightly in plastic and foil, or use a freezer-safe pan. Store up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for about 24 hours before reheating.
- Reheat: For best texture, warm uncovered in a 350°F oven for about 30 minutes. An air fryer works too. Microwaving is quicker, but the top will be soft.
👉 For small households: Individual servings reheat faster—about 10–15 minutes in the oven.
❓ FAQs
Use gluten-free bread. The other ingredients are usually gluten-free, but always check the labels to be safe.
Bread pudding uses more milk than eggs, is generally sweeter, often includes raisins, and is usually served as a dessert with a sauce. French toast casserole is less sweet and made for breakfast.
For food safety, the USDA recommends no longer than 24 hours in the refrigerator before baking. Some families stretch it, but 24 hours is the safe limit. For longer storage, bake the casserole fully, cool it, then freeze (see Make Ahead section).
French bread is the classic choice for texture. Sourdough, Italian, or brioche also work well. Day-old, crusty bread is best, but softer breads can be adapted by drying them in a low oven for 10 minutes.
📖The Recipe Card
Small French Toast Casserole (Overnight or Bake Now)
Video Slideshow
Ingredients
- 8 oz French bread (1-inch cubes) - other bread would do
- 4 eggs - large
- 1 ½ cups milk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Butter an 8x8 or 6x9-inch baking dish
- Cut 8 oz of crusty French bread into 1-inch cubes and add to the pan.
- Whisk 4 eggs, 1 ½ cups milk, 2 teaspoons sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Mix lightly.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes, cover with foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight, or you can proceed to the next step and cook now.
- In the morning, remove it from the refrigerator, uncover it, and let it rest at room temperature for 15–30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the microwave and brush the top.
- Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle on top.
- Bake until golden brown and an internal temperature of 165°F—about 40–45 minutes.
- Allow to cool for 5–10 minutes before serving.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips
- I suggest a crusty bread; if it is a little stale, that is good. If you opt for softer bread, you might want to dry it out a bit in a 200°F oven for about 10 minutes.
- This uses an 8x8 or 6x9 casserole dish.
- Instructions for half and double recipes are in the post.
- The endpoint of cooking is nicely browned and has an internal temperature of 165° due to the eggs.
- The bread will puff up a bit near the end. When the center is puffed, that is about the minimum time, but it will still be soggy. Go a little longer to get a dryer casserole.
- Storage before cooking is limited to 24 hours for safety due to the eggs.
- After cooking, it can be stored, covered, and refrigerated for 2-3 days or frozen for 3 months.
- It is best if reheated in the oven or air fryer at 350° for 15–30 minutes. This will help crisp up the crust, whereas reheating with a microwave will make it soft.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You can adjust the number of servings above; however, only the amount in the ingredient list is adjusted, not the instructions.
Nutrition Estimate (may vary)
Editor's Note: Originally Published December 22, 2016. Updated with expanded options, refreshed photos, and a table of contents to help navigation.
Connie says
Today is the 2nd time I’m making this for my husband, son, and me. We loved it the first time and both of them said how much they’re looking forward to it this evening. I put a little bit of flavored coffee creamer in with the milk and just used up some sweet Hawaiian rolls for the bread. Thank you for the recipe.
Crystal muncy says
I made the French toast casserole for 2 people followed receive exactly.
My husband said he tasted no eggs at all tasted like sweet bread.
How can I add more eggs to it?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Crystal,
If you want to use more egg, you will need to decrease the volume of the milk. A large egg is 3 tablespoons, so for each additional egg you add, decrease the milk by that amount. That should work but not tested.
Dan
Anne says
Ha! Your email spotlighting your updated post of this recipe just showed up in my inbox, and I immediately recognized it as one of my favorite breakfast recipes. Came to the blog to leave a comment to tell you so, and saw my own comment from 2019 as your featured comment! Loved it then, love it now. This delicious casserole never fails. Thanks again, Dr. Dan. You're awesome!
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Anne,
Yeo, as I rewrite posts (the recipe rarely changes) to improve user experience, I frequently add a "featured comment" snippet. It tells people that other real people like the recipe, and encourages them to comment or ask questions. Plus, Google likes it.
Glad you are still enjoying this one, I did add a few options and clarify some language, but nothing else but the presentation changed.
Dan