French Toast Croissant Casserole
This Overnight French Toast Croissant Casserole is made with buttery croissants baked in a spiced custardy batter on a gooey brown sugar and butter base. Soft, fluffy and full of flavor this overnight breakfast casserole is the perfect breakfast or brunch treat!
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This croissant French toast bake is indulgent and rich. Just the thing you want for a special festive breakfast. It is the ultimate brunch recipe. It is best made the night before so all you need to do is pop it in the oven for about a half hour and breakfast is served!
This breakfast casserole is also my go-to recipe if I am lucky enough to get invited to stay the night at a friend’s or family’s cottage. No fuss or mess for the host, just bring some maple syrup and/or some powdered sugar and the smell of baked French toast will wake everyone up with a smile on their face,
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Large Stale Croissants – Cut them into cubes and let them sit out the night before you plan to make this recipe so they have time to dry out.
- Butter and Brown Sugar – The gooey sugary base for this French Toast Recipe.
- Eggs and Milk – The backbone of the creamy custardy filling.
- Vanilla & Spices – Used to flavor the filling. Cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt.
If you don’t have stale croissants or the time to leave them out overnight, cut them up and place them on a baking sheet. Bake at 200°F for about 15-20 minutes to dry them out but do not let them begin to brown.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Grease a 9″ X 13″ inch baking dish and preheat your oven to 400°F.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and then add the brown sugar stirring until the brown sugar has dissolved into the butter.
- Pour the brown sugar into the bottom of the baking dish and use a spoon to spread it out evenly.
- Add the stale croissant cubes to the dish on top of the brown sugar mixture.
- Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, salt and spices to a large bowl. Whisk until well combined.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly over the stale croissants. Give a little press down with the back of the spoon so that the tops of the croissants also get soaked in the egg mixture. Just a second or two will do.
- Pop the croissant french toast casserole into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the top has become golden brown and the egg mixture looks to have been soaked up and is no longer runny. If the top begins to brown too quickly you can lay a sheet of aluminum foil overtop to prevent further browning.
- Remove from the oven and serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and/or a drizzle of maple syrup.
Storage & Reheating
This recipe can be stored in the fridge tightly covered for up to 3 days.
Reheat the Croissant French Toast in the oven for 20 minutes at 350°F. Alternatively, if you only want to reheat a slice pop it in the microwave for one minute.
Freezing – Before Or After Baking?
I would suggest freezing before baking. Both are fine but over time the frozen french toast that has already been baked can dry out in the freezer and baking fresh is always going to taste better!
Freezing unbaked French Toast Casserole
If you plan to pre-make this and freeze it for later after it is assembled, cover it tightly and place it in the freezer making sure it is on a flat surface. This way all the custardy filling won’t pour over to only one side and stay evenly dispersed.
If you make this ahead before baking there is no need to let it sit overnight. Just let it sit for 3 hours to soak up most of the egg mixture before freezing.
To prepare, preheat your oven and bake it from frozen for 50-60 minutes to allow it to cook fully. After about 30 minutes cover it with foil if the top is beginning to brown too quickly and continue baking until the centre is hot and the liquid looks mostly absorbed.
Freezing after baking
A Baked French Toast Croissant Casserole can be frozen once completely cooled. Cover it tightly and freeze. I like to cut the casserole into slices before freezing so that I can just take out a slice or two when I want a breakfast treat.
Baked or unbaked this recipe can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Can Different Bread Be Used?
Yes of course! Brioche, baguettes, ciabatta, challah or just plain old stale white bread will all work well. I like bread with a stiffer crust best because it provides a little more texture.
Serving Suggestions
- Sprinkle with powdered sugar
- Drizzle with maple syrup, honey or Brandied Brown Sugar Sauce
- Add a dollop of whipped cream or Greek yogurt
- Add a few berries on top before or after baking
- Top it with a brown sugar crumble (mix 2 tbsp of brown sugar with 1/2 tsp of cinnamon) and sprinkle on top before baking.
More Brunch Ideas To Try
- Croissant Breakfast Pie
- Asparagus Cheese Tart
- Cinnamon French Toast Pancakes
- Cookies and Cream Cinnamon Rolls
- Breakfast Stuffed Peppers
- Red Pepper & Sausage Breakfast Strata
French Toast Croissant Casserole
Ingredients
- 6 large stale croissants; cubed
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 7 large eggs
- 3 cups milk
- 2 ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 9" X 13" deep sided baking dish.
- In a small saucepan melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the brown sugar and mix into the butter until combined and the brown sugar is dissolved. Pour the brown sugar mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Spread it out evenly over the bottom.
- Add the cubed stale croissants evenly over top of the brown sugar mixture.
- Add the eggs, milk, vanilla, salt and spices to a large bowl and whisk until fully combined. Pour the egg mixture evenly over top of the croissant cubes. Press down gently on the top of the croissant cubes for a second or two making sure that they are coated with the egg mixture.
- Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the egg mixture is no longer runny. If the top browns too quickly before this recipe is fully baked, place a sheet of aluminum foil gently overtop to prevent further browning.
- When ready remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Could I use half and half for a portion of the milk?
Sure that will work Terry.