Brioche French Toast Casserole Recipe

French toast without all the work? Yes, please!

And even better if you use brioche bread. Trust me on this. I’ve made hundreds of versions of French toast over the years (perhaps you remember my Croissant French Toast recipe that went mega-viral last year?). But it’s hard to beat brioche.

Brioche French Toast Casserole Recipe
Serves: 12

🍞 1 loaf sliced brioche bread (about 16 ounces total)
🍞 10 large eggs
🍞 1 pint half and half (1 pint = 2 cups / 16 ounces)
🍞 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
🍞 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
🍞 3 tablespoons butter, melted
🍞 3 tablespoons sugar
🍞 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
🍞 Maple syrup, butter, and/or fresh berries for serving

1. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish.
2. Lay the brioche bread slices in the baking dish, overlapping them slightly so they are distributed evenly and evenly fill the entire pan.
3. Whisk together the eggs, half and half, salt, and vanilla. Pour this mixture evenly over the bread.
4. Using a large serving spoon, the flat side of a measuring cup, or a large piece of parchment paper, firmly press down on the bread to fully soak it in the egg mixture. (Note: This step is important to make sure that the custard soaks into every slice of bread; don’t rush it.)
5. If you’re not ready to bake the casserole, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight. If you think of it, press down on the plastic wrap once or twice while it’s in the fridge to just encourage the custard to keep soaking evenly into all of the bread slices.
6. When you’re ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350ºF.
7. Brush or drizzle melted butter over the top of the casserole.
8. Combine the sugar and cinnamon and evenly dust the top of the casserole with cinnamon sugar.
9. Bake, uncovered, until the top is golden brown and crisp, 35 to 40 minutes.
10. Slice and serve while the casserole is still warm.