Cinnamon Baked French Toast
This recipe creates a delightful Cinnamon Baked French Toast casserole, perfect for a crowd. It features chunks of bread soaked overnight in a rich egg custard, topped with a buttery cinnamon-brown sugar streusel, then baked until golden. Serve warm with syrup and fresh blueberries for a comforting breakfast or brunch.
Equipment
- 1 Baking Pan Suitable for casserole
- 1 Large Mixing Bowl For the egg custard
- 1 Whisk For combining liquid ingredients
- 1 Small Mixing Bowl For the streusel topping
- 1 Pastry Cutter For incorporating butter into streusel
Ingredients
Main
- Butter for greasing
- 1 loaf crusty sourdough or French bread
- 8 whole eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1/2 cup whipping heavy cream
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 stick cold butter cut into pieces, plus more for serving
- Warm pancake syrup for serving
- 1 cup fresh blueberries for serving
Instructions
- For the French toast: Grease the baking pan with butter. Tear the bread into chunks, or cut into cubes, and evenly distribute in the pan. Crack the eggs in a big bowl. Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour evenly over the bread. Cover the pan tightly and store in the fridge until needed (overnight preferably).
- For the topping: Mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and some nutmeg in a separate bowl. Stir together using a fork. Add the butter and with a pastry cutter, and mix it all together until the mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store in a re-sealable plastic bag in the fridge.
- When you're ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the casserole from the fridge and sprinkle the topping over the top. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding texture or for 1 hour or more for a firmer, crisper texture.
- Scoop out individual portions. Top with butter and drizzle with warm pancake syrup and sprinkle with blueberries.
Notes
Optimal results come from allowing the bread to soak in the custard overnight; this ensures maximum absorption and a custardy texture. For the streusel, ensure the butter is very cold to achieve a crumbly, pebble-like consistency, which melts slowly and creates a delicious crisp topping. Adjust baking time based on desired texture: longer for a firmer, crispier exterior, or shorter for a softer, bread-pudding like interior. Serve immediately with warm syrup and fresh fruit for best enjoyment.