Overnight Creme Brûlée French Toast Bake
Prepped overnight, this incredible baked creme brûlée french toast is one of the easiest and most delicious breakfasts ever.
This overnight French toast bake is perfect for holiday mornings, brunch menus, fun weekend breakfasts, and more. With over 300 5-star reviews, it really is one of the best breakfast recipes ever!
How to Make Creme Brûlée French Toast
This French toast bake comes together very quickly and involves five basic steps:
- Heat butter, brown sugar and maple syrup until melted and mostly smooth. Spread it in the bottom of a 9X13-inch pan.
- Spread 1-inch thick bread cubes in an even layer across the caramel mixture.
- Whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla and salt, and pour this mixture over the bread.
- Refrigerate for 8 to 10 hours.
- Bake until the bread is golden and the caramel is bubbling.
Optional: the French toast bake can be flipped halfway through baking with a large, flat spatula if you’d like the golden caramelly mixture to end up on top.
Say No to Soggy French Toast
There are many reasons this overnight creme brûlée french toast bake shines.
- It is a make-ahead breakfast, which is dreamy when you’re feeding company or need a no-fuss breakfast for a busy or holiday morning.
- It is crazy delicious.
- It is NOT soggy.
And I don’t know about you, but that ⬆️ may be the winning factor for why this breakfast bake is the best.
I despise soggy bread (you longterm readers are like, “yes, Mel, WE KNOW”), which means I am very, very particular about French toast in all its variations.
This creme brûlée french toast has the perfect ratio of milk/eggs to bread ensuring that the bread bakes up custard-like and soft without being soggy. 🙌🏼
Serving Suggestions
My top tips for serving this delectable French toast bake are as follows:
- Serve it warm so the bread is soft and the “brûlée” layer is syrupy.
- Cut the breakfast bake into squares and dish it up with a flat spatula, making sure to scrape up all of the caramelly goodness underneath the bread as you serve it.
- For a prettier presentation, when serving, flip the pieces onto the serving plates so the syrup layer is on top.
- Serve with whipped cream and berries (optional, but so very lovely and delish!).
This creme brûlée french toast bake is truly exceptional! It has become a favorite Christmas morning breakfast for thousands of families everywhere (including us!).
Hundreds of 5-Star Reviews for Creme Brulee French Toast
Scroll through the comment thread below to read through more reader’s comments and suggestions!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I have made this recipe no less than 50 times. It is a family favorite and new guests always want the recipe! I use the ingredients as written (4 large eggs and 1 cup half and half) and flip the casserole halfway through baking so that the brown sugar mixture is on both the top and the bottom. -Natalie
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Out of all the overnight toasts I’ve tried, this ones our favorite! We’ve done it for multiple guests and it’s always been a hit. -Jenni
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Tried this for when my daughter’s family when they visited. Every person at the table agreed it was the best breakfast they had ever had! Easy to make and it disappeared just as easily. -Pat
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I just made this and served it at book group and it was hit! It was devoured. Not soggy, great flavor, and perfect with cream and berries. I forgot to make it the night before but it was still delicious! -Melanie B.
Overnight Creme Brûlée French Toast Bake
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) butter
- ¾ cup (159 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, corn syrup or pancake syrup
- 6 to 8 1-inch thick slices French bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (see picture in the post – also, see note)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Sweetened whipped cream + fresh strawberries/raspberries, for serving
Instructions
- Add butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup to a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave for 1-2 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Stir to combine. (This step can be done in a pan on the stove.)
- Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray.
- Spread the brown sugar mixture in the bottom of the pan and arrange the bread cubes in a single layer over the top.
- In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, and salt.
- Pour the mixture evenly over the bread.
- Cover the pan and refrigerate overnight (8 to 10 hours).
- Remove the pan from the refrigerator, uncover, and place in the cold oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once the oven reaches temperature, bake for 30-35 minutes, until the bread is golden and the caramelly syrup is bubbling (alternately, if you want the golden syrupy goodness on top, the french toast can be baked for 20 minutes, then using a large, flat spatula, flip the bread pieces and bake for another 10-15 minutes).
- Serve warm with sweetened whipped cream and fresh raspberries or strawberries.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: adapted from this recipe at Allrecipes
Recipe originally posted December 2016; updated May 2025 with new photos, recipe notes, etc.
This was so delicious! I did flip it at about 20 minutes to soak up more of that brown sugar goodness. Plus this was easy to prep the night before. Definitely a keeper
This is a family favorite that gets requested over and over. Always rave reviews for this one!! My family loves my cooking thanks to you!
I am making this for a crowd of over 100.. If I double this recipe and make it in two layers, would you recommend another layer of caramel between the two layers?
If you’re doubling up the bread layer then, yes, I think adding a layer of caramel would be a good idea.
I am making this for a crowd of over 100.. If I double this recipe and make it in two layers, would you recommend another layer of caramel between the two layers?
Prepared exactly as written (but used potato sourdough from our local Grand Central Bakery).
First of all, I love this recipe and every time I make it people ask for the recipe!
I am thinking of serving it with Easter brunch and some of my family have to watch their sugar intake. I’m wondering if you think I could substitute the brown sugar with coconut sugar? I’ve heard coconut sugar can be a bit drying so I’m not sure how to handle that.
Thanks so much!
Hi Elizabeth, I haven’t tried substituting another sugar for the brown sugar, but it’s worth a try!
I’ve been making this recipe for over 3 years for special occasions at home and the school where I work. Everyone asks for the recipe, so I just keep the tab open on my phone browser for an easy share! I’ve never actually tried it with French bread. The first time I made it, I subbed in 6 stale Costco croissants – cut into 1 inch thick slices the opposite direction you’d cut it for a sandwich and laid flat so the airy, spiral center sits gets filled with the egg mixture. I was hoping it’d be similar to the croissant French Toast we love at a local restaurant, and it came out even better with the crème brûlée crust on the bottom. I’ve made it the same way dozens of times since!
Thanks for your comment on this recipe, Lisa! Glad you are loving it! Thanks for including your variations with the bread.
I’ve been making this recipe for a couple of months now. I have turned your French bread recipe into a sandwich bread and when I slice it, I put the heals aside in the freezer. Once a month I use the saved heals for this recipe. It works perfectly!
What a great idea, Kim!
Could I make this with oat milk or cream for a non-dairy grandson?
I think that should work just fine!
My family loves this recipe so much they demand it every other week for meal prep. I did use coffee creamer instead of half and half to give it a bit more flavor than just the vanilla so I highly recommend it and I’m trying something different this week and I’m using a chocolate wine that’s basically Bailey’s. I’ll let you know how it turns out
Absolutely delicious! Rich and sweet, great as part of a brunch buffet as you may not want a whole plate of it. Made exactly as written with one small tweak: I sprinkled a bit of cinnamon on top before refrigerating overnight, also sprinkled a wee bit more onafter flipping the bread cubes over halfway through baking. We did not serve with whipping cream or syrup, just thawed some unsweetened frozen sliced strawberries to spoon over top. What a treat!
I made this using the extra egg/milk and French bread as directed – by morning the egg/milk mixture had settled to the bottom. I thought, when baking, it would bubble up through the bread – but it didn’t and the bread had a very dry crust on top. I tried to butter the top but it didn’t help. Maybe l should have saved some of the egg/milk mixture and put it on in the morning? My other concern was the brown sugar/butter on the bottom. If l wanted the French toast to be hot, the syrupy bottom burned my mouth. Really wouldn’t want to serve this to little kids!
I have made this recipe no less than 50 times. It is a family favorite and new guests always want the recipe! I use the ingredients as written (4 large eggs and 1 cup half and half) and flip the casserole halfway through baking so that the brown sugar mixture is on both the top and the bottom. (I cut it into small sections and flip each section one at a time.) I usually let the casserole cool just a bit so it doesn’t melt the whip cream. My kids have been eating this for the last 3 years (they are 5 and 7 and I serve it warm…not hot.) It is their absolute favorite and I’ve never had any issues with burning their mouths.
Really yummy! I was afraid it would be “dry” but it was perfect, as written, in that regard. Def enjoyed with the fruit to help cut down sweetness. Thanks for posting such a delicious recipe!
I didn’t like the bread I used. I used a take and bake French bread. It was crusty on the outside. I wish the recipe was more moist. I should have added more liquid. I did love the brown sugared bottom layer.
The best part of this recipe is that the calorie count was exact. There’s 9 servings in a 9×13 pan. My calorie count was 314 and hers was 315.
THIS IS SOOOOO GOOD! I am making it again for Christman…….THANKS!
What is French bread?
I know of French baguette and croissants, but not French bread.
It’s like a French baguette, just fluffier. But a French baguette may work too.
If you live in the middle/eastern half of the US, it is more like your Italian bread. At least, that’s what I would’ve used when we lived in WI and NY.
We made this this morning for a church Christmas party. We were just handed the ingredients and the recipe. Is there any chance that you might consider being more specific than just 6 slices of French Bread. The slices of French Bread we were given were much bigger than the usual so, having never made this before, I wasn’t sure if I had too much bread for the amount of liquids. In talking to others some people only put in half the bread they were given since that made one layer and others, like me, added extra milk and an egg. It would be nice to have a weight or at least how many cups the bread cubes make to make it more clear. Some of the bakers were new cooks–I don’t know what they did. Anyway, everyone loved it and there was none left by the end.
Hi Lorraine, sure, I’ll add some notes to the recipe to help.
I made this to take to a Church Christmas party asking for breakfast casseroles, sweet, or savory. The most difficult part of the recipe was cutting up the bread. I purchased a loaf of very fresh French bread from the grocery store. Your picture of the cut up bread in the pan looked much better than mine. I will cut the pieces bigger. It took almost the entire load, rather than 6 slices.
When you say you double it for your family, do you make a second pan, or put it all in one pan, just making the casserole thicker?
I have made several of your recipes over the years, and really love them.
Hi Brenda, when I double, I make two separate pans.
I hate it when people say I made your recipe and then describe how totally they changed it! So I hope you don’t mind that I made just one change – to use perhaps as an alternate ingredient. I had cinnamon rolls that were past their prime and I used them in place of the bread. This was spectacular. I’m with you – hate bread pudding but this is definitely not “bread pudding” – it’s a yummy breakfast/brunch. Thanks Mel
What a unique and great idea, Frances! Thanks for sharing!
This looks delicious! Can it be refrigerated for longer than 8-10 hours? Or, is less than 8 hours ok? Making it for a brunch. Christmas Eve brunch! Thanks, Mel! All your recipes are delicious.
Yes, I think the timing is flexible. I would suggest trying to refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Do you think this could be made into muffins for easier serving at a brunch?
I think that sounds like a great idea!
This is my go-to recipe when we have guests and I want to wow them with breakfast, and we’ve used it for Christmas morning a few years. It’s delicious with fresh fruit, but when berries aren’t in season it’s still amazing with frozen (then obviously thawed) berries!
My husband makes this every Mother’s Day for me, just watched him prepare it for tomorrow and I’m so excited. We don’t cut the bread into squares and just leave the slices whole. Turns out amazing every time!
I want to double this recipe. Can I still use the same size pan?
You will need a larger pan for a double batch.
So good! Made it for Christmas morning. Added some chopped pecans on the bottom of the pan and a sprinkling of cinnamon and nutmeg on top. A keeper, for sure!
Amazing!!! This has been a breakfast Christmas tradition since Mel posted it!! I look forward to it every year!
Can this be baked ahead and reheated?
I haven’t tried that, but I’m guessing it will work (I worry a little about the bread drying out, but it’s worth trying!).
This is a magical dish! I make en masse for the students at the school I work at going into Christmas break. They look forward to it all year and talk about the rest of the year after.
This brightened my day, Michele!
What a lovely way to care for those (lucky) students
Hey Mel quick question: my oven preheats really hot – will that be an issue in terms of potential burning or total cooking time?
It could be – you might add the french toast bake a few minutes after preheating.
I was afraid of breaking my dish so I let my oven heat to 150 degrees, then put it in and when oven had reached 350 I cooked for the 30 minutes. Worked great.
Turned out perfectly and was east to make. Tasted like a real expensive breakfast menu item.
I love this recipe and have made it many times over the years. Lately I’ve been freezing the heels of our sandwich bread (we go through a lot with three kids). I used the heels today in this recipe and it turned out delicious. I haven’t made the recipe the normal way lately so I’m not sure it’s quite as good but we all loved it and gobbled it up. I’ll continue to use up the heels with this recipe.
Mel, I have been making this for special occasions since you originally posted it. My kids call it “Mom’s Famous French Toast” I tell them that Mel made me famous!! Thank you for being my reliable source for favorite meals!!
Thanks so much, Molly!
This looks good. Did the 9×9 pan for the person who did it work? I am thinking to make it for my dad’s birthday but there is only 3 of us eating so a 9×9 pan.
Perfect I make this for Birthdays. Anniversary’s and Christmas
Excellent as is – didn’t even need the whipped cream.
love it
I am planning to make this for Easter breakfast tomorrow. So excited! I was wondering if I could do it in a 9×9 so it’s a little thicker. Thoughts?
Sorry I just saw this – did you end up baking it in a 9X9? I think you could definitely do that.
Hi Mel! How far in advance do you think this can be made without ending up soggy? Thanks very much!
Hey Theresa! I’ve only ever made it 24 hours in advance. Any longer and it might be a bit soggier.
What is the serving size?
I don’t have the serving size in weights – if the pan of french toast is cut into 8 pieces, it’s one of those squares (so 1/8 of the batch).