This Overnight Eggnog French Toast Casserole is an easy and delicious breakfast, perfect for winter and Christmas morning!
As soon as the holiday season rolls around, eggnog is a popular drink in this house.
And with eggnog comes eggnog recipes, like this Overnight Eggnog French Toast Casserole.
Choosing Your Bread
You could use any bread that does not already have a strong flavor.
Italian, French, rustic breads are great for this recipe.
Ideally, you want it to be a little crusty.
If the bread is not crusty, such as many of the standard breads you find in the store supermarket, it is best to dry it out just a little to keep its shape when it bakes.
To do this, just cut it into the large cubes and place it in an oven on warm, or 200F, and let it sit. You can also let the bread sit overnight.
Once it is somewhat dry, but not as dry and hard as croutons, you are good to go!
If you do not have time to do this, you will be fine.
But I noticed that fresh, extra soft bread tends to puff up a LOT and collapse more than crusty bread which results in less volume.
I love French toast casserole recipes because they are so much easier to make compared to traditional French toast.
No need to continue flipping pieces of bread like you would pancakes. Just get the casserole in the oven and let it cook!
And since this French toast casserole is made overnight, it is the perfect easy Christmas morning breakfast.
The flavors of eggnog focus around cinnamon and nutmeg which will bring just a little more warmth to this dish that a standard cinnamon French toast would.
Top it off with your favorite toppings like butter, syrup, fruit, and serve it alongside some more eggnog!
More Eggnog Recipes
Eggnog Recipes
Overnight Eggnog French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 cups large bread cubes (1 large loaf of French or Italian bread) (see note)
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups eggnog
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Topping
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick) cold, cut into pieces
Instructions
- Cut the bread into large cubes (see note and complete this step ahead of time if your bread is very soft).
- Spray a large baking dish (9×13") with nonstick spray or coat in butter. Spread the bread cubes across the baking dish.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, eggnog, cream, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Pour the mixture over the bread, cover, and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a small bowl, mix the topping ingredients together and use a fork or pastry cutter to cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles small pebbles. (This step can also be completed the night before and stored in the refrigerator overnight).
- Sprinkle the topping over the bread.
- Bake 45 minutes for a softer, bread pudding like texture, or 1 hour for a crisper texture.
- Serve warm with toppings like fruit, butter, or syrup.
