Enjoy delicious Overnight French Toast in the morning, when most of the work was done the night before!
Is there anything better than starting the day with French toast? Most of the time no, but what about eating tasty French toast for breakfast without having to get up early in the morning to make it? To me, that’s the best way to start the day. Granted, a little bit of effort is needed the night before. But if you can whisk eggs and a few other ingredients together, you can make overnight French toast and reap the rewards when it’s ready the next morning.
Keep in mind that cooking overnight French toast requires an oven, so it’s a little different from traditional French toast. But you still get that classic French toast taste with an egg-based custard and flavors of vanilla and cinnamon mixed in. Since the bread has all night to soak before going in the oven, overnight French toast has the texture of bread pudding. It’s almost like being able to eat dessert at breakfast time.
Is Overnight French Toast Healthy?
While overnight French toast isn’t the healthiest breakfast you can have, it has some benefits. The eggs provide a dose of protein, and the dish also contains a decent amount of iron and calcium. In terms of fat and calories, each serving has less than 300 calories and about 14 grams of sugar. If you’re watching your cholesterol, you may want to avoid this dish. But most people should be able to enjoy overnight French toast on occasion without worrying too much about its health effects.
How To Optimize Your Bread For French Toast
With any French toast recipe, the quality of the bread is always important. For overnight French toast, you want to make sure the bread has had a chance to dry out. Dry (or slightly stale) bread is able to better absorb the egg mixture without getting too soggy in the fridge overnight. You might want to think about lightly pressing the bread down into the mixture to make sure each piece evenly absorbs the liquid. Finally, if you’re feeling fancy, I recommend slicing the bread diagonally to make the dish look nicer.
How to make ahead and store
Overnight French toast is designed to be made ahead of time. After baking, you can keep the cooled leftovers in the original pan, cover them in plastic wrap, and leave them in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Serving Suggestions
With so much bread and eggs in this recipe, I think fruit is a great way to complement it. You might enjoy a traditional Fruit Salad recipe or perhaps a Watermelon Fruit Salad. On the other hand, when I eat French toast, I sometimes can’t resist making Air-Fryer Breakfast Sausage along with it. It’s also tempting to pair French toast with Baked Brown-Sugar Bacon. Finally, if you’re making overnight French toast for a special occasion, you might also want to know how to make the Perfect Mimosa.
If you’re a big fan of French toast and want to keep experimenting with different recipes, I have a few more to pass your way. One that I absolutely love is Bananas Foster French Toast, which also makes you think you’re having dessert for breakfast. If you want to put a fruity twist on French toast, I encourage you to try Strawberry French Toast Bake With Rhubarb. Finally, if you’re hoping to cut down on lactose, there is a great French Toast Without Milk recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread sliced into 1-inch thick pieces
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Butter as needed
- Maple syrup and powdered sugar for garnish
Instructions
- Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan with butter, then layer the slices of bread overlapping each other slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, half-and-half, sugar, vanilla extract, salt and cinnamon until well combined.
- Pour the custard mixture over the bread slices, ensuring all are evenly soaked. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the French toast for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and set.
- Serve hot with a drizzle of maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar for added sweetness.
Nutrition Info:
Nutrition information are estimates only and may vary based on the specific brands, ingredients, and portion sizes you use. This data is provided for informational purposes only.
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