Overnight Caramel French Toast is the perfect make-ahead, no-fuss breakfast to treat your family! Assemble it the night before and bake in the morning!
Overnight Caramel French Toast is a delicious caramel-covered breakfast that requires minimal effort. Simply prepare this overnight breakfast the night before you plan to serve it, then pop it in the oven when you wake up.
Perfect for gatherings, holidays, or any day of the week, this overnight french toast casserole recipe will have you and your guests smacking your lips! Looking for more baked French toast recipes? Try French Toast Bake with Fruit.
OVERNIGHT CARAMEL FRENCH TOAST
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When it comes to holidays and family gatherings, there’s nothing I love more than sharing a delicious breakfast with the ones I love. But as much as I love breakfast, I love my sleep even more. So getting up early and spending all morning in the kitchen is a deal-breaker. Enter the terrific invention of overnight breakfasts!
When you’re feeding a group for breakfast, there are two things to consider.
1. What is a delicious breakfast dish that everyone loves? And 2. What can I serve that will really wow my guests?
2. The combination of sweet caramel, with the hearty, custard of a thick french toast casserole will do just that.
Ingredients in Overnight Caramel French Toast
- Brown sugar
- Butter
- Corn syrup
- Sliced bread
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Eggs
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
If you don’t have light corn syrup on hand, you can use maple syrup for a deeper caramel flavor.
How to Make Caramel French Toast Easy
- Coat a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. On the stove, bring the brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup to a boil over medium heat to make caramel. Be sure to watch it closely so that it doesn’t burn. When the sugar is dissolved, pour the caramel into the bottom of your baking dish, and lay half of your bread slices over it.
- In a bowl, mix together your cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle half of the cinnamon-sugar topping over the bread in your baking dish, then layer the rest of the bread on top. (You could use brown sugar and cinnamon if you want to mix things up.)
- Whisk together your eggs, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Pour the rest of your cinnamon sugar in the egg & milk mixture and stir it until everything is combined. Pour it over the layered bread, then cover it and refrigerate it overnight.
- Take the french toast casserole out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before you plan to bake it in the morning. Heat your oven to 350 degrees F and you’re ready to bake your French toast for 35-40 minutes, then serve it while it’s still warm. Be sure to flip the french toast over onto the plate so the caramel-coated side is up. You can sprinkle some powdered sugar on top, or enjoy as is.
Do you have to soak french toast overnight?
If you’re making slices of french toast to order for breakfast, a quick dip in the egg mixture before cooking in a skillet is enough.
For a french toast bake, it’ll do so much better if you give the bread some time to soak up the liquids. At least a couple of hours, but you can leave it in the fridge overnight. Because no one likes getting up at 3 am to prep for breakfast at 7 am. The bread will soak up the custard mixture (and all that flavor!) and bake with a nice crispy top and soft center.
What kind of bread should I use?
You can use just about any type of sliced bread, but make sure that it’s soft enough to hold the egg & milk mixture without drying out too much. Texas Toast is a great option for this caramel French toast recipe, because of its soft, thick consistency.
Why should I soak French toast overnight?
It may seem counterintuitive, but the longer this French toast casserole soaks, the more the flavors will meld together. Soaking the bread in the milk and egg mixture overnight also gives this Caramel French Toast recipe a flavorful custard element that will wow your guests!
Got French toast on the brain?
- How to Make French Toast
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- More BREAKFAST recipes…
Tools used to make this Overnight Caramel French Toast recipe
Baking Dish: This 9×13 baking dish is a staple in my kitchen. Its durable design makes it a high-quality dish that is perfect for casseroles.
Saucepan: This stainless steel saucepan is great for making caramels and other confections. The stainless steel walls make it a good conductor of heat, which will ensure that sugar dissolves thoroughly and caramel cooks evenly.
*This post originally posted on 05/07/2015.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar lightly packed
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 12 slices bread
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 6 eggs
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Spray 9-inch x 13-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a small saucepan bring brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup to a boil over medium heat. When the sugar is dissolved pour into the prepared pan.
- Place six slices of bread on top of the caramel. You might need to squish the slices together to make them all fit.
- In a small bowl mix the cinnamon and sugar together. Sprinkle half of the mixture over bread in the pan. Top with remaining six slices of bread.
- In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. Stir in remaining half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture and stir until combined. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Take french toast casserole out of the fridge and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover dish and bake for 35-40 minutes until golden. Remove from oven. Use a spatula to flip the bread slices over onto a plate so the caramel side is up. Top with powdered sugar, if desired, and serve immediately.
Nutrition
Craving More Overnight Breakfasts?
Overnight Caramel Apple French Toast
Charlene says
Can this recipe use bread chunks like French bread? I’m making it for a baby shower.
Night Owl says
I use maple syrup instead of corn syrup. This is easily my daughter’s favorite French toast. She is almost 17 and didn’t really like French toast until I used this recipe.
asia says
WOW! This stuff is so tasty and great
Julie banar says
what is the temp for the overnight French toast?
Julie K says
So sorry about that Julie! We’ve updated the recipe (for printing purposes), and it should be baked at 350 degrees F.
Danielle | The Creative Bite says
I think anyone who doesn’t love sleep has something wrong with them! This overnight caramel french toast looks like the perfect breakfast to wake up to in the morning.