Baked French Toast Brioche
Craving something cozy, sweet, and impossibly easy for brunch? This baked French toast brioche delivers all the comforting flavors of classic French toast in a no-fuss, oven-baked format.
With buttery brioche cubes soaked in a rich vanilla-cinnamon custard and baked until golden, it’s the perfect make-ahead dish for slow weekends, holiday mornings, or when you’re feeding a crowd. Whether topped with fresh berries, maple syrup, or a dusting of powdered sugar, it’s a warm and satisfying treat that feels like a hug in every bite.
This baked French toast takes everything you love about the classic breakfast dish—rich custard, warm spices, and golden, buttery bread—and transforms it into something you can prep ahead with ease. Using soft, slightly stale brioche allows the bread to soak up the cinnamon-vanilla custard without falling apart, giving you that perfect contrast between a tender, almost pudding-like center and crisp, golden edges.
For another breakfast idea, you can also try my amazing nutella waffles, or feta eggs to pair with this incredible french toast.
Letting it chill before baking gives the flavors time to develop and ensures every bite is fully infused with sweetness and spice. It’s the kind of recipe that feels impressive enough for a special brunch but is simple enough to throw together the night before. Once baked, it comes out beautifully puffed, golden, and ready to serve warm with powdered sugar, maple syrup, or fresh fruit—comforting, cozy, and endlessly satisfying.
Ingredients: What You Need
- Brioche bread: cut into 1-inch cubes (slightly stale works best; you could also use challah or another soft, slightly sweet bread)
- Eggs: whisked into the custard base
- Whole milk: adds richness to the custard
- Heavy cream: for extra creamy texture
- Granulated sugar: for sweetness and helping achieve a light, crispy top (if you choose to use only brown sugar, you might lose out on that crispy texture)
- Brown sugar: light or dark, adds depth, moisture, and a hint of molasses flavor (using only brown sugar will give a richer, warmer flavor but might make the top less crispy). Using both granulated and brown sugar lets you enjoy the best of both worlds: crispiness from the granulated sugar and depth from the brown sugar.
- Vanilla extract: for warm, sweet flavor
- Ground cinnamon: classic spice for French toast
- Ground nutmeg (optional): adds subtle warmth
- Salt: just a touch to balance the sweetness
- Unsalted butter: melted on top for richness (can also be used for greasing the baking dish)
Optional toppings:
- Powdered sugar
- Maple syrup
- Fresh berries or sliced fruit
- Chopped pecans or walnuts
- Streusel topping (a mix of flour, butter, and brown sugar for a crumbly, sweet finish)
Having the toppings separate is a great way to let everyone pick their favorites, especially when feeding a crowd!
Note: You’ll need a 9×13-inch baking dish (also known as a casserole dish) for this recipe.
How to Make Baked French Toast Brioche
Don’t worry if you’ve never made baked French toast brioche before—just follow along with this guide to learn how to make baked French toast brioche.
Prepare the baking dish: Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with unsalted butter or non-stick spray. Set aside.
Cube the brioche: Cut the brioche into 1-inch cubes. For clean cuts, it’s best to use a bread knife to avoid tearing the bread. Fill the prepared dish with the cubes.
Make the custard: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg (if using), and salt. Whisk until the mixture is fully combined and smooth.
Assemble the dish: Pour the custard evenly over the brioche cubes, ensuring all the bread is soaked. Gently press the bread down into the liquid with the back of a spoon to help it soak up the custard. Refer to the attached photo: the bread should be saturated but not “swimming” in custard.
Chill the mixture (optional but recommended): Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight. This allows the bread to fully absorb the custard and creates a rich, custardy texture once baked.
Preheat the oven: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F).
Bake uncovered: Remove the dish from the fridge while the oven heats. Bake the French toast uncovered for 40–50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and slightly crispy. The center should be set but still soft and custardy. If the top is browning too quickly, you can loosely cover the dish with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.
Cool slightly: Once baked, let the French toast cool for about 10 minutes before serving. This allows the custard to firm up slightly.
Serve and enjoy: Dust with powdered sugar, drizzle with maple syrup, and top with fresh berries or sliced fruit. For extra flavor, add chopped pecans or walnuts and a streusel topping for a crunchy, sweet finish.
Toppings are optional, and it’s a great idea to serve them on the side if you’re feeding a crowd, so everyone can choose what they like. For more variation to serve, might as well try my banana and carrot muffins, or banana protein muffins, perfect for breakfast, post-workout fuel, or a wholesome snack.
Storing and Freezing
This baked French toast is best enjoyed fresh, as the custard can cause the bread to become soggy over time. However, if you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. When ready to eat, you can reheat in the oven at 175°C (350°F) for about 10-15 minutes.
Keep in mind, though, that reheating may result in a slightly soggy texture, so it’s not quite as delightful as when it’s freshly made.
While it’s possible to freeze the dish after it’s baked, it’s not the best method. Freezing can impact the texture, making the bread less crisp and possibly soggy when reheated. A better option might be to freeze the custard mixture separately and then assemble and bake when you’re ready.
But again, freezing isn’t the ideal solution, and this dish is quick to prepare the day before, so it’s really easier and tastier to make fresh or chill overnight for a simple, stress-free prep.
FAQs
The most common mistake is using bread that’s too fresh. Fresh bread doesn’t absorb the custard well, which can lead to soggy or unevenly cooked French toast. Slightly stale bread works best, as it holds its structure while soaking up the liquid. If your bread is too soft, you can lightly toast it in the oven before assembling—this helps it dry out just enough to absorb the custard more evenly.
Brioche is the preferred choice for French toast. Its rich, buttery texture gives the dish a light, airy texture while absorbing the custard beautifully. French bread, while still delicious, can sometimes be a bit too firm and dense, making it less ideal for soaking in the custard. Brioche offers a more indulgent, melt-in-your-mouth experience.
Restaurant French toast often stands out because it’s made with high-quality ingredients, like rich, eggy brioche or challah, and cooked to perfection. The custard is typically allowed to soak in for longer, creating a deeper flavor, and it’s often cooked slowly on a griddle to achieve a crisp, golden-brown crust. Restaurants also tend to serve it with indulgent toppings like fresh fruit, powdered sugar, or syrup, adding to the experience. Another factor is that they don’t use standard pre-sliced grocery loaves—thicker, hand-cut slices create a heartier texture and better custard-to-bread balance.
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Baked French Toast Brioche
Equipment
- 1 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 loaf brioche bread about 14–16 oz, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar light or dark
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (for greasing or drizzling)
Optional toppings:
- Powdered sugar
- Maple syrup
- Fresh berries or sliced fruit
- Chopped pecans or walnuts
- Streusel topping flour, butter, brown sugar mix
Instructions
- Prepare the baking dish: Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Cube the brioche: Cut the brioche into 1-inch cubes. If it’s slightly stale, even better—it’ll soak up the custard more effectively. Spread the cubes evenly in the prepared dish.
- Make the custard: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using), and salt until well combined.
- Assemble the dish: Pour the custard evenly over the brioche cubes. Gently press the bread down so it soaks up the liquid. Cover the dish with foil or plastic wrap.
- Chill (optional, but recommended): Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight, to allow the bread to absorb the custard fully.
- Preheat and bake: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Remove the dish from the fridge while the oven heats.
- Bake uncovered: Bake uncovered for 40–50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set but still soft. If it starts to brown too quickly, you can loosely cover it with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.
- Cool slightly: Let it cool for about 10 minutes before serving.
- Serve and enjoy: Dust with powdered sugar, drizzle with maple syrup, and top with berries or nuts if desired. Serve warm!
