Streusel French Toast Casserole is a delicious french toast casserole that you can make ahead of time or right before baking. Topped with a crunchy streusel, this is a decadent breakfast everyone will love.
I love pancakes and French toast, but really don’t enjoy making them for breakfast. By the time I get to sit down and eat mine, everyone is finished and ready to get on with their day. Thanks a lot guys, I’ve just been standing over the stove flipping pancakes for you all morning, don’t mind me over here eating my breakfast all by my lonesome. The answer to this comes in the form of a casserole. Not only can I recruit some helpers to get it made and in the oven, but we can all eat breakfast at the same time. It’s a mom win-win. My kids are getting to the point where they are actually helpful in the kitchen. They could make this on their own without issue. The cleanup – we are still working on that.
This is definitely not an every weekend breakfast, it’s a bit on the decadent side. But every now and again? You’re in business. You can make this the night before and just bake it off when you are ready, but it does not need the time in the fridge you can also put it straight into the oven. I used the French toast base from Sabrina of Dinner Then Dessert but used my favorite streusel topping from my Jenny’s Crumb Cake recipe. (Which happens to be my son William’s favorite cake ever, if you haven’t already made it, you should.)
Streusel French Toast Casserole
- 1 loaf bread (challah, French, white, all work well)
- 8 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups half & half
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Streusel Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Cut bread into bite-size pieces, about an inch. This a good job for kids. Actually, this whole casserole is easy for kids to make.
Transfer bread cubes to the prepared baking dish.
Add eggs, half & half, both sugars, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to a large pitcher. Whisk until well combined. This is a perfect job for my beloved stick blender.
Carefully pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes.
Let the bread mixture hang out to soak up the liquid while you make the streusel.
To make the streusel, add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla bean paste to a bowl.
Pour the butter over and combine with a fork. It will make nice clumps of topping.
Top the french toast with the streusel. Try to get it as even as you can. And try not to eat it all before it hits the casserole, it is so good.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until it has puffed and is golden brown. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Top with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Streusel French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 loaf bread challah, French, white, all work well
- 8 eggs
- 2 1/2 cups half & half
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Streusel Topping::
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
- Cut bread into bite-size cubes. Transfer to baking dish.
- In a large pitcher, whisk together eggs, half & half, both sugars, vanilla bean paste, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. (I like to use an immersion blender for this.)
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. Set aside.
- To make the streusel, add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla bean paste, and salt to a medium size bowl. Pour melted butter over and use a fork to combine. Use the fork to make clumps of streusel topping.
- Top the bread mixture evenly with the streusel. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the casserole is puffed and golden brown.
Notes
Nutrition
Helpful Tips for Streusel French Toast Casserole:
- It is 1000% worth it to grate your own nutmeg. I always use whole nutmeg and my microplane to grate it. The pre-grated in the jar is nowhere near as good as when do it yourself.
- I used King’s Hawaiin bread, but leftover Cardamom Braid or Challah would be amazing.
- I think that this is sweet enough on its own, but my kids poured some maple syrup on it. I only buy this kind now because they are geniuses by putting it in this kind of bottle. No more syrup all over my fridge!
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Jackie
Friday 4th of June 2021
I made this on a Saturday morning for my family and some friends. Everyone just loved it. I have to say it's Amazing. And definitely a new family favorite.
Bree Hester
Sunday 13th of June 2021
Yeah! This makes me so happy!
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Rebecca
Thursday 22nd of February 2018
Hi! This looks amazing! I can't wait to make it for my family on the weekend, since we love french toast, but I totally get not wanting to make the actual stuff. ;D One quick question though. What is the "half & half" that is reference in the recipe? Thanks!
bakedbree
Sunday 25th of February 2018
Half & Half is sold in the dairy aisle, it's half milk and half cream.
Tiffany
Thursday 25th of January 2018
This looks amazing! Can't wait to try it soon.
bakedbree
Monday 29th of January 2018
It is so good, I hope that you do!