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 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, but for a simpler pancake dish, they could also try our Puffed Pancakes recipe.
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.) And for those with a sweet tooth, our French Toast with Candied Rice Krispies is a delightful twist!
Streusel French Toast Casserole
- 1 loaf of 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
How to Make Streusel French Toast Casserole
Step 1: 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. This whole casserole is easy for kids to make.
Step 2: Transfer bread cubes to the prepared baking dish.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: Carefully pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes.
Step 5: Let the bread mixture hang out to soak up the liquid while you make the streusel.
Step 6: To make the streusel, add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla bean paste to a bowl.
Step 7: Pour the butter over and combine with a fork. It will make nice clumps of topping.
Step 8: 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.
Step 9: 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 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Cut bread into bite-size pieces, about an inch. This a good job for kids. 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.
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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