Baked French Toast Recipe

I am a sucker for traditions, and sometimes to a fault. I stick to what I have done exactly the way I have always done it for the sake of keeping tradition arguably more than anybody I know. This time of year, as the holidays approach, I am reminded of just how many colder weather traditions I actually have. Food is important to me. I live for making good food for people I love, and eating certain types of foods at certain times of the year to commemorate certain things.

For me, lasagna is for Christmas Eve, corn casserole is for special holiday parties and meals, mulled wine is for brisk evenings, chili cannot be eaten until the first official cold front of the year, and baked french toast is made for special fall and winter breakfasts but PARTICULARLY for Christmas morning.

I love this baked french toast recipe, and the best part (aside from how tasty it is) is that it’s so easy to make! I hope you implement this recipe into your own traditions and love it as much as I do.

Baked French Toast 

You will need a 9 x 13 pan. (You can get mine shown above, here.) Set the oven for 350 degrees.

• 12 slices of bread (we use GF Udi’s!)
• 2 cups milk (or 1 cups milk and 1 cup half and half)
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping:

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pinch salt
• 4 tablespoons butter (softened)
• 1/2 cup pecans (chopped)

Spray or butter the bottom of your pan. Lay first layer of sliced bread (6 slices). Mix together milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Pour half the mixture over the top of first layer. Repeat with second layer of bread. Place dollops of butter on top of each slice if you’d like, and cover. Put in the fridge and let sit for 8-10 hours. (Not necessary, you can bake it right away, but it makes it fluffier!) Add the topping before sticking in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees (give or take- watch for it to brown on top and all egg mixture is no longer liquid).

Take out and let cool off, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with fresh fruit, pecans, syrup, and whipped cream!

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Photos by Cottonwood Road Photography for The Cake by Hannah