Overnight French Toast Bake with Pecan Topping

A comforting and easy French toast casserole made with day-old bread, soaked in a cinnamon-maple custard and baked with a crunchy pecan topping.

• Prep10 min
• Cook45 min
• Total55 min
• DifficultyEasy
• Servings12

This overnight French toast bake transforms simple ingredients into a crowd-pleasing breakfast or brunch. The day-old bread soaks up a rich custard of eggs, milk, and Greek yogurt, flavored with cinnamon, maple syrup, and vanilla.

Topped with chopped pecans and an extra drizzle of maple syrup, it bakes until golden and puffed, with a tender, almost bread-pudding-like center. Make it ahead – just assemble the night before and pop it in the oven in the morning.

Ingredients

Metric (g, ml, °C)US (cups, oz, °F)

Servings −

12

+

• 1 French bread (cut into 1-inch cubes)
• 8 eggs (beaten)
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup maple syrup (plus more for drizzling)
• 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ cup chopped pecans

Converted amounts are rounded.

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Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 13x9-inch baking dish.
2. Place the bread cubes in the greased dish.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the beaten eggs, milk, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread cubes, then gently toss to coat every piece.
4. Scatter the chopped pecans over the top and drizzle with a little extra maple syrup.
5. Bake for 40–50 minutes, until the center is set and a knife inserted comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 10 minutes.
6. Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes, then serve warm with additional maple syrup if desired.

💡 Tips

• For best results, use day-old bread – it soaks up the custard without turning mushy.
• You can assemble the casserole the night before: cover and refrigerate, then bake the next morning (add 5–10 minutes to baking time).
• If you don't have pecans, substitute with walnuts or sliced almonds.

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Inspired by a recipe from FeelGoodFoodie