This delicious Crockpot French Toast Casserole is the perfect way to start your day with minimal effort and a whole lot of deliciousness. It has all the flavors of traditional French toast with none of the hassle!
Say goodbye to morning chaos and hello to a delicious, stress-free breakfast with my crockpot (slow cooker) French toast casserole. This easy, no-fuss recipe is a game-changer for lazy weekends, festive holidays, and busy mornings. Just add your ingredients to the crock pot, set it, and forget it!
The crockpot aka slow cooker, is a kitchen superhero. It effortlessly transforms ordinary ingredients into extraordinary meals. From hearty apple cinnamon oatmeal to savory BBQ pulled chicken and indulgent desserts like apple crisp, my crockpot is the secret to stress-free, flavor-packed creations. This crockpot french toast casserole is no exception—it's a breakfast dream come true!
This overnight French toast casserole is a delicious, no-fuss breakfast that practically makes itself. It has all the comforting flavors of French toast that we love like cinnamon and vanilla, but without the hassle of frying bread on a hot stove.
Instead, the ingredients cook in a crockpot over a couple of hours while you relax. It does all of the work for you! You can even assemble the whole thing the night before.
The end result is a fluffy casserole with a delicious custardy texture that's reminiscent of bread pudding. This dish is so good, it tastes like dessert. The whole family will love it!
If you're a fan of French toast, you can also try my strawberry stuffed French toast or blueberry French toast muffins.
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Why You'll Love This Dish:
- Effortless: This easy breakfast casserole requires minimal effort- the crockpot does the heavy lifting.
- Simple Ingredients: This recipe uses inexpensive ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
- Perfect for Weekends or Holidays: This recipe is ideal for Christmas morning, Sunday brunch, or any day when you want a comforting, hot breakfast.
- Customizable: Tweak this recipe with different types of bread, add your favorite fruit, or experiment with toppings to create your signature version. See "Recipe Variations" section below for ideas.
Ingredients
Ingredient notes and substitutions. See recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe details.
- Bread- you can use any sturdy loaf of bread like French bread, sourdough, challah bread, or brioche bread- slightly stale bread works best to soak up the custard.
- Milk- milk and eggs form the base of the custard that the bread soaks in. You can use any type of milk including dairy or nondairy milk. I used 2% milk.
- Cinnamon- cinnamon adds warm flavor; I use some in the custard and sprinkle a little on top too. You can also add other spices like nutmeg and ginger.
- Maple syrup- I add a small amount of pure maple syrup to lightly sweeten the dish; you can substitute brown sugar, monk fruit sweetener or any sweetener of your choice (or leave it out completely).
Equipment
I use this classic 6 Quart Programmable Crock-Pot with Digital Timer for this recipe.
How To Make Crockpot French Toast Casserole Step-By-Step
See recipe card at the end of the post for full recipe details.
- Step 1- Cut the bread into cubes. Grease the bowl of the crockpot with butter or nonstick cooking spray and add the bread pieces. If desired, you can use a slow cooker liner for easy cleanup.
- Step 2- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, maple syrup, and salt.
- Step 3- Pour the egg mixture into the slow cooker on top of the bread mixture and stir to combine. Push the bread down into the liquid so that it's submerged.
- Step 4- Sprinkle cinnamon on top of the soaked bread and dot with butter. Cover crockpot with the lid. Cook on high heat for 2 hours or low heat for 4 hours until the casserole reaches an internal temperature of 160°F as checked with an instant read thermometer. Serve this crockpot French toast casserole with your favorite toppings like fresh fruit, nuts, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and/or powdered sugar.
Chef's Tips
- You can use different kinds of bread for this French toast casserole, including French bread, sourdough, challah, or brioche. You can use a whole grain bread to incorporate healthy whole grains into the dish.
- Use slightly stale bread that's a little dry to prevent the casserole from getting soggy. You can leave the bread out at room temperature, uncovered, for a day or two, to dry it out. You can also dry bread out in the oven by baking the pieces in a 275°F oven for 10-15 minutes.
- You can assemble this French toast casserole the night before in the crockpot bowl and refrigerate it. It's actually better the longer it soaks. Then, the next morning, turn the slow cooker on when you wake up.
- This casserole is very lightly sweetened with a small amount of pure maple syrup to keep the added sugar at a minimum. You can substitute any sweetener of your choice or leave it out altogether.
- I like to top the French toast with fresh berries for natural sweetness and serve warm maple syrup on the side. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt for a boost of protein.
Recipe Variations:
One of the great things about this recipe is that it's endlessly customizable! You can stir ingredients like fruits and nuts into the bread mixture so that they cook into the bread pudding. Alternatively, you can sprinkle the bread pudding with toppings after it's cooked.
Feel free to mix and match these variations to create your own signature breakfast masterpiece.
- Berry Bliss- Add a handful of fresh berries like blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or sliced strawberries on top of your French toast.
- Apple Cinnamon- Layer apple slices and a sprinkle of cinnamon between the bread cubes in the slow cooker before turning it on. If you're an apple cinnamon fan, you can also try my crockpot apple cinnamon oatmeal.
- Banana Nut- If you're a banana bread lover, add some banana slices and chopped walnuts between the bread cubes.
- Maple Pecan- Mix chopped pecans into the custard mixture and add a drizzle of maple syrup on top before serving.
- Chocolate Lovers- If you have a sweet tooth, you can add a handful of chocolate chips to the custard mixture. If you like the combination of chocolate and coconut, add some coconut flakes to the mix for an Almond Joy flavor.
- Cream Cheese- for an extra decadent treat, you can drop spoonfuls or sweetened cream cheese into the bread mixture. Try my strawberry stuffed French toast, which uses a mixture of cream cheese and ricotta cheese.
- Cinnamon Streusel Topping- you can top the casserole with a sweet crumbly streusel topping made with cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, and flour.
How To Make This Dish In The Oven
Don't have a slow cooker? No problem, you can make this French toast bake in the oven! Simply assemble your ingredients and put it in a greased baking dish instead of a slow cooker. Bake in the oven at 350°F for 45-50 minutes until puffed up and done.
FAQs
You can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Reheat it in the microwave or oven.
Yes, this crockpot French toast casserole is perfect for making ahead and freezing for another day. Assemble the casserole and then store it in a freezer-safe bag for 3-6 months. When you're ready to enjoy it, defrost it in the refrigerator overnight and then bake as directed.
The best type of bread to use is a sturdy, good-quality loaf like French bread, sourdough, challah or brioche. You want something that is sturdy and will soak up the custard without getting soggy. Use slightly dry/stale bread for best results.
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Recipe
Crockpot French Toast Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 loaf (12 oz) crusty bread like French bread, sourdough, challah, or whole grain bread, cut into cubes
- 2 cups milk, any type (I used 2%)
- 6 large eggs
- ¼ cup maple syrup or other sweetener of your choice
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, divided use
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- For serving: fresh berries, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, powdered sugar, chocolate chips
Instructions
- Grease the bowl of a 6-quart slow cooker with butter or cooking spray and place the bread cubes inside. If desired, you can use a slow cooker liner for easy cleanup.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, and salt together.
- Pour the egg mixture over the bread and stir to coat all of the bread. Press the bread down into the liquid.
- Sprinkle the remaining ½ teaspoon of cinnamon on top. Cut the butter into small pieces and dot over the surface.
- Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours or until French toast is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.
- To serve, scoop portions of the casserole onto plates. Top with desired toppings like fresh berries, a drizzle of maple syrup, Greek yogurt or powdered sugar.
Notes
- You can use different kinds of bread for this French toast casserole, including French bread, sourdough, challah, brioche, or whole grain bread.
- Use slightly stale bread that's a little dry so that the casserole isn't soggy. Leave the bread out at room temperature, uncovered, for a day or two, to dry it out. You can also dry bread out in the oven by baking the pieces in a 275°F oven for 10-15 minutes.
- You can assemble this crockpot French toast casserole the night before in the slow cooker bowl and refrigerate it. Then, turn it on the next morning.
- This casserole is very lightly sweetened with a small amount of pure maple syrup to keep the added sugar at a minimum. You can substitute any sweetener of your choice or leave it out altogether.
- I like to top the French toast with fresh berries for natural sweetness and serve warm maple syrup on the side. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt for a boost of protein.
- You can customize this recipe with many different add-ins like bananas, apples, nuts, and chocolate chips. See "Recipe Variations" section in blog post for ideas.
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