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A fork taking a bite out of a caramelized french toast bake on a white plate.

Overnight Creme Brûlée French Toast Bake

Yield: 8 Servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Chilling Time:: 8 hours
Total Time: 8 hours 55 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons (85 g) butter
  • ¾ cup (159 g) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup, corn syrup or pancake syrup
  • 6 to 8 1-inch thick slices French bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (see picture in the post - also, see note)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Sweetened whipped cream + fresh strawberries/raspberries, for serving

Instructions 

  • Add butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup to a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave for 1-2 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Stir to combine. (This step can be done in a pan on the stove.)
  • Lightly grease a 9X13-inch pan with cooking spray.
  • Spread the brown sugar mixture in the bottom of the pan and arrange the bread cubes in a single layer over the top.
  • In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, and salt.
  • Pour the mixture evenly over the bread.
  • Cover the pan and refrigerate overnight (8 to 10 hours).
  • Remove the pan from the refrigerator, uncover, and place in the cold oven.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once the oven reaches temperature, bake for 30-35 minutes, until the bread is golden and the caramelly syrup is bubbling (alternately, if you want the golden syrupy goodness on top, the french toast can be baked for 20 minutes, then using a large, flat spatula, flip the bread pieces and bake for another 10-15 minutes).
  • Serve warm with sweetened whipped cream and fresh raspberries or strawberries.

Notes

Texture: I like my French toast on the firmer (read: less soggy) end of things (although it's still plenty soft and delicious as written). However, if you like a softer/milkier/soggier French toast OR your bread is thicker than 1-inch slices, increase the half-and-half to 1 1/2 cups and use 5 eggs instead of 4.
Bread: if you are using an artisan-style bread with heavy, thick crusts, consider cutting the crusts off the bread (no need to do that if the French bread you use is soft with a thinner crust).
The number of slices of bread in the ingredients list is a general guideline for the bread. You need enough bread cubes to cover the bottom of a 9X13-inch pan in a single layer. It's ok if there are a few cubes of bread stacked, but for the most part, the bread should be in a tight even layer across the caramel mixture.