Quarter of the baked french toast in a glass pan sitting on the counter.
Baking, Breakfast, Kid Friendly

Baked French Toast

May 24, 2026 Leave a comment

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Since we had our son and then twin girls, weekend breakfast has become a little more… let’s say enthusiastic. Typically, my son wakes up ready to go, and within about 10 minutes of opening his eyes, he’s asking for something to eat. So I found myself on a bit of a mission: building a breakfast lineup that’s quick, delicious, and ideally something I can prep ahead of time.

That’s how this baked French toast came into our lives.

It’s one of those recipes I had seen floating around for years but always passed over because, honestly, it felt a little too indulgent, and we never needed to plan or prep ahead of time because we didn’t have kids yet. There’s a generous amount of sugar involved. But somewhere between “special occasion breakfasts are a thing” and “let’s make mornings feel magical,” it found its place in our kitchen rotation. Now it’s our go-to for Christmas morning, birthdays, or any day that deserves a little extra joy.

And it really is joy in a pan.

A whole loaf of brioche gets transformed with eggs, cream, cinnamon, sugar, and cardamom into something that smells like pure comfort while it bakes. It’s warm, sweet, and just a little bit over-the-top in the best possible way—like dessert decided to show up early for breakfast and brought friends.

What I love most is the topping. As it bakes, the sugar and cinnamon caramelize into this golden, slightly crisp layer that cracks just a bit under your fork. Every bite has that soft custardy center with a little crunch on top, which honestly feels like a small celebration every time.

I also like to cut the bread into bite-sized pieces before baking. My son especially loves pulling the pieces apart and picking his favorite little pieces, like he’s discovering treasure. It ends up feeling somewhere between bread pudding and monkey bread, which is basically a win-win in our house.

It’s sweet, it’s comforting, it’s a little messy, and it makes mornings feel like something to look forward to.

 

Tips & Tricks:

  • Brioche or challah bread has a light and airy quality, which makes it delicious for French toast.
    • Place on a sheet tray overnight to dry out.
  • Mix the small pieces of brioche with the eggs, milk, and cream. Let it sit in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes to allow it to soak up all the goodness.
  • Place a sheet tray under the French toast; it will catch any overflow and stop anything from burning on the bottom of the oven. 

 

Brioche bread in a large bowl being mixed with wet ingredients

Equipment:

  • Cutting board
  • 9×9 baking dish
  • Measuring cups/spoons
  • Large serving spoon
  • Whisk

 

Slice of baked French toast sitting on a blue and white plate with stripes of maple yogurt over the top.

Piece of baked French toast sitting on a pink and white plate.

Baked French Toast

Baked brioche encrusted in cinnamon and sugar. Perfect for special occasions and kid friendly!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Course: Breakfast, Side Dish
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Baked French Toast
  • Brioche or challah loaf cut into squares
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 or a pinch tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 or a pinch tsp ground cardomom
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Cinnamon & Sugar Topping
  • 1/2 cup butter frozen and grated
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Method
 

Baked French Toast
  1. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, eggs, milk, heavy cream, cinnoman, cardamon, and vanilla extract; whisk together. Add cut brioche bread and mix to coat each piece.
  2. Place in 9x9 baking dish and soak for about 30 minutes (I always place mine in the refrigerator).
Cinnamon & Sugar Topping
  1. In a separate bowl, combine the topping: grated butter, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt.
  2. Distribute the cinnamon and sugar topping over the brioche mixture.
  3. Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease 9x9 baking dish.
  4. Place in oven on a baking sheet; I have had mine spill over and burn on the bottom of my oven no matter what sized baking dish I use.
  5. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Remove from oven, the top should be crispy!
  6. Serve with berries and your choice of maple syrup, maple yogurt, vanilla yogurt, etc.

Notes

*CONSUMING RAW OR UNDERCOOKED MEATS, POULTRY, SEAFOOD, SHELLFISH, OR EGGS MAY INCREASE
YOUR RISK OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE CERTAIN MEDICAL CONDITIONS.