French Toast Bake
There is nothing better in our home than slow wintery weekend mornings. The kids all sleep in and I hopefully get to enjoy a cup of coffee in silence before the household awakes. Weekends are my mornings to step up my breakfast game. We can slow down and eat all together. It’s amazing how much of a better mood the kids are in when they wake up to a house filled with a warm comforting aroma. Especially, when that aroma of breakfast is any version of rich french toast.
I love making french toast bake (or casserole), because you can do all the prep work the night before if you wish. Then in the morning, all you have to do is preheat the oven and enjoy your coffee while it bakes. It’s honestly like heaven!
Ingredients:
1 loaf of French bread (Thinly sliced)
1 stick butter (1/2 cup) or Dairy-free substitute
1/2 cup packed brown sugar, plus 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, for topping
6 eggs
2 cups milk or milk substitute (almond milk)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided
OPTIONAL: Powdered sugar and fresh berries
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Butter a 13×9 inch baking pan and set aside. (If dairy free, I would use coconut oil to grease your pan)
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Once butter has melted, stir in brown sugar until dissolved and mixture is smooth. Pour mixture into the bottom of a 9×13 pan and spread evenly.
- Add bread slices to your baking dish over the top of the brown sugar/butter mixture.
- In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and 1 tsp of cinnamon. Pour egg mixture over the top of bread slices, carefully making sure that all pieces of bread are saturated.
- Top with a sprinkling of remaining cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle with powdered sugar and fresh berries if desired. Enjoy!
