I love a good make-ahead breakfast.
Especially when it’s buttery soft French toast that tastes a lot like soft gingerbread and molasses cookies.
This is my last holiday-related recipe. While I don’t usually miss certain foods and flavors because as a blogger all I need to do is blink and it’s back to pink pastel things for Easter or an abundance of apple and pumpkin recipes in the fall, I will miss being able to blog at will about molasses and ginger.
However, that won’t stop me from making things with those flavors for personal consumption, but you don’t want to hear about them in July.
This year I’ve made Soft Molasses Coconut Oil Crinkle Cookies, Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Molasses Chocolate Chip Bars, Gingerbread Pancakes with Ginger Molasses Maple Syrup, and even Gingerbread Cookie Dough Peanut Butter (GF).
I thought I’d sneak in one last molasses and ginger-themed recipe. It just happens to be perfect for cold winter mornings, lazy weekend mornings, or as an easy, make-ahead Christmas morning breakfast.
You can assemble it and keep it in the fridge for up to 24 hours in advance, which is so nice if you have a gathering or company coming. One less thing to worry about the day-of is a nice gift to yourself.
Plus anything that I can bake, and not have to flip one at a time on the stovetop like pancakes, is a big bonus.
To make it, slice your bread and arrange it in the pan in three rows, overlapping some. It was a tight squeeze to get it all into the pan when dry, but after marinating, it softens and you can reposition it easily if necessary.
I used most of one long cylinder of fresh French bread because I didn’t plan ahead enough to use day old. Plus, I have mixed feelings about day old bread. It’s just too hard and crusty for me, but use what you like.
Make the marinade by whisking together melted butter, eggs, milk, sugars, maple syrup, molasses, and a ton of spices.
I love boldly flavored recipes, full of spice and shazam, and it’s mandatory for me when working with things in the pumpkin, carrot cake, ginger, or molasses families.
Without using ample spices, foods in those categories taste blah and lackluster, but if you’re more sensitive to cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves, you may consider reducing, or even halving, the given amount.
Pour the marinade over the bread slowly and evenly, separating the overlapping parts with your fingers so as much of the bread is coated as possible. It looks like a lot of liquid, and it is, but the bread is thirsty and drinks up quite nicely overnight.
The next morning, carefully spoon any pooled liquid at the bottom of the pan over the top of the bread, redistributing it and re-drenching any white patches or dry looking places.
Baking times will vary greatly because bread dryness levels vary greatly. Because I used fresh bread, I had a fair amount of unabsorbed and pooled liquid, and things were pretty juicy going into the oven.
The maple syrup, sugars, and butter caramelize in the oven, providing flavor and chewiness. Because of the sugars and syrup, watch your toast closely so it doesn’t burn.
The French toast is firm and chewy on the outside, with a soft, tender, and squishy interior. It doesn’t get as crispy as pan-fried French toast, and stays softer all the way around.
The warming spices provide so much rich, wintery, cozy flavors, and in conjunction with the dark molasses, this is some seriously flavorful French toast.
And then I flooded it with Ginger Molasses Maple Syrup, adding even more robust gingery-molasses intensity.
Sniff. I’m going to miss blogging about molasses and ginger recipes.
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Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Breakfast Bake
Ingredients
- 1 long loaf French bread, sliced about 3/4-inch thick, about 24 slices (I used fresh, but 1 or 2-day old is fine)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (half of 1 stick)
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup milk, optionally use 3/4 cup if your bread is old or very crusty/hard
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup light, medium, or dark molasses (not blackstrap, too bitter)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ½ to 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, or to taste
- ½ to 1 teaspoon ground cloves, or to taste
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- confectioners’ sugar for dusting, optional
- Ginger Molasses Maple Syrup or regular maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Line an 8-by-9-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray.
- Add the sliced bread in 3 rows of about 8 slices per row, slightly overlapping. It will be a tight fit to get 3 rows in when bread is dry, but softens as it marinates and you can rearrange it with ease, if necessary, after time has passed; set pan aside.
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute (or use browned butter). Allow the butter to cool momentarily so you don’t scramble the eggs or curdle the milk.
- Add the next 10 ingredients, through optional salt, and whisk to combine. I used the full amount of spices listed, but if you’re more sensitive to spices, reduce them to taste, possibly halving all amounts.
- Slowly and evenly pour mixture over the bread, gently separating the slices with your fingers, and pour marinade between the slices. It will seem like a lot and it is, but most soaks in overnight.
- Cover pan with foil to prevent fridge smells, and place in fridge for at least 4 hours, but overnight (or up to 24 hours) is better.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F and remove pan from fridge while oven preheats.
- The next morning, carefully spoon any pooled liquid at the bottom of the pan over the top of the bread, redistributing it and re-drenching any white patches or dry looking places.
- Bake for about 20 to 35 minutes, or until done. Baking times will vary greatly based on how much liquid did or didn’t soak into your bread, how firm or soft bread was to begin with, personal preference for doneness, oven and climate variances, etc. I baked for 28 minutes in my very hot-running oven; my bread was very soft and fresh, and it was very juicy before baking. I didn’t need to, but if you feel like your bread is crisping up or browning a bit too quickly, tent with a sheet of foil laid over the top.
- Optionally, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and serve with butter and syrup, or your favorite French toast toppings, i.e. fruit or jam. French toast is best fresh, but extra will keep airtight for up to 4 days in the fridge. Reheat gently in the micro before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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What’s the best gingerbread or molasses thing you’ve eaten this winter?
This French toast bake looks amazing and so flavorful!
Good grief lady, this looks amazing!! I’m looking for a make ahead for Christmas morning and this might be it :)
Oh Averie, this looks so, so delicious! I adore French toast but I can never be bothered when I wake up in the morning. This overnight version is perfect to just pop in the oven before beginning prep for the Christmas day feast! Definitely going to try this. Thanks for the beautiful inspiration… hope that you and your family have a blessed and beautiful Christmas Averie!!! xx
Thanks Laura! Have a great holiday, too!
I never knew you could make French toast that far in advance. Love the idea! And these flavors sound sooooo good.
I’m all about prep in advance and then sit back the day of event and just…coast :) Pop this baby into the oven and you’re done!
My mouth is watering, Averie. This is one amazing breakfast. Pinned.
Thanks for pinning, Jennie!
Dayyyyum!! Gurrrl, this is gorgeous! I loooove all your holiday recipes… I think you should keep ’em coming! :-D
Happy Holidays & Merry Christmas to you and to yours!! xo
Merry Xmas right back to you, Kate!!! xoxo
Oh how I wish I had seen this recipe before just now, Averie! I would have made this for breakfast this morning. We’ll be out of town Christmas morning but I may just have to make this for breakfast next weekend. It looks so good that I don’t mind making it after the holiday is over. Thanks for the recipe. Have a wonderful day!
It’ll make a great New Year’s or chilly morning breakfast any ole time! Lmk if you try it.
I’m so behind, I haven’t made anything with pumpkin OR gingerbread yet. Yikes! I try to convince myself to make more ‘ambitious’ dishes when the whole family is together, but this is such a great (and beautiful!) solution. Thanks for never failing to disappoint :)
I love make-ahead breakfast dishes, especially for a holiday when we have overnight guests wedged into our tiny bungalow – perfect for Christmas morning! Enjoy sunny Aruba…
Thanks, Liz! We have 1 more week here. Hope San Diego isn’t too ‘cold’ when we get home :) Have a great Xmas week!
Make-ahead breakfasts are the best! I make an eggnog version of this but your gingerbread one is a million times better!
PERFECT for Christmas morning!
I love making baked french toast for Christmas morning. This looks so good; I’m going to have to try it :) Beautiful pictures.
Thanks for the compliments on my pics!
Ohhh Averie, your overnight french toast looks out of this world! Like you I like to make a breakfast like this at night and in the morning just bake away!! The flavors in your french toast is just perfect! I would just love to wake up to the smell of gingerbread baking in the oven. This is just a beautiful recipe and your pictures are gorgeous!
Your comment is so sweet, Jennifer! I hope you and your family have a wonderful Xmas! Thanks for the compliments on my pics! :)
Oh my gosh, this looks heavenly! I want pretty much every piece for myself. :) I usually stuff my face with candy on Christmas morning, but this would be so much more of a treat. It would be great all through the winter too!
It’s better than candy and that’s saying alot coming from me!
I absolutely love to serve french toast for special occasions. The fact that this can go in the oven while we are brewing coffee and hanging out in front of the fire in our pajamas waiting to open presents is what sells it for me! I love the way this looks and I can just imagine how it is going to smell. This is fantastic – I can make it the night before Christmas morning and stick it in the oven first thing. YES! Can’t wait to try this out. Thanks, Averie!!
Happy Holidays, Michele! I hope you and your family have a wonderful week! xo And yes the smell on this baby is just…divine! Who needs scented candles. Just make this!
I’m so sad that gingerbread season is just about over :( But I am just in love with this french toast! Perfect weekend breakfast :D