This make-ahead French toast is so easy and perfect for brunches, holidays, special events, or just because. Arrange the bread in the pan, make the easy whisk-together marinade, pour it over, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. Recipe can be assembled up to 24 hours in advance before baking. Because bread dryness levels vary, baking times will vary widely based on how much or little of the marinade your bread soaked up. The French toast is firm and chewy on the outside, with a soft, tender, and squishy interior. It stays softer overall than pan-fried French toast. The warming spices provide so much rich, wintery, cozy flavors, and in conjunction with the dark molasses, it’s some seriously flavorful French toast.
Prep Time5 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Additional Time23 hourshrs25 minutesmins
Total Time1 dayd
Course: French Toast
Keyword: baked French Toast, breakfast, cinnamon, French toast, French toast bake, ginger, gingerbread, make-ahead breakfast recipes, molasses, overnight French toast
Calories: 780kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
1long loaf French breadsliced about 3/4-inch thick, about 24 slices (I used fresh, but 1 or 2-day old is fine)
¼cupunsalted buttermelted (half of 1 stick)
3large eggs
½cupmilkoptionally use 3/4 cup if your bread is old or very crusty/hard
¼cupmaple syrup
¼cuplightmedium, or dark molasses (not blackstrap, too bitter)
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.