Home All Recipes Breakfast and Brunch Banana French Toast Casserole
By Jess Smith
4.78
Published May 26, 2022•Updated Mar 08, 2023
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Skip the griddle and make your French toast casserole-style in a 9×13 pan. With fresh bananas and a pecan crumble, Banana French Toast Casserole is a crowd-pleasing, make-ahead breakfast.
French Toast Casserole might be the best thing to happen to celebratory breakfast and brunch. There are few things as satisfying as knowing that all those slices of bread are soaking in sweet custard overnight and that breakfast for a crowd is ready to slide into the oven in the morning. I first shared this banana and pecan twist on the dish back in 2014 but I’m updating the post today with all new photos and a few tips and tricks. Get your maple syrup ready friends, let’s dive right in!
What is French Toast Casserole / Baked French Toast?
Just like classic French Toast, this dish is made with slices of bread topped with an egg and milk custard. But instead of cooked individually on a skillet, the bread is lined up in a casserole dish and the custard is poured over top. The casserole version is often sweetened and can include a variety of fillings and toppings. If you are looking for a more traditional French Toast, but with a twist, check out Croissant French Toast.
How to Make it
- Prepare bread base – Slice a baguette and line the slices up in a buttered 9×13 baking dish. Place slices of ripe banana between the bread slices.
- Add custard – Make a custard with whisked eggs, milk, and some heavy cream. Pour it over the bread.
- Refrigerate – Cover the dish and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours and up to a day. This will give the bread time to soak up the custard.
- Bake – Bake, covered, at 350°F / 177°C for 40 minutes until the center is nearly set.
- Add crumble – Add a simple crumble with chopped pecans, butter, flour, and sugar.
- Bake until golden – Continue baking until the top is golden and the center is set, about 10 minutes more.
- Serve warm.
FAQs
How do you serve French toast casserole?
Let it cool slightly before cutting into slices. Top individual slices the same way you would classic French toast – with butter, syrup, fresh fruit, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
How to store French toast casserole?
Refrigerate the baked casserole for up to 3 days. Reheat individual slices in the microwave or cover the entire dish with foil and reheat in a 350 F degree oven.
Can you freeze French toast casserole?
Yes. Bake it according to directions and then cool completely before covering tightly. Freeze for up to 3 months. To make it easy to remove and reheat individual servings, slice it first and freeze individual portions on a sheet pan until solid before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag.
Can I skip the crumble?
Absolutely! You can skip it entirely or just skip the pecans in it. Add a few dots of butter to the top of the dish instead of the crumble so that you still get that nice golden top.
Can I skip the sugar?
Definitely yes. If you want the casserole to be unsweetened, feel free to skip the sugar in the filling. The dish will be savory, but everyone can opt to sweeten individual servings with a dusting of powdered sugar or syrup.
More Baked Breakfast Recipes
- Spicy Breakfast Strata
- Raspberry and Cream Cheese French Toast Bake
- Croque Madame Casserole
- Try making breakfast in the slow cooker! I love this Bagel-based casserole and this low-carb version.
Favorite Tools
- Glass Mixing Bowls
- Half Sheet Pans
- OXO Silicon Spatula Set
- Parchment Paper
- Stand Mixer
- Wire Cooling Rack
- Set of Cookie Scoops (1 Tbsp, 2 Tbsp, 3 Tbsp)
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4.78 from 9 votes
Banana French Toast Casserole Recipe
Skip the griddle and make French Toast Casserole-style in a 9×13 pan. Fresh bananas between the layers of toast and a pecan crumble over top make this a crowd-pleasing make-ahead breakfast.
Prep: 30 minutes mins
Cook: 50 minutes mins
Total: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins
Servings: 12
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Equipment
9 x 13 Baking Dish
Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
For the French Toast:
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, sliced into small cubes
- 1 large Baguette, sliced into rounds
- 2 Bananas, sliced
- 8 Eggs
- 3 cups Milk any type will work
- 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
- 1/3 cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- Powdered Sugar and / or Syrup, for serving
For the Crumble:
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, chilled and cut into cubes
- 3 Tablespoons packed Light Brown Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 3/4 cups Pecan Halves, roughly chopped
Instructions
Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish.
Spray the baking dish lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Scatter cubed butter over the bottom of the dish. Arrange bread slices in rows in the pan, with slices slightly overlapping. Slide banana slices between the slices of bread.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until well combined. Whisk in the milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour the liquids over the bread.
Cover with foil and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight.
About 20 minutes before baking, remove the pan from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350°F / 177°C.
Place the casserole dish on a sheet pan to bake (this will help catch any drips that might bubble over as it cooks). Bake the French toast, covered with foil, for 40 minutes.
While French toast bakes, blend together 4 Tablespoons chilled butter, brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt with a pastry cutter or with your fingers. Add pecans and blend them in until evenly combined.
When French toast has been baking for 40 minutes, remove it from the oven and remove foil. Scatter pecan crumble over top.
Return pan to oven and continue baking until the center is set and the pecans are lightly toasted, 10 to 15 minutes more.
Slice and serve with a dusting of powdered sugar and / or syrup.
Nutrition
Calories: 273kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 135mg | Sodium: 313mg | Potassium: 256mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 498IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 123mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
Cost: $10.00
Calories: 273
Keyword: baked breakfast recipe, brunch, French toast, make ahead
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All Recipes, Breakfast and Brunch
About Jess Smith
Jess is the recipe creator and photographer at InquiringChef.com. She spent nearly a decade as the Chief Recipe Developer for the award-winning meal planning app Cook Smarts. Her colorful, healthyish recipes have been featured in popular online publications including Parade, Hallmark, and HuffPost.
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