Holiday French Toast Casserole
French toast in the morning (especially Christmas morning) – there’s nothing better! But who wants to spend the holiday frenzy cooking it slice by slice? Make a casserole instead! It has all of the goodness of regular French toast, but none of the wait time. Member’s Mark™ Ground Cinnamon lends a cozy taste to this holiday favorite.
Forget to Let the Croissants Get Slightly Stale? No Problem!
This recipe uses day-old croissants, so that they can soak up the custard mixture. Otherwise, you will just have a soggy casserole, and no one likes that! If you’ve forgotten to leave your bread out overnight, don’t fret!
Quick-stale methods
1. Oven dry-out (fastest + easiest)
-
Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C).
-
Tear or slice the croissants open so more surface area is exposed.
-
Spread them on a sheet pan.
-
Bake for 10–20 minutes, flipping halfway.
-
They should feel dry and a little firm but not browned.
2. Counter air-dry (still pretty quick)
-
Halve them or tear into chunks.
-
Lay them out on a sheet pan in a single layer.
-
Leave them at room temp for a few hours, giving them a toss now and then to expose new surfaces.
3. The “fridge dehydrate”
-
Slice/tear them and leave them uncovered in the fridge.
-
The fridge pulls moisture out, so they’ll dry out in 4–8 hours pretty nicely.
What not to do
-
Don’t microwave—they’ll just get weird and rubbery.
-
Don’t bake at high heat—they’ll toast instead of stale.
Topping Ideas for Holiday French Toast Casserole
Cozy & Classic
-
Warm maple syrup
-
Powdered sugar snowfall
-
Cinnamon-sugar dust
-
Toasted pecans or walnuts
-
Vanilla bean whipped cream
Festive & Fruity
-
Cranberry-orange compote
-
Pomegranate arils + maple drizzle
-
Mixed berries warmed with a little sugar
-
Sautéed apples with cinnamon & butter
-
Spiced pear slices with honey
Dessert-Inspired
-
Maple cream cheese glaze
-
Salted caramel sauce
-
White chocolate drizzle + raspberries
-
Nutella swirl + toasted hazelnuts
Holiday Flavors
-
Gingerbread crumble (crushed ginger snaps + melted butter)
-
Peppermint white chocolate shards (for a fun twist)
-
Eggnog glaze (powdered sugar + eggnog + nutmeg)
-
Brown butter maple syrup
Fresh Finishing Touches
-
Fresh mint
-
Citrus zest (orange or lemon)
-
A sprinkle of flaky sea salt
Holiday French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 4 large Croissants Cube and leave out the night before making the casserole. It will absorb the egg/milk mixture better if it’s on the dry side.
- 6 Eggs
- 1 cup Milk
- ¼ cup Heavy whipping cream
- 1 tbsp Magnolia-Star Pure Vanilla Extract
- ¼ cup Granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp Member's Mark™ Ground Cinnamon
- Powdered sugar for serving
- Member's Mark™ Pecan Halves for topping
Instructions
- The night before making this recipe, cut the croissants into 1-inch cubes and place on a baking sheet. Let sit overnight.
- Preheat oven to 250℉. Grease an 8x11-inch pan.
- Grease or butter an 8×11 pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, sugar, and Member's Mark™ Ground Cinnamon.
- Add the cubed bread pieces to the bowl and stir until well-coated. Add the mixture to the prepared pan. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. The total bake time is 40 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let cool slightly. Dust with powdered sugar, sprinkle with Member's Mark™ Pecan Halves, and cut into squares. Serve with warm maple syrup or whipped cream.