Crockpot French Toast
Crockpot French toast is a filling brunch option that takes all the stress out of holiday mornings! With a drizzle of syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar, you are sure to have a happy crowd!
Making French toast in a crockpot is an easy, set-it-and-forget-it way to get the same signature taste of French toast with a fraction of the effort. No need to stand over the stove and dip and flip slices of bread anymore!
Soft brioche bread combined with eggs, half & half, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla gives us all of what we love about traditional French toast. Being able to serve a delicious, warm, and filling breakfast to your family with no fuss, is not only a gift for them but yourself as well!
- About this crockpot French toast
- What’s in slow cooker French toast casserole?
- What kind of bread should be used for French toast?
- How to make crockpot French toast bake
- FAQ
- How to make this recipe your own
- Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating Tips
- More French toast recipes
- Get the Recipe: Crockpot French Toast
About this crockpot French toast
You can’t cook this for any longer than a few hours, otherwise it’ll get too hard. However, this French toast casserole can definitely be prepped as overnight recipe and it will be ready to go in the morning!
Or, make it in the afternoon and it will be ready just in time for breakfast for dinner (“Brinner”). Serve it with bacon or candied bacon and scrambled eggs for brunch, or a side of fresh fruit and yogurt for a light breakfast. And yes, with a scoop of ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream, you’ve even got dessert!
Pair this breakfast with a delicious morning beverage! Try a mimosa, a mimosa mocktail, a blueberry smoothie, a mango coconut smoothie, an iced vanilla latte, or a caramel iced coffee. Your kiddos might love hot chocolate with fun snowmen marshmallows!
What’s in slow cooker French toast casserole?
- Brioche Bread – Day old or slightly stale bread works best. It will absorb the flavorful liquids without getting too mushy.
- Cooking Spray – As the casserole cooks, the sugar and crisp edges may tend to stick to the crockpot. Nonstick cooking spray helps to avoid that, and makes for an easier clean-up.
- Large eggs – Eggs are a staple ingredient in any French toast.
- Half and Half – Half and half adds richness and moisture to the bread as it gets absorbed. You could also use milk or heavy cream, or a combination.
- Salted Butter – Use salted melted butter in this recipe, as the salt adds a nice contrast to the sweet. There is no other added salt anywhere in this recipe, so if you use unsalted butter, be sure to just add a pinch of salt to the egg mixture.
- Brown Sugar – Brown sugar adds sweetness that complements the cinnamon and nutmeg, and makes it such a treat! Dark or light brown sugar will work, but we love dark brown sugar in this recipe for its extra molasses-y flavor.
- Pure Vanilla Extract – Rounds out all of the flavors nicely. It does to sweet ingredients what salt does to savory.
- Ground Cinnamon & Nutmeg – These are two signature warming spices that are welcome ingredients to many sweet breakfast creations. Use freshly grated nutmeg if you can!
- Optional Toppings: Try syrup (try our homemade pancake syrup!), whipped topping or homemade whipped cream (bonus points for cinnamon whipped cream), powdered sugar, or fresh berries. Of course that’s just a jumping off point! You might also want to try strawberry sauce, blueberry sauce, apple compote, fried apples, or chocolate sauce. Homemade caramel sauce would be amazing on this too!
What kind of bread should be used for French toast?
The rule of thumb for French toast is to make sure you’re not using bread that is freshly baked. You want it at least a day old, or slightly stale so it is sturdy enough to absorb all of the liquids without it becoming a pile of mush!
French bread, brioche, Italian bread, regular white sandwich bread, or challah all work quite well. Brioche is classic, but keep in mind it is slightly more expensive than regular bread. If you’re feeling ambitious, try making your own brioche! In the end, because of all of the added flavors from other ingredients, as long as you are using slightly stale bread, the kind you use will not make or break this recipe.
How to make crockpot French toast bake
Spray crockpot with cooking spray and cube each bread slice into 9 pieces. Set aside in a large bowl.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Add vanilla cinnamon, nutmeg, and melted butter and stir to combine.
Pour egg mixture over bread cubes then toss to coat. Let sit for 20 minutes to soak up the egg mixture. Stirring a couple of times will distribute the egg mixture and keep the bread from getting too soggy.
Add bread mixture to crockpot. Cover and set on high for 2 hours, or low for 4 hours. Any longer than this and you’ll notice the bread start to get crispy around the edges and the casserole will start to harden and dry out.
Serve warm with syrup, whipped cream, or powdered sugar!
FAQ
As long as the bread isn’t moldy, you really should be okay! However, you could prepare this the night before. Allow coated bread cubes to soak in the refrigerator overnight. Place in the crockpot in the morning!
How to make this recipe your own
- Amp up the cinnamon. Try using day-old raisin bread. It usually has a cinnamon flavor, which will only enhance the aroma of the cinnamon! Add to the indulgence of this delicious recipe by using cinnamon rolls in place of the bread. Once your casserole is ready, drizzle with cinnamon roll glaze. Oh my!
- Want to make a healthier version? Use whole grain bread instead. If you are wanting gluten-free, replace it with gluten-free bread. Swap out the dairy milk or cream and use almond or any plant-based milk. Sprinkle a little ground chia or flax seeds in your egg mixture for added fiber and protein.
- Add toasted nuts for added texture and crunch and chocolate chips because adding chocolate to anything just makes it better.
- Traditional French Toast: If you’d rather make French toast in a skillet, I totally get that. Try my brioche French toast for a classic recipe.
How to make in the oven
This recipe can easily be made in the oven. Bake at 350ºF, covered in a greased casserole dish, until set. It will likely take about 45 minutes, but check it towards the end of the baking time.
Make Ahead, Storage and Reheating Tips
Leftover crockpot French toast can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Reheat in microwave for 15 seconds at a time or until the desired temperature is reached.
More French toast recipes
- Apple French Toast Casserole
- Crème Brûlée French Toast
- Strawberry Cream Cheese French Toast
- French Toast Muffins
- Tres Leches French Toast Casserole
Get the Recipe: Crockpot French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf brioche bread
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups half and half
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Optional toppings: syrup, whipped cream, powdered sugar, fresh berries
Instructions
- Spray crockpot with cooking spray.
- Cube each bread slice into 9 pieces, place in large bowl and set aside.
- Whisk together eggs and milk in a medium bowl. Add vanilla cinnamon, nutmeg, and melted butter. Stir to combine.
- Pour egg mixture over bread cubes then toss to coat. Let sit for 20 minutes to soak up the egg mixture. Stirring a couple of times will distribute the egg mixture and keep the bread from getting unevenly soggy.
- Add bread mixture to crockpot. Cover and set on high for 2 hours, or low for 4 hours.
- Serve warm with syrup, whipped topping or powdered sugar!
Notes
- Nutrition information does not include optional toppings.
- Store leftover crockpot French toast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
- Reheat in microwave 15 seconds at a time until desired temperature is reached.