Creme Brulee French Toast
My most requested recipe! Overnight French toast flavored with a touch of orange liqueur that’s baked casserole style on a bed of homemade caramel sauce.
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Table of Contents
- About Creme Brulee French Toast
- What is creme brulee french toast?
- How long does creme brulee french toast last?
- Can you freeze creme brulee french toast?
- How to reheat french toast
- Can this french toast casserole be made in advance?
- notes & tips for the overnight french toast
- More comforting casserole recipes
- How to make creme brulee french toast
- Recipe Details
About Creme Brulee French Toast
Out of all the recipes I have ever made, this creme brulee french toast casserole recipe is the most requested one by far.
Because not only is it easy to make, but it’s also an overnight french toast, which means it gets even better if the French bread is allowed to soak for about eight hours.
And if you don’t have that kind of time, that’s okay, too – I’ve made this creme brulee french toast from start to finish in a single morning and it still tasted wonderful.
What is creme brulee french toast?
While there are many different recipes and methods for this dish, you can usually spot creme brulee french toast by three main characteristics:
- A delicately crunchy top, typically from bread that peeks out above the rest of the french toast.
- A center that’s softer than the top, typically from the bread being saturated by an egg mixture or a sweet under layer (or both!)
- In many cases, this dish is baked as opposed to fried in a pan. Frying this french toast would require flipping, which would ultimately mix the bottom and top layers. To create the creme brulee effect, these two layers should have different flavors and consistencies (as explained above).
How long does creme brulee french toast last?
Once prepared, this french toast casserole can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to five days.
Can you freeze creme brulee french toast?
Yes, you totally can!
Once prepared, allow the french toast to cool completely, then wrap individual portions in plastic wrap (this can be individual pieces of bread or whatever you consider a serving size). Then, transfer the pieces of french toast to a sealed container or freezer bag.
Once frozen, this french toast can be frozen for up to one to two months.
How to reheat french toast
There’s great news here, guys – french toast is perfect for reheating! And for one very important reason:
You can reheat it while it’s still frozen. Yep, that’s right – there’s no need to allow the french toast to thaw overnight in the refrigerator (although if you’d like to still do that, that’s okay, too.)
And for best results, I highly recommend reheating this french toast in the microwave. It’s a simple and effective way to heat up your dish and you don’t need to worry about the bread drying out or losing too much of that trademark french toast gooeyness.
Can this french toast casserole be made in advance?
Yes, it totally can!
In fact, this recipe is designed to be an overnight french toast, so all of the ingredients are mixed the day before, then covered and chilled overnight before baking the next morning.
However, this step is totally optional. There have been plenty of times when I’ve made this creme brulee french toast from start to finish, with no resting overnight, and it still turned out delicious.
notes & tips for the overnight french toast
- I highly recommend using Jimmy John’s French bread for this recipe (whether it’s fresh or day old), but if you don’t have a location near you, any French bread you can get your hands on will work just as well.
- For the orange liqueur, I’ve used both Grand Marnier and Cointreau. Both were delicious!
More delicious breakfast recipes
More comforting casserole recipes
How to make creme brulee french toast
This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.
Step 1 – If you have not already, make sure your bread is ready to add to the casserole dish. Whichever bread you decide to use, make sure that each piece would rest about 2 inches high in the baking dish. I like using day-old Jimmy John’s bread for this.
Step 2 – In a large bowl, add the eggs, half and half, vanilla, orange liqueur, and salt, then whisk together well.
Step 3 – In a small saucepan, melt the butter, then add the brown sugar and corn syrup. Cook & whisk constantly until the brown sugar has melted and the butter is absorbed. TIP: check the sides of the pan for an oily film-like line along the top of the sauce. Keep cooking and mixing until that film is almost gone.
Step 4 – Slowly drizzle the prepared caramel sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish, coating it completely.
Step 5 – Place the sliced bread on top of the caramel sauce layer.
Step 6 – Drizzle the egg mixture over top of the bread, saturating each piece as much as possible. If needed, spoon the egg mixture out of corners and gaps to help cover the top of the bread.
Step 7 – Cover the dish and let the french toast casserole chill in the refrigerator for at least four hours (or ideally overnight).
Step 8 – Bake!
Step 9 – Serve with powdered sugar and enjoy!
Creme Brulee French Toast
Ingredients
- 5 egg
- 1 1/2 cup half and half cream
- 1 teaspoon orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau
- 1/2 cup salted butter, unsalted
Instructions
- Cut the french bread of your choice so that it will sit about 2 inches high in a 9×13 baking dish. Set bread aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs together until yolks are broken up. Add in half and half cream, vanilla, orange liqueur, and salt, then stir until fully combined. Set bowl aside.
- Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and corn syrup, stirring until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes.
- Remove caramel sauce from heat and immediately begin to pour in a 9×13 baking dish. Pour slowly so that bottom of baking dish is completely covered with caramel. See above video for example.
- Arrange cut french bread in baking dish on top of the caramel. Bread should be tightly packed with minimal space in between.
- Pour egg mixture over bread, saturating each piece as much as much as possible.
- Cover baking dish and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or ideally 8 hours. Note: If you're in a hurry, chilling the dish can be optional, but bread will not be as saturaed with egg mixture.
- Set oven to 350 degrees F. Remove french toast from refrigeartor and allow to come to room temperature while oven heats.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until bread is puffy and the top is golden brown.
- Let creme brulee french toast rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve with powdered sugar (optional).
Nutrition
I do my best to provide nutrition information, but please keep in mind that I’m not a certified nutritionist. Any nutritional information discussed or disclosed in this post should only be seen as my best amateur estimates of the correct values.
