This Eggnog French Toast Casserole is an easy and cozy overnight breakfast casserole. It’s perfect for Christmas morning or a holiday weekend brunch. My favorite part is that it’s fully prepped and all I have to do in the morning is pop it in the oven!
I’m a big fan of French toast casserole in general but I really love the delicious holiday twist on this eggnog version. Thick slices of bread are layered between a brown sugar brandy syrup and an eggnog custard. After it bakes, I add a raspberry topping which really just sets it over the top. This is a great recipe for Christmas morning!
What’s in this Eggnog French Toast Casserole recipe?
You’ll need many of the ingredients used in classic French toast plus eggnog and a few extras to make this breakfast casserole. Scroll down to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Brown sugar – Adds a rich, sweet flavor to the sauce.
- Unsalted butter – Helps the brown sugar dissolve and adds richness to the sauce.
- Brandy – This is added to the brown sugar butter sauce for depth of flavor. You can also use rum or Kahlúa for a different flavor. See below if you don’t cook with alcohol.
- Bread – I prefer brioche or challah bread in this recipe. You’ll want 8 thick slices.
- Eggs – The base of the custard.
- Eggnog – You can also use whole milk or almond milk if you don’t want to make eggnog or buy it, though it won’t have as much flavor or be as thick. See note below.
- Vanilla – For additional flavor.
- Salt – To heighten and balance out the other flavors.
- Nutmeg – Amplifies the warm spiced flavor of the eggnog.
- Raspberries – For serving.
- Granulated sugar – Mixed with the raspberries to form the topping.
What’s the Best Bread to Use?
I recommend use a thick, sturdy bread to make this eggnog French toast casserole. Challah and brioche are my go-to as they soak up the egg mixture and the brown sugar sauce without being too mushy. French bread would work too.
Tips for Success
- Add more spices to the milk. If you opt to use whole milk or almond milk instead of eggnog, you may want to add more spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves to mimic the warm eggnog flavors.
- Do I have to add brandy? The brandy (or rum) is really just for flavor in the syrup. If you don’t want to use it, you can add maple syrup to the brown sugar mixture instead.
- Make ahead. I recommend making this eggnog French toast casserole the night before so you can just pop it right in the oven in the morning. You can make it up to 24 hours in advance.
- Wait to slice and serve. After baking, let the casserole rest for 15 minutes or so. This gives the syrup and egg mixture time to solidify a bit and will help you get clean, even slices.
Serving Suggestions
As I mentioned above, this recipe is perfect for Christmas morning or, honestly, any lazy weekend brunch. It’s sweet and syrupy enough that there’s no need for extra syrup, especially with the berry topping. If you want to add a side, some breakfast sausage is a great compliment to this!
How To Store & Reheat Leftovers
- Fridge. Store leftover eggnog French toast casserole in an airtight container or covered tightly with plastic wrap. It will last for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
- Freezer. Baked and cooled leftovers will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month properly stored. Wrap in plastic wrap and again with foil, and freeze. Freeze the casserole without the fruit topping and simply make that before serving. You can also cut any cooled leftovers into individual portions, so you can just grab and defrost what you need. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat. Remove the plastic wrap and foil before heating up. Reheat individual servings in the microwave or reheat the whole casserole dish in the oven until heated through.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Eggnog French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup brandy (see note below)
- 12 ounce loaf challah bread or brioche, cut into 8 slices
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups eggnog (or whole milk)
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 & 1/2 cups raspberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
- Lightly coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
- In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, and brandy; bring to a boil, stirring continuously, for 1 minute until the sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture into the prepared baking dish. Arrange bread slices over the sauce.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, eggnog, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg. Pour evenly over the bread. Press lightly with a rubber spatula to moisten all the bread.
- Cover the casserole dish and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours (or overnight.)
- Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and the top is lightly brown.
- Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
- While the casserole is resting, combine raspberries with the granulated sugar in a small bowl. Lightly crush the berries with a fork; let stand until a syrup forms, stirring occasionally.
- Slice brioche and invert onto plates. Spoon berry mixture over each serving and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Other Notes
AMAZING. SO GOOD. Next time I make it, I will use less sugar for the sauce.