Description
A delicious and easy gluten-free French toast casserole made with dry or slightly stale gluten-free bread, eggs, milk, maple syrup, and warm spices. Perfect for a hearty breakfast or brunch, this overnight casserole simplifies traditional French toast with a baked, custardy texture and can be topped with your favorite syrup or fresh fruits.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 (15 oz) loaf dry or slightly stale gluten-free bread cut into 1-inch cubes (about 9-10 cups cubed bread)
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups milk (regular or dairy-free, such as unsweetened almond milk)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (or substitute with white sugar or brown sugar)
- 2 tablespoons butter or vegan butter (melted)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Optional Toppings
- Pure maple syrup
- Powdered sugar
- Fresh berries
- Sliced peaches
- Toasted pecans
- Sliced almonds
Instructions
- Prepare the Bread: Cut the dry or slightly stale gluten-free bread loaf into 1-inch cubes, ensuring you have about 9-10 cups of cubed bread.
- Mix the Custard: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, pure maple syrup, melted butter, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
- Combine Bread and Custard: Place the bread cubes into a greased baking dish, then pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread, pressing lightly to soak the bread thoroughly.
- Let It Soak: Cover the baking dish and refrigerate overnight or for at least 1 hour to allow the bread to absorb the custard mixture fully.
- Bake the Casserole: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the casserole from the refrigerator, uncover, and bake for 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the custard is set in the center.
- Serve: Let the casserole cool slightly before serving. Add optional toppings such as pure maple syrup, powdered sugar, fresh berries, sliced peaches, or toasted nuts as desired.
Notes
- Use dry or slightly stale bread to prevent the casserole from becoming soggy. If your bread is fresh, you can dry it out by baking the cubes on a baking sheet at 300°F for 10-15 minutes before assembling.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute milk with unsweetened almond milk and use vegan butter.
- Feel free to add a pinch of nutmeg to the custard for extra warmth and flavor.
- This casserole can be made the night before for an easy grab-and-bake breakfast.
- Optional toppings like fresh fruit and nuts add texture and freshness to the dish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8th recipe
- Calories: 289 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 429 mg
- Fat: 9.4 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40.1 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 8.1 g
- Cholesterol: 143 mg
