Sarra Ina Garten’s baked French toast casserole is a make-ahead breakfast with cubed challah, fresh raspberries, and a vanilla custard that soaks overnight and bakes in the morning. It serves 8 to 10 and takes about an hour in the oven.
This recipe is Ina’s Raspberry Baked French Toast from her Make It Ahead cookbook. She says it’s “basically a bread pudding made with all the ingredients I’d use to make French toast, but I can assemble it the night before and bake it in the morning.” Vanilla, orange zest, and fresh raspberries give it the flavor that sets it apart from plain versions.
The overnight soak is the whole point. The custard needs time to fully absorb into every cube of bread so there are no dry pockets when it bakes. Rush it and you get crunchy dry spots on top with soggy, underset custard underneath
Ina Garten Baked French Toast Casserole Recipe
Course: BreakfastCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy10
servings15
minutes1
hour10
minutes380
kcalChallah cubes layered with fresh raspberries and soaked in a brown sugar custard overnight, then baked until puffed and golden. Assemble Saturday night, bake Sunday morning, impress everyone at the table.
Ingredients
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1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
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10 extra-large eggs
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2 3/4 cups (660ml) half-and-half
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1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (105g) granulated sugar, divided
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1/3 cup (65g) light brown sugar, lightly packed
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1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
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1 teaspoon grated orange zest, plus extra for serving
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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10 cups (about 1 lb / 450g) 1-inch-diced day-old challah bread
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12 oz (340g) fresh raspberries
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Confectioners’ sugar, for serving
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Pure maple syrup, for serving
Directions
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Grease the dish: Butter a 9x13x2-inch oval baking dish with the tablespoon of butter. Set aside.
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Make the custard: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, 1/3 cup of granulated sugar, the brown sugar, vanilla, orange zest, and salt until fully combined.
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Layer the bread and raspberries: Spread half of the diced challah in the prepared dish. Scatter the raspberries in a single layer over the bread. Top with the remaining challah.
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Pour and soak: Pour the custard evenly over the bread, pressing down lightly so the bread absorbs the liquid. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar over the top.
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Refrigerate overnight: Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight for best results.
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Bake: Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Place the baking dish on a sheet pan and bake for 60 to 70 minutes, until the custard is set and the top is puffed and golden brown. Check after 45 minutes: if the top is browning too fast, cover loosely with aluminum foil.
- Serve: Cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, dust with extra orange zest, and serve warm with maple syrup.
FAQs
Why does Ina use day-old challah for this casserole?
Stale bread absorbs custard better than fresh. Fresh challah is too soft and turns to mush when it soaks overnight.
If your challah is fresh, Ina says to cut it into 1-inch cubes, spread them on a sheet pan, and bake at 350F (180C) for 5 minutes per side. This dries the surface just enough to let the cubes hold their shape in the custard.
Can you soak it for just one hour instead of overnight?
Yes. Ina says the minimum soak time is 1 hour, so it works for a same-morning bake if you start early.
Overnight is better though. The custard penetrates all the way through each cube, which means no dry bread pockets and a more even texture when it bakes. One hour gets you most of the way there, but overnight gets you all the way.
What other fruit can you use instead of raspberries?
Blueberries and blackberries swap in directly with no changes. Sliced strawberries work too, but pat them dry first because they release more juice.
Ina has a separate version called French Toast Bread Pudding in How Easy Is That? that skips the fruit entirely and uses just honey, orange zest, and vanilla. So no fruit at all is also a legitimate option.
Stone fruit like peaches or plums can work but they release a lot of water during baking, which can make the custard too wet.
How do you know when the casserole is done?
The top should be puffed up and golden brown. The center should feel firm when you press it gently, not jiggly.
Ina bakes it for 60 to 70 minutes at 350F (180C). Every oven is different, so start checking at 45 minutes for browning and tent with foil if it’s getting too dark on top.
Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving. The custard continues to set as it rests.
Does this baked french toast casserole reheat well?
Individual portions reheat fine in a 350F (180C) oven for about 10 minutes. The top loses some of its puff but the flavor stays good.
Don’t microwave it. The bread turns rubbery and the raspberries burst into hot juice.
Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. It doesn’t freeze well because the custard gets watery when thawed.
