Looking for a festive breakfast for Christmas? This delicious eggnog french toast casserole checks all the boxes. Easy to make ahead and pop in the oven the day of!
I love French toast. I remember making it as a kid growing up and I would always add more cinnamon with each piece of bread I dunked into the eggy mixture. For whatever reason, I haven’t made French toast that much lately. Maybe because we got a waffle maker for our wedding and now we usually alternate between pancakes and waffles if we want a sweet breakfast. But French toast really is the true breakfast MVP. It’s so much easier to make than pancakes or waffles.
To make delicious French toast, It all comes down to good bread, IMO. A day-old loaf of sourdough. Or, in college, we lived right next to bakery and they made cinnamon raisin bread. One of us (I lived with 4 other girlfriends) would go down on a Saturday morning, grab a loaf, and then make French toast for everyone. It was HEAVENLY.
When thinking about a breakfast I could make for Christmas this year, I was like I’ve already done gingerbread pancakes, eggnog pull-apart bread, and butternut squash waffles. So clearly we had a big French toast gap to fill. Enter baked French toast! This eggnog French toast casserole screams Christmas like Will Ferrell screams SANTA! in the movie Elf.
You will love this Christmas breakfast if you like:
- the rich, warm, spiced flavor of eggnog
- custardy, carby bread dishes
- perfectly crispy, crunchy toasted edges
- Syrup? Is there sugar in syrup? Then YES.
- Dishes you can prep ahead of time and cook the day of
- A sweet dish to complement savory dishes
- Tidings of comfort and joy (in bread form)
If you have guests coming over for a holiday brunch, or you need to bring a dish to one, this is a winner for sure. If you’re worried about time, simply prep the casserole the day (or night) before, let it sit and soak in the refrigerator. Then remove it from the fridge to let it sit out at room temperature for 1/2 hour before baking.
Top it off with some crushed pecans, powdered sugar, and pomegranate seeds if you want to be reallll fancy. And/or, good ol’ maple syrup will also do the trick.
This is my last recipe post of 2019 (!). My intern, Hannah, will be back on next week to share some ideas for non-diet New Year’s resolutions. And I will see you back here in 2020!!
Wishing you a very merry holiday season filled with warmth, joy, and balance. I hope you are able to carve out some time for you amidst the busyness of the season. xoxo
Enjoy more holiday recipes with your family!
- Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix
- Gingerbread Baked Oatmeal
- Eggnog Pull Apart Bread
- Best Holiday Brunch Recipes
Eggnog French Toast Casserole
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 8-10 1x
Ingredients
- 16-ounce loaf of bread (sourdough, Italian or French work well), torn into bite-sized (1–2 inch) pieces
- 6 eggs
- 3 cups eggnog
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Optional: pomegranate seeds, pecans, powdered sugar, maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large baking or casserole dish.
- Add bread to the greased casserole dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, eggnog, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until combined.
- Pour egg mixture over the bread. Press bread down into the dish to submerge in the mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to overnight. Let dish sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake at 350 degrees until edges are toasted and casserole is set (toothpick inserted in center comes out clean), about 50-65 minutes.*
- Serve with optional toppings: pomegranate seeds, crushed pecans, powdered sugar, and maple syrup.
Notes
- Baking times vary depending on oven and type of dish used (metal vs. glass/ceramic). Check dish at about 45-50 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Holiday
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