Try a festive, cozy twist on traditional French toast with this delicious Eggnog French Toast Casserole with a warm, spiced, eggnog flavored French toast casserole and a heavenly brown sugar streusel topping. Perfect for feeding a crowd or for a cozy family breakfast.
Eggnog French Toast Casserole
Eggnog French Toast Casserole is a festive, cozy twist on a classic breakfast that will be a hit with your family and friends.
It features a soft fluffy French toast casserole made with eggnog and flavored with warm spices like cinnamon. The best part of this Eggnog French Toast Casserole? The buttery brown sugar and cinnamon crumble topping. It just adds the perfect amount of sugar and spice and everything nice. Top it with the creamy eggnog glaze for extra sweet eggnog flavor in every bite.
This breakfast casserole will impress holiday guests, and serve a crowd. But best of all it's super simple to make! It's quick to prep, is made the night before for less chaotic mornings, and is even freezer friendly!
Serve warm with your favorite toppings and a glass of eggnog! Merry Christmas!
What's the Best Bread to Use?
I love using cinnamon swirl bread or cinnamon raisin bread, as it stands up well to the moisture and takes the warm, sweet, spices to the next level.
Other breads that will work are French bread, challah, brioche, or really any other hearty, thick bread.
Recipe Variations
- Dairy free - There is quite a bit of dairy in this recipe, but it's still possible to make it dairy free with all of the new dairy free options out there. Use your favorite dairy free eggnog, and coconut oil instead of butter.
- Gluten free - Use gluten free measure-for-measure flour and gluten free bread to make this recipe safe for gluten intolerance.
- Raisins or Dried Fruit - Add a handful or two of dried raisins, cranberries, or cherries in with the bread pieces for an extra burst of flavor.
- Nuts - Add nuts on top or tossed in with the bread. Pecans or walnuts would work best for this recipe.
- Eggnog - This casserole is delicious even if you don't have any eggnog on hand or don't love it in general. Simply use half-and-half in place of the eggnog.
How to Make Eggnog French Toast Casserole Ahead of Time
To make ahead, follow the recipe and prepare the casserole accordingly. Cover and chill overnight. Prepare the topping and transfer to a baggy or small container. Sprinkle on topping before baking.
Eggnog French Toast Casserole is also freezer friendly, and the freezer directions are included (and printable!) in the recipe below.
How to Serve Eggnog French Toast Casserole
Eggnog French Toast Casserole makes a pretty hearty breakfast on its own. If you're serving it as a brunch or to a crowd, you can stretch it by serving it with some eggs , bacon, sausage, or yogurt for extra filling protein, or a side of fresh fruit such as berries, banana, oranges, or even a nice fruit salad.
But of course, like most things, the best and most fun part of serving this casserole is the toppings! You can set it up like a toppings bar for everyone to grab their favorites.
- Eggnog glaze - this is the glaze that's in the recipe below and adds an extra swirl of creamy eggnog flavor to each bite.
- Pecans or other nuts
- Maple Syrup
- Festive sprinkles
- Yogurt - plain, vanilla, or another festive flavor.
- Whipped cream
- Sugared cranberries
More Holiday Breakfast Recipes You'll Love
- Gingerbread Waffles - Warm spiced waffles that are crispy on the outside and soft and fluffy in the center and will improve your holiday spirit.
- Overnight Crockpot Breakfast Casserole - A simple breakfast casserole that can be made ahead in the slow cooker with eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, and cheese.
- Eggnog Muffins - Simple eggnog flavored muffins with a spiced streusel topping and an eggnog glaze.
- Eggnog French Toast - An easy breakfast for Christmas morning that can be whipped up quickly or made ahead with all of the rich spiced flavors of eggnog.
- Gingerbread Pancakes - Warm spiced gingerbread in pancake form. These pancakes smell as good as they taste.
- Homemade Cinnamon Rolls - Nothing beats a warm, gooey, homemade cinnamon roll with sweet vanilla glaze.
Eggnog French Toast Casserole Video
Eggnog French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 loaf cinnamon swirl bread (at least 16 ounces)
- 8 eggs beaten
- 2 cups eggnog
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
For the Topping
- 1 cup flour
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup cold butter cut into small cubes
For the Glaze
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- ½ cup eggnog
- 1⅓ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Tear bread into bite-sized pieces, and place in a greased 9"x13" baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, eggnog, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar.
- Pour egg mixture over bread.
- Cover with foil and press down gently so the bread will soak up all the egg mixture.
- Refrigerate overnight or minimally 3-4 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- For the topping: Right before you bake, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg for the topping in a medium mixing bowl. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender or fork, until the clumps are pea-sized.
- Sprinkle topping onto the casserole.
- Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes, or until cooked through.
- Just before serving, mix all of the glaze ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle over entire casserole or individual slices before serving.
Notes
- Storage: Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days. Reheat individual portions on a microwave safe plate.
- Freezer Directions: Prepare the topping. Place in a baggy and in the container with the prepared, unbaked casserole. Cover and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then sprinkle topping on top and bake as directed, until heated all the way through. Alternately, the casserole can be frozen after baking for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up in a 350°F oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until warm in the center.
Nutrition
UPDATE INFO: This recipe was originally published in November 2018. It was updated with new pictures, tips, and video and republished in November 2024.
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Bill Fencken says
Easy and delicious