Printable Easy Gluten-Free French Toast Casserole Recipe Card
Assemble this casserole ahead, refrigerate it overnight, and bake it in the morning for a freshly made French toast casserole! Feel free to print or pin this recipe for easy reference when making this recipe or shopping for ingredients.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Refrigeration time6 hourshrs
Total Time7 hourshrs
Course: bread, Breakfast, Main Course, Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12servings
Calories: 160kcal
Author: Heidi Hecht
Ingredients
9.5ouncesof French bread,about 1 1/4 loaves of gluten-free French bread
1/2cupvegan butter
210gramsbrown sugar,about 1 cup
2cupsalmond milk
6eggs
2teaspoonspure vanilla extract
2teaspoonsground cinnamon,divided
1tablespoonbrown sugar
1/4-1/2cupoptional add-ins like chopped pecans and diced fresh apple
Instructions
Cut the bread into 1" cubes and arrange on a baking sheet to dry. To do this quickly, preheat the oven to 300°F and bake for 15 minutes, until they are dry but not “toasted”.
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add 210 grams of brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
Butter the bottom and sides of a 9X13" glass baking dish.
Pour the butter and brown sugar mixture into the baking dish. Make sure it evenly covers the bottom of the dish.
Spread the dried French bread cubes in a single layer over the butter-and-brown sugar mixture.
Add eggs, almond milk, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and vanilla extract to a medium bowl. Use a hand mixer to combine them thoroughly.
Pour the custard evenly over the bread. You’ll want all the bread coated with custard, so don’t pour too quickly! Tap the bread down gently as needed to make sure it’s all coated.
Cover the casserole dish with plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator to chill for 6-8 hours. I prefer to chill it overnight.
Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes to warm up. Don't skip this step, or your glass dish could shatter from the sudden temperature changes!
While the casserole warms up, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius).
Mix 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar in a small bowl to make the topping.
Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar topping evenly over the casserole. Spread chopped nuts and apple over the top of the casserole, if using.
Cover the casserole with aluminum foil. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes. The casserole is done when a food thermometer inserted into the center reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit (71 degrees Celsius).
The neat part about this French toast casserole is that it doesn’t require any cooling time. You can serve it warm with your favorite additional toppings, such as more fresh fruit, nuts, powdered sugar, or maple syrup.