Easy Baked French Toast

By The New York Times

Updated October 10, 2023

  • Nico Schinco for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Rating
4(218)
Comments
Read comments

Perfect for an impromptu breakfast or brunch, this baked French toast requires barely any prep and delivers results that are so rich and custardy that the dish veers into bread pudding territory. Though many baked French toast recipes require stale bread — or bread that has been soaked or toasted — this one requires no extended soaking and involves a relatively short bake time. It can easily accommodate whatever type of bread you have: Rustic bread will retain more texture, but standard fluffy sandwich bread works as well, with even less resistance. This recipe allows you to customize its sweetness levels as desired, with cinnamon sugar and maple syrup passed tableside to ensure it tastes just right to you and any guests.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings

  • Unsalted butter, for greasing and serving

  • 1 ¼ cups whole milk

  • 2 large eggs

  • ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

  • Salt

  • 4 slices sandwich bread (preferably about ¾-inch thick, but ½-inch-thick standard sandwich bread works, too)

  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • Maple syrup, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 to 4 servings)

51 grams carbs; 106 milligrams cholesterol; 307 calories; 2 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 8 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 401 milligrams sodium; 9 grams protein; 37 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with butter.

  2. Step 2

    In a wide, shallow bowl or dish, whisk together the milk, eggs, ¼ cup sugar and a pinch of salt until the sugar is dissolved. Immerse a piece of bread in the mixture, pushing it down until liquid pools on top and pausing to make sure the bread is well saturated. Transfer the slice into the baking pan, then repeat with the remaining slices. Spoon the remaining liquid over the top of the slices, stopping when the bread no longer immediately absorbs it. (Thinner pieces of smaller sandwich bread can hold less liquid than thicker pieces of wider rustic bread.)

  3. Step 3

    Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon and sprinkle about half of the cinnamon sugar over the bread.

  4. Step 4

    Bake until the custard is almost set and the edges of the bread are lightly golden and crispy, about 20 minutes. If desired, broil until even more golden on top, 1 to 2 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Remove from the oven and divide among plates, using a knife to slice apart the pieces if they’ve slightly fused together. Top each with a slice of butter, if desired, and serve with maple syrup, for drizzling, and the remaining cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on top.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
218 user ratings
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Comments

Ann

If you're only making four slices, why heat the oven and bake for 20 minutes? Why not just make, well, ordinary French toast? Two slices at a time in a large saute pan or all four at once on a griddle... Baked French toast makes sense if you're serving a crowd, but for two to four people, I'm not sure I see the advantage.

Patti

Vanilla in the custard mixture would make this so much tastier.

Name Angie

Instead of cinnamon I add 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg to the egg mixture to sharpen the flavor.

Cat

Tablespoon of brandy!

DjD

I made this with left-over pannetone from x-mas in a buttered gratin dish. Flip it over when done to see the crispy side and drizzle maple syrup on top. It's delicious!

Josh

Best French toast I’ve ever made. I made the recipe as directed but had enough of the egg mix for 8 slices of brioche sandwich bread. Definitely want to finish in broiler. Kid approved. Bake some sausage or bacon in the oven at same time.

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