Baked French Toast Recipe with Praline Topping
Total Time
1 hr
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Rating
4.27 out of 5 stars
(23)
Ingredients
8 servings
- 1 loaf hearty French or Italian bread, about 1 pound
- 1½ cups heavy cream
- 1½ cups whole milk
- 8 eggs
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- For the Topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- ½ cup chopped pecans
How would you rate this recipe?
Preparation
Chef’s notes
Do not use a French baguette, as it is too crusty for this recipe. If you choose to use a richer bread such as brioche or challah, I recommend letting the torn pieces sit out overnight to let it stale or to dry it in the oven.
You can replace all of the heavy cream and whole milk with half-and-half, or you can use all whole milk for a slightly lighter casserole. I do not recommend using low-fat milk.
You can substitute different nuts for the pecans in the topping, or omit them altogether.
While this is an ideal make-ahead recipe, you can make it the same day by allowing it to sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before baking.
This casserole can be baked, cooled completely, refrigerated for at least 2 hours, then frozen. To freeze, cover the pan tightly with foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat in a 350-degree oven, covered, until warmed through, about 15 minutes.