Overnight Gingerbread Chocolate Chip French Toast Casserole

The simple Christmas brunch you’ve been dreaming of…Overnight Gingerbread Chocolate Chip French Toast Casserole! So, not only is this casserole very easy to make, but I guarantee that it’s better than any other french toast casserole you’ve ever had! Every bite is just melt in your mouth delicious. Made with soft, buttery thick sliced brioche that gets soaked overnight in the simplest gingerbread custard, with mini chocolate chips in-between each slice of french toast, and then baked to golden perfection the next morning. I mean, does it get better than gingerbread + no same day food prep on Christmas morning? With this recipe, you get to spend the most amount of time with your loved ones. It’s truly the perfect make-ahead breakfast or brunch for the holiday’s! And, not only is it SUPER pretty when served with a large dollop of whipped cream, a gingerbread cookie, and a drizzle of chocolate sauce, it’s also an absolute crowd-pleaser! Not too sweet, perfectly spiced, and truly a recipe that the whole family can enjoy.

→ This post is also available as a Web Story: Gingerbread French Toast Casserole

About The Recipe

Thursday’s in December are just better than any the year…especially when it’s the Thursday right before Christmas Eve! I mean, when you go out, there is Christmas music coming from every store, everyone is doing a bit of last minute shopping, and the overall vibe is just…better. It’s a wonderful time of year! Everyone’s smiling, baking up a storm, and enjoying life.

Well, we are at the very least! As you’ve seen this past week, we have been a baking factory! Three different cookie recipes in two days, plus a fudge recipe and mini cakes. Lots of delicious sweets, but a lot has been going on behind the scenes that you’ve not seen (yet!). We originally planned to post 2 times a day this week, leading up to Christmas, but recipes didn’t work and some chaotic life things happened (as they do). So, today we’re sharing something simple and sweet, but more on the breakfast/brunch side of things.

Which, we had originally planned to do, but with all that’s been going on, we accidentally made this recipe into an overnighter! Which, actually worked really well! But, all that being said, tomorrow we’ll be sharing another breakfast/brunch recipe because, with Christmas being this weekend, we figured you can never have too many sweets!

Which finally brings me to the creation of this delicious french toast casserole.

Like I said, we knew we wanted to do a lot of sweets this week, but this french toast has been in the making for a long time! I think the idea originally came to us last Christmas! It’s something we’ve always wanted to do, as earlier this month, you all REALLY were loving our Eggnog French Toast from last year.

So, we allowed Christmas to really be the inspiration. We wanted something that hasn’t been overdone and had something really special about it, you know? Another thing had to be that this recipe needed to be easy for us to throw together, as we’ve had A LOT going on this week (and I’m sure you do, too!).

We figured out our flavors and that we wanted a french toast that we could soak quickly and throw in the oven. Well, with all the Christmas madness going on, we kinda forgot the french toast in the fridge overnight…

Turns out, that’s the best thing that could’ve happened!

We realized with the overnight rest, the bread REALLY had time to develop all those amazing gingerbread flavors after baking. We re-made it one more time to see if it could be made quickly, without sitting in the fridge overnight, and…turns out, it can be!

So, whether you need a super quick breakfast for Christmas, or just need an overnight soak, we got you covered with this absolutely delicious french toast casserole!

Why You Should Make This Gingerbread French Toast Casserole For Christmas Breakfast/Brunch

• This recipe is so simple and easy to make! Prep time is minimal.
• You can make this recipe same day or let it soak overnight in the fridge. Whatever works best for you!
• It genuinely tastes like a gingerbread cookie!
• Makes enough for 6 servings, but can be easily doubled or scaled down depending on your needs.
• Bakes in 25-30 minutes, which gives YOU more time to enjoy the holiday!
• Tastes GREAT with a mug of coffee.
• A great Christmas treat for kids and adults alike!

Equipment Needed

• 8×11 Inch Casserole
• Mixing Bowl
• Whisk

Ingredients

(Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post)

• Whole Milk
• Heavy Cream
• Large Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Brown Sugar
• Gingerbread Spice
• Salt
• Molasses
• Mini Chocolate Chips
• Brioche

How To Make Gingerbread French Toast Casserole

Step 1: Toast brioche

With the oven on broil, toast the brioche on each side until golden brown. About 30 seconds each.

Arrange brioche in casserole. Set aside.

Step 2: Make the custard

In a large bowl, whisk together milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, gingerbread spice, salt, and molasses.

Step 3: Soak and bake

Pour the custard over the brioche and gently press the bread down to ensure even coating. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

Cover the casserole with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, remove the casserole from the fridge 30 minutes prior to baking. Remove the plastic wrap and bake the casserole until puffy and set, about 25-30 minutes.

Gingerbread French Toast Casserole FAQ’s

What’s the best bread to use for French Toast?

In our experience, we have had the most success with our Homemade Brioche! Of course, you can definitely use store-bought, but it may taste a little different or be a little sweeter. We’ve also noticed that Challah and French Bread work well!

Oh, and as odd as it may sounds, even our Sourdough Hamburger Buns work well with this recipe!

Can I skip refrigerating overnight?

Actually you can! You will need to let it soak until it absorbs most of the liquid, about 15-20 minutes, but the advantages of refrigerating overnight gives you more time the next morning because all of the prep will have been done already!

Why did my casserole sink after baking?

This is normal, don’t worry! In simple terms, heat + steam = beautifully risen casserole…but after it’s taken out of the oven and the cooler air hits it, the french toasts immediately starts deflating. No more heat = sunken casserole. Though, this is not something you need to worry about. They all do this and it’s still delicious!

Topping Ideas

If you’re like me, you like to jazz up any recipe you make with fun additions to make this recipe taste EVEN BETTER. We’ve got you covered. Here’s a quick list of some of the most delicious toppings for this gingerbread french toast casserole.

• Chantilly Cream, but with a little bit of gingerbread spice mixed in.
• Ganache or Chocolate Sauce
• Maple Syrup
• Powdered Sugar
• Gingerbread Cookies
• Extra chocolate chips
• Vanilla Ice Cream
• Eggnog Ice Cream

How To Store

Once this is baked and cooled, you can store this casserole covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. To reheat it, you can either place the casserole in the oven for 10 minutes (or until fully reheated) or cut off a slice, place it on a plate, and microwave it on high powder for 30 seconds – 1 minute, or until reheated.

Expert Tips

• When making the custard, make sure it’s thoroughly mixed before pouring over the bread. The molasses and gingerbread spice can be a bit difficult to get fully incorporated.
• This casserole can be made same day or a day in advance.
• Don’t skip toasting the bread! it really helps the bread absorb the custard.
• Do not over bake or under bake this casserole! Follow the baking times below listed below.
• Toppings aren’t necessary, but highly recommend!

When you make this Overnight Gingerbread Chocolate Chip French Toast Casserole, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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