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This rich and decadent Crème Brûlée French Toast is a deceivingly easy make ahead breakfast or brunch entree everyone will love! It’s made in just a few minutes with staple ingredients and your favorite bread.
Crème Brûlée French Toast is a fun twist on classic French Toast with everything you love about Crème Brûlée in simple make ahead format that makes it perfect for feeding a few or a crowd, Easter or Mother’s Day Brunch!
Rather than spending time flipping individual slices on the stove top like you do with traditional French toast and Apple Fritter French Toast, you can bake it in a casserole dish, saving time and effort!
A rich, creamy custard soaks into thick slices of bread overnight absorbing all of the delicious flavor. It’s toasted to perfection in the oven with a crunch brûlée layer that eliminates the need for butter and syrup!
I love breakfast and brunch recipes that can be prepared in advance so that when I’m anticipating guests in the morning, my kitchen is sparkling clean without any effort!
You can make it ahead and bake it in the morning and wow friends and family with an indulgent, bistro worth breakfast! And for more of my favorite Easy Breakfast Ideas, head over to this incredible roundup!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Make Ahead
- Quick and Easy
- Use Leftover Bread
- It’s a Crowd Pleaser
Crème Brûlée French Toast Ingredients
- Butter – Salted or unsalted, your preference.
- Brown Sugar – Light or dark, your preference.
- Corn Syrup
- Bread – Challah, French or Brioche, stale bread is preferred.
- Eggs – To make creamy custard.
- Heavy Cream – Half and Half or the heaviest milk you have on hand can also be used. Heavy cream provides the richest flavor with most luxurious texture.
- Vanilla – Vanilla extract adds a hint of flavor. You can use almond extract, orange extract, bourbon, brandy, rum or additional Grand Marnier if you prefer.
- Grand Marnier – Orange flavored liqueur. Eliminate or use orange juice in lieu.
How to Make Crème Brûlée French Toast
- Make Caramelized Topping – In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup until smooth. Pour mixture into greased 9×13 casserole dish or lined baking sheet.
- Fill – Place bread slices tightly in casserole dish to fill.
- Make Custard – In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat eggs, cream, vanilla and Grand Marnier until well combined. Pour evenly over bread.
- Marinate – Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight. Don’t skip this step. You want the custard to be absorbed all the way through.
- Bake – Preheat oven and bring casserole dish to room temperature (to prevent cracking). Bake uncovered.
- Broil – This step is completely optional, but if you want a true crème brûlée topping, flip slices over and broil. Note if you are not using a broil safe dish, it’s best to transfer them to a baking sheet. Broil 1 – 1.5 minutes until golden brown and bubbling.
Serving Suggestions
- With Orange Butter
- With Sweet Butter
- A Dollop of Eggnog Whipped Cream
- A Dollop of Whipped Cream
- Serve with Fresh Strawberries or Blueberries
- Drizzle with Strawberry Sauce or Raspberry Sauce
- Dust with Powdered Sugar
What to Do With Leftovers
- Serve For Dessert – Serve a la mode with a scoop of No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
- Refrigerate – Store in an airtight container or covered casserole dish up to 2 days. Warm to serve.
Scaling up, down or substituting? You’ll love this printable Measurement Conversion Chart!
Dietary Considerations
- Gluten Free – Use gluten free bread.
- Dairy Free – Use a dairy substitute like almond milk.
- Nut Free – Naturally nut free.
Hungry for more easy recipes? Sign up for my free recipe club and have amazing recipes delivered directly to your inbox each week!
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
- Overnight Monkey Bread
- Gooey Butter Cake
- Egg Strata
- Spinach and Feta Quiche
- Quiche Lorraine
- Quiche with Homemade Quiche Crust
- Mexican Breakfast Casserole
- Cheese and Onion Quiche
Did you make this? Rate the recipe and tag me on social @julieblanner!
Crème Brûlée French Toast
Crème Brûlée French Toast is one of the easiest brunch recipes that's perfect to serve a few, or a crowd! This make ahead dish is made with just a few staple ingredients and comes together in minutes. Like Crème Brûlée it's rich and custardy in the center and topped with crunchy caramel flavor.
Yield
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter salted or unsalted
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 loaf bread challah, french, or brioche sliced 1½" thick
- 5 eggs
- 1½ cups half and half or heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier orange liqueur, juice or extract
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and corn syrup whisking until smooth. Pour mixture into a greased 9×13″ pan.
- Place bread slices tightly in baking dish.
- In a medium mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine eggs, half and half, vanilla and Grand Marnier. Pour evenly over bread.
- Cover and refrigerate 6+ hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Bring baking dish to room temperature to avoid cracking.
- Bake uncovered 35 minutes. Flip to serve or broil.
Optional
- Broil 1 – 1½ minutes until slightly bubbly and golden brown. If your baking dish is not rated for broiling, transfer to a cookie sheet.
Tips
Tips
- Marinate at least 6 hours to soak up all the custard.
- Use a broil safe dish.
How to Store
Store in an airtight container or covered casserole dish up to 2 days. Warm to serve.Video
Nutrition Information
Calories: 373kcal (19%), Carbohydrates: 51g (17%), Protein: 9g (18%), Fat: 15g (23%), Saturated Fat: 8g (40%), Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 100mg (33%), Sodium: 408mg (17%), Potassium: 196mg (6%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 25g (28%), Vitamin A: 444IU (9%), Vitamin C: 1mg (1%), Calcium: 138mg (14%), Iron: 2mg (11%)
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
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