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This almond French toast casserole is total brunch bliss! Inspired by the irresistible flavors of an almond croissant, it’s buttery, almond-kissed, and baked to golden perfection. With super easy steps and simple ingredients, you can guarantee this French toast bake will satisfy a hungry crowd.
save this recipe!Breakfast for a crowd doesn’t have to be stressful (yep, bold claim, but stay with me). This baked French toast casserole is here to back me up! Picture all the nutty, buttery deliciousness of a bakery-style almond croissant but in a crowd-pleasing, easy-to-serve casserole form.
And here’s the kicker: overnight prep! Just assemble it before bed, pop it in the oven in the morning, and let the magic happen. It’s practically made for lazy Sunday mornings or hosting guests without breaking a sweat.
Fall in Love with Brunch Again
- Perfect For A Crowd: Preparing a big batch is a breeze, making it ideal for brunches, holiday breakfasts, or any time you’re playing host.
- Bring The Bakery Home: The combo of almond paste, extract, and sliced almonds brings a mouthwatering twist to classic French toast.
- Foolproof: With easy step-by-step photos and pantry staples, even beginner cooks can ace this French toast bake!
Grab These Ingredients
Great news! All the ingredients in this almond French toast casserole are either pantry staples or easy to find. Jump down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
- Bread: Sourdough provides a hearty yet tender texture that perfectly soaks up the egg mixture. To prevent a soggy casserole, you’ll want to use stale bread here (about 1-2 days old).
- Almond Paste: We’ll use almond paste to add a sweet, nutty flavor that makes the recipe taste exactly like almond croissant French toast.
- Custard: To keep the casserole moist and creamy, we’ll combine eggs, whole milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and almond extract (the secret to that bakery-style almond flavor).
- Crumble Topping: Last but not least, top this casserole off with a crumble topping made of all-purpose flour, brown sugar, butter (make sure it’s cold!), extra almond paste, and sliced almonds.
Go Dairy-Free
To make this casserole dairy-free, you can swap the whole milk in the egg mixture for any plant milk. I’m all for oat milk or soy milk, but to kick the nutty flavor up a notch, I recommend trying an almond milk French toast casserole!
For the best results, use plain, unsweetened almond milk, which keeps the sweetness and flavors balanced. Also, swap the butter in the crumble topping for a dairy-free butter alternative (just make sure it’s nice and cold!).
Making This Is So Easy
Trust me, the hardest part about this French toast casserole is waiting for it to bake while your kitchen fills with the aroma of almond croissants! This is just an overview. For the full printable recipe, jump to the recipe card.
- Cube the bread and toss the cubes with almond paste in a casserole dish.
- Whisk the custard and pour it over the bread. Cover and chill!
- Mix the crumble ingredients until you get coarse crumbs. Stir in almond paste and sliced almonds, then sprinkle the topping over the casserole.
- Bake your French toast casserole until firm. Serve it warm with powdered sugar and maple syrup!
Quick-Dry Your Bread
I can’t stress enough the importance of using stale sourdough bread! Fresh bread will leave you with a mushy casserole. If your bread isn’t stale, quickly dry it out by cutting it into cubes and baking it at 300°F for 10-15 minutes.
Got Leftovers?
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the oven or microwave for convenient grab-and-go breakfasts all week long.
You can also freeze this casserole! Let it cool completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 2 months. Then, thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the oven until warm again.
Make a Brunch Spread
What’s better than one brunch dish? A whole smorgasbord of them! Pair your almond French toast bake with one (or all) of these mouthwatering ideas.
- Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Oatmeal: If you want to keep things hands-off, you can’t go wrong with this fall-inspired slow cooker treat.
- Stovetop Breakfast Potatoes: Whip up some crispy taters while your casserole bakes (they’re done in 20 minutes)!
- Breakfast Fruit Salad: This sugar-free, vitamin-loaded fruit salad is the perfect way to balance your brunch spread.
Almond French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 loaf sourdough, about 1½ lbs, stale is best
- ½ to 1 cup crumbled almond paste, click for homemade version
Egg Mixture
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk, 475 mL
- ½ cup brown sugar, 100 g
- 1 tsp almond extract, 5 mL
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
Crumble
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 30 g
- ¼ cup brown sugar, 50 g
- ¼ cup cold unsalted butter, 56 g
- ¼ cup almond paste, click for homemade version
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
Instructions
- Prep Bread: Cut 1 loaf sourdough into 1-inch cubes. Spray a 9×13-inch (or similar) casserole dish with cooking spray, then add half of the bread into the dish.Sprinkled ½ to 1 cup crumbled almond paste over the bread so each bite of casserole gets a little almond paste. Top with remaining bread.
- Egg Mixture: Whisk together 8 large eggs, 2 cups whole milk, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp almond extract, and ½ tsp ground cinnamon.Pour egg mixture evenly over the bread, ensuring every piece gets coated in egg. Cover with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight).
- Crumble: While casserole chills in the fridge, stir together ¼ cup all-purpose flour and ¼ cup brown sugar. Cut ¼ cup cold unsalted butter into small cubes, then use forks or a pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour mixture until it forms course crumbs. Stir in ¼ cup almond paste and ¼ cup sliced almonds.Sprinkle almond crumb mixture evenly over the casserole.
- Bake: Take casserole out of the fridge while preheating the oven to 350°F (176°C). Cook French toast casserole uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until firm. If the casserole darkens before finishing, cover it in foil for the remaining cook time.Serve warm with powdered sugar and/or maple syrup. Happy eating!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.
did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!
Hi! Is almond paste the same as marzipan?
They’re very similar! Marzipan has a higher ratio of sugar, but if that’s what you have on hand I think it could work here.
What a great use for stale bread. Seems like there is always some in the pantry, and this was so easy.
I’m so happy to hear you loved it! Happy eating! 😀
Delicious for my daughter’s birthday breakfast. She loves almond croissants and marzipan so I had to try it. Next time I think I’ll use less bread (even though I did it by weight – couldn’t cover it all with the eggs) I sprinkled with salt to bring it the flavour.