Entertaining around the holidays can mean your meals for two suddenly turn into meals for 20. But now you can take the stress out of breakfast with a morning meal perfect for palates of all ages. Best of all, it’s prepared a day in advance in your KitchenAid® 3.5-Quart Nesting Ceramic Set and is loaded into the oven right before guests arrive. The result? Warm and satisfying Overnight Cinnamon French Toast Bake topped with a thick drizzle of maple syrup, a shower of powdered sugar and a sprinkling of the season’s freshest fruit.
Like all French toast recipes, this dish works best with dry bread. So now there’s extra reason to avoid tossing that stale loaf. I’ve opted for a French baguette, but Texas toast, sliced Challah or even halved croissants will work in this recipe.
Once you’ve selected your bread of choice, whisk together the ingredients for the custard, which stars plenty of ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and a splash of vanilla extract.
Simply butter your KitchenAid® 3.5-Quart Ceramic Nesting Set dish then dip each slice of bread in the creamy custard and arrange them in overlapping layers in the dish. Pour any leftover custard atop the bread, wrap the dish in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge until the next morning.
When morning rolls around, simply preheat your KitchenAid® Double Wall Oven to 375°F and bake the French toast until golden brown and bubbly and the custard is fully cooked.
All that’s left to do is finish off the French toast with your choice of toppings. I love the contrast of juicy, fresh fruit paired with warm, eggy French toast, so I’ve opted for raspberries and pomegranate seeds for added color and crunch. It’s the ultimate make-ahead meal to skip the stress and entertain with ease, no matter how big the crowd.
Overnight Cinnamon French Toast Bake
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temp
- 1 French baguette cut into 18 (1-inch-thick) slices
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Maple syrup for serving
- Fresh berries for serving
Instructions
- Butter a KitchenAid® 3.5-Quart Nesting Ceramic Set.
- Arrange the bread slices in rows in the dish so that they’re slightly overlapping.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Dip each slice of bread in the mixture, soaking it thoroughly on both sides, then place it in the dish so that the slices are overlapping slightly. Pour any of the remaining of egg mixture over the bread slices. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate it overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the plastic wrap and flip each piece of bread over. Cover the dish securely with foil and bake it for 35 minutes until the eggs are almost fully set. Remove the foil and continue baking the French toast for 15 to 20 minutes until the eggs are fully set and the bread is deep golden brown.
- Transfer the slices of French toast to serving plates. Top with maple syrup and fresh berries and serve immediately.
