This eggnog french toast casserole is the ultimate holiday breakfast. It has just enough eggnog taste while being soft, custardy, and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. It bakes up with a buttery brown sugar base and gets finished with a drizzle of warm bourbon maple syrup for a perfectly rich Christmas morning treat.
The best thing about casseroles it that it can be baked right away, or prepped the night before, making it the perfect overnight french toast casserole for Christmas morning, weekend brunch or an easy breakfast to portion for the week.
We love our cinnamon bread pudding and vanilla pecan bread pudding for the same exact reason! And...they're easy peasy to make.
If you want to go the extra mile on cinnamon flavor, you can absolutely make some classic fluffy cinnamon rolls, cranberry orange rolls, or even some mini cinnamon rolls for a fancier touch (and they can all be made overnight).
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Make ahead friendly - assemble and soak the bread pudding the night before, and bake it off fresh in the morning! Christmas breakfast, sorted!
Classic holiday flavors - classic eggnog and warm spices in every soft and custardy bite.
Crowd pleasing - this eggnog bread pudding easily serves a group with minimal effort.
Ingredients
- Bakery bread. Italian loaf, challah bread, or brioche bread are your best options for bread pudding. It's also great if they're stale (they'll soak up more of the custard)!
- Eggnog. Use your favorite brand of eggnog! I love one that's extra spicy for maximum flavor.
- Brown sugar. This gets added to the bottom of the bread pudding and combines with butter to create a caramelized bottom.
- Eggs. This combines with the eggnog to create a super creamy custard to bake into the bread.
- Spices. Cinnamon and nutmeg enhance the classic eggnog flavor profile.
- Maple syrup. A drizzle of maple syrup mixed with bourbon to finish every bowl is the perfect pairing!
- Bourbon. A touch of bourbon mixes with the maple syrup for another classic eggnog flavor. This is a totally optional ingredient!
See recipe card for full ingredients list and quantities.
Substitutions and Variations
- No bourbon? Use a touch of spiced rum or simply use pure maple syrup (sans booze).
- Add ins - sprinkle chopped pecans, walnuts, or dried cranberries around the bread pieces before adding the custard and baking.
- Make it mini! Bake the bread pudding in individual ramekns for cute personal servings.
How to Make This Recipe
One: Rub the bottom and sides of the cassesrole dish with butter, and sprinkle over the brown sugar in an even layer.
Two: Add the pieces of bread to fill the casserole dish.
Three: Whisk together the ingredients for the custard until smooth.
Four: Pour it all over the bread, getting to the sides, too!
Five: Gently press all off the bread down to make sure all of the pieces get soaked.
Six: Bake the bread pudding, then let it rest for 10 minutes. Mix together the maple syrup and bourbon while it rests. Serve!
Expert Tips
- Use day-old bread - slightly stale bread absorbs the custard best. If it's a fresh loaf, tear it up and bake it for about 10 minutes at 350F to dry it out a bit.
- Don't skip the buttered base - it mixes with the brown sugar and creates a nicely caramelized bottom.
- Let it rest - allow the bread pudding to rest for about 10 minutes before serving so it sets up a bit.
- Make sure the syrup is hot - heat up the maple syrup, then stir in the bourbon right before serving.
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Testing Notes
- The first batch I only used 2 cups of eggnog, but because it was already so thick, the bread pudding didn't completely soak as much as I wanted. I increased the amount to 2.5 cups and it was the perfect amount.
- Tearing the bread vs cutting it gave two different textures. I preferred the texture of the torn bread, as the tops seemed to get crispier which was a nice contrast to the custardy insides.
- Everyone has a different tolerance for alcohol, so start with 1oz of bourbon in the maple syrup and give it a taste with a piece of bread. Add more, if you want it punchier!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Fully assemble it, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bake itstraight from the fridge, adding a few minutes of bake time to be sure the center is hot and cooked.
Brioche, challah, or french bread hold up best and soak up the custard perfectly! Avoid sandwich bread, as it's way too soft. Stale or dried-out bread is actually your best bet.
You can use whole milk, half and half, or heavy cream if you'd prefer, but you'll lose out on that eggnog flavor. If omitting the eggnog, add in extra spices to increase the flavor.
Storage
Refrigerator: store leftovers covered for up to 3 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave until warm.
Freezer: freeze the baked casserole in an airtight container for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and warm in the oven before serving.
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What to Know When Cooking with The Cozy Plum
- All recipes are created with Diamond Crystal kosher salt, the least salty variety of kosher salt. If using Morton's, you'll need to cut the amount of salt in half as it's 2x as salty. This will be the same for sea salt. Please do not use table salt.
- Switch between Cups vs Metric using the toggle on the recipe card. Baking by weight using a digital scale will always produce the most accurate results.
- Scale the recipe using the '1X' '2X' '3X' buttons on the recipe card. Note that this does not make an adjustment for baking times, only quantities.
📖Recipe
Eggnog French Toast Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 loaf french or brioche bread about 8-10 cups, cut or torn into cubes
- 4 large eggs
- 2½ cups eggnog
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
Bourbon Syrup
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1-2 oz bourbon
Instructions
- Spread the butter all over the bottom and sides of a 9x13” pan, then sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the bottom.¼ cup unsalted butter, ½ cup light brown sugar
- Add all of the bread cubes and spread evenly.1 loaf french or brioche bread
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, eggnog, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg until the eggs are totally whisked in.4 large eggs, 2½ cups eggnog, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- Pour the custard evenly over the bread and push down slightly. Let it rest and soak while you preheat the oven to 425℉.
- Once preheated, bake for 20-25 minutes until slightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve warm sliced or with a spoon, and top with a little drizzle of the bourbon syrup.
Bourbon Syrup
- When the casserole comes out of the oven, heat the maple syrup until hot, then stir in the bourbon (start with 1oz and taste).1 cup maple syrup, 1-2 oz bourbon
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