Boozy Caramel French Toast Casserole
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This boozy French toast casserole with a caramel bottom makes the perfect company-for-brunch dish.
Part booze, part French toast, part bread pudding — how could you go wrong? In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if you already had the recipe because such things (i.e., amazingly good, crowd pleasing, make-ahead, easy recipes) tend to get around. I got it from my friend Gayle, who got it from her friend Karen, who got it from…you get the idea.
This French toast casserole makes a perfect company-for-brunch dish because you can assemble it the night before, let it sit in the fridge overnight, and then just pop it in the oven in the morning when you’re ready to eat. Don’t worry if you forget to plan ahead; it can be baked soon after assembling if need be.
Ingredients For Boozy Caramel French Toast Casserole
I use broiche bread to make my French toast casserole. Brioche is a lightly sweetened yeast bread enriched with lots of butter and eggs. You can find it in the bakery of most large supermarkets; if for some reason you can’t find it, challah makes an excellent substitute.
Grand Marnier is an orange-flavored liqueur. It adds depth of flavor and subtle orange flavor that pairs nicely with the orange zest and caramel. If you’d like to omit the booze, go ahead and replace it with more half and half.
How To Make Boozy Caramel French Toast Casserole
Begin with the caramel. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and one tablespoon of water.
Melt over medium heat, stirring until smooth.
Pour the caramel into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
Remove the crust on the brioche and into 1½-in slices. Arrange the bread on top of caramel, making sure entire base is well covered.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, Grand Marnier, orange zest and salt until well combined.
Pour evenly over bread. Let sit for at least 15 minutes or cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight.
When you’re ready to eat, bake the French toast casserole, uncovered, until puffed and golden, 40-50 minutes.
Let cool a few minutes (it will deflate) and then serve immediately. The caramel will harden up as it cools, so it’s important to serve this dish hot.
More French Toast Recipes
Boozy Caramel French Toast Casserole
This boozy French toast casserole with a caramel bottom makes the perfect company-for-brunch dish.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1⅓ lbs brioche (you'll likely need two loaves but you won't use it all)
- 5 large eggs
- 1½ cups half-and-half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with butter.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter with the brown sugar, corn syrup, and one tablespoon of water, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Slice off the crusts from the brioche (it doesn't need to be perfect). Cut the bread into 1½-in thick slices. Arrange the bread slices on top of caramel, making sure the entire base of the pan is covered.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, Grand Marnier, orange zest and salt until well combined. Pour evenly over bread. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 20 minutes or overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Bake, uncovered, in the middle of the oven until puffed and golden, 40-50 minutes. Let cool a few minutes (it will deflate), then serve immediately. The caramel base hardens up as it cools, so it's important to serve hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 705
- Fat: 32 g
- Saturated fat: 17 g
- Carbohydrates: 84 g
- Sugar: 37 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 17 g
- Sodium: 578 mg
- Cholesterol: 269 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Is it possible to use regular cream instead of half and half? Will it change the recipe much?
Hi Michael, Regular cream should work fine.
WOW. The taste, texture, and presentation is heavenly. I served four grown men (my husband and three brothers-in-law, who were visiting from out of town) and they were still raving over the next couple of days. I loved being able to get this prepared (and so easily) the night before because I enjoy the meal and am much more relaxed not trying to serve, carry on conversation, and get everything cooked and beautifully presented at once. Great brunch dish that pleased all of us! Thank you!
I made this over Thanksgiving and it received rave reviews. The orange zest really gives it a fresh flavor. I substituted Cointreau for the Grand Marnier.
how do you make perfect scrambled eggs?
Hi Kathleen, To make perfect scrambled eggs, cook them in a butter over very low heat, stirring occasionally.
The first time i made it I used challah bread and it turned out perfectly. Second time I used white sandwich bread. Big mistake! It turned to mush. Still tasted good though. Don’t skip the hallah or brioche bread, it won’t turn out right. I like to make 1.5x the caramel too. That way it’s got plenty of sauce to go around.
First, I have to say that the taste was AMAZING.
I do have to follow that up with the caveat: you have to serve this HOT as the caramel on the bottom of the pan cools and turns into a solid piece fairly quickly. We found it difficult to have seconds – we reheated in the same pan the next day, but it was hard to get the bottom hot enough to melt the caramel without burning the top. I might make a more “traditional” french toast using the custard recipe she has here, and then have the caramel be a separate little dish for drizzling.
Looks fabulous, but i have little kids to feed. Any suggestions for a non-drunken version??
Hi Renee, It’s fine to leave out the booze. Or, if you think your kids would like the orange flavor, you could add a little orange juice instead.
I have make this French toast for Christmas for my family for the past couple of years. Yes, it is in the fridge right now chilling for the morning. It is much anticipated & loved by all. It is a real treat. Thank you for posting this recipe. Happy holidays to you & your family.
I have made this recipe 3 times already and am getting ready to make it again for family visiting. Everyone loves this French toast. I love it because it’s so easy to pop it into the oven in the morning after it sits in the fridge overnight. One glorious pan of decadent deliciousness. Love your recipes.
This big hit on valentine’s day!