Overnight Crème Brûlée French Toast
Okay, so y’all know I love a fancy breakfast, but who has time for fiddling first thing in the morning, right? Especially on a weekend when you’re *supposed* to be relaxing? That’s where this Overnight Crème Brûlée French Toast comes in. It’s one of those dishes that feels totally indulgent and impressive, like you spent ages on it, but honestly? Most of the work happens while you’re catching zzz’s. I first stumbled on a version of this years ago after a particularly chaotic Christmas morning where I tried to make *everything* fresh, and let me tell you, never again! Now, this is my go to for holidays or just when we need a little somethin’ extra.
Why I’m Obsessed with This
Seriously, where do I even start? It’s french toast that tastes like dessert (hello, crème brûlée top!) but you eat it for breakfast. It’s rich, custardy on the inside, and gets this amazing crispy, caramelized sugar crust. My kids (and let’s be real, the adults too) absolutely lose their minds over that crunchy sugary top. Plus, it’s all prepped the night before, which is just… *chef’s kiss*. Perfect for lazy Sundays or when you’re having company over and don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen while everyone else is enjoying their coffee. It’s a total game changer form a busy morning standpoint.
Stuff You’ll Need (Ingredients)
Don’t fret if you don’t have every single thing. We’re adaptable here!
- About 1 large loaf of bread: French bread, challah, or even a good brioche works best. Day old is actually perfect for soaking up all that goodness. Don’t use pre sliced stuff, it just doesn’t hold up as well.
- 8 large eggs: Room temperature if you can manage it they mix in better, but cold is fine too.
- 3 cups milk or half and half: Half and half makes it extra rich, but milk works fine if you want to lighten it up a touch.
- 1 cup heavy cream: This is where the magic happens for that custardy texture. Don’t skip this!
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar: For the egg mixture.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract: Good quality stuff makes a difference, just sayin’.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt: Balances the sweetness.
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter: Melted. You could probably get away with salted if that’s all you have just maybe skip the extra salt.
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar: This mixes with the butter for the bottom layer.
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar (for topping): This is key for the brûlée part! Turbinado sugar works even better if you have it gets a really lovely crust.

Let’s Get This Done (Directions)
Here’s the lowdown. It’s pretty simple, promise.
- Okay, first things first, butter a large baking dish. A 9×13 inch dish is pretty standard and works perfectly.
- In a small saucepan or the microwave, melt that stick of butter. Stir in the brown sugar until it’s all combined and looks kinda like a caramel sauce, maybe a minute or two. Pour this mixture into the bottom of your buttered baking dish. Try to get it spread evenly form corner to corner.
- Now, the bread. Tear or cut the bread into 1 inch to 1 and 1/2 inch cubes. Just eyeball it, it doesn’t need to be perfect. Scatter the bread cubes over the brown sugar butter mixture in the dish. Don’t pack ’em down too much.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk (or half and half), heavy cream, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk it really well until it’s all smooth and the sugar is mostly dissolved.
- Pour this custardy mixture evenly over the bread cubes in the dish. Make sure every piece of bread gets soaked. Gently press down on the bread with a spatula or spoon to help it absorb the liquid. This is where I usually sneak a small piece of the bread before it’s soggy… don’t tell anyone!
- Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap.
- Pop it in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight (hence the name!). This is crucial for the bread to soak up all the goodness and for the flavors to meld.
- The next morning, take the dish out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you plan to bake it. This helps it bake more evenly.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Remove the plastic wrap and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until the french toast is puffed up, golden brown, and set in the center. You can check if it’s done by gently pressing the top it should spring back a little.
- Now for the fun part! Take the dish out of the oven. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of granulated sugar (or turbinado!) evenly over the top of the baked french toast. Don’t be shy!
- Here’s where you need a broiler or a kitchen torch.
- If using a broiler: Put the dish under a preheated broiler (watch it like a hawk!) for just 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sugar is melted and bubbly and turns into that beautiful caramelized crust. It goes from perfect to burnt really fast, so keep your eyes glued to it!
- If using a kitchen torch: This is my preferred method because you have more control. Just evenly torch the sugar until it melts and caramelizes into a hard, glassy crust. It might take a few minutes. This is surprisingly satisfying to do! If you’re curious about kitchen torches, America’s Test Kitchen has a great review that might help you pick one.
- Let the french toast sit for a few minutes after brûléeing before serving. This lets that sugar crust harden up.
Things I Learned (Notes)
Based on, you know, screwing up a few times:
- Don’t slice the bread too thin. It just turns to mush. You need those sturdy cubes.
- Letting it chill overnight really is better than just a few hours. The texture is way more uniform and custardy.
- Your oven might run hot or cold, so start checking around 40 minutes of baking time.
- Using turbinado sugar for the top gives a better, more crackly crust than regular granulated sugar, although granulated works fine in a pinch.

What Else Can We Do? (Variations)
I’ve played around a bit.
- Add fruit: You can scatter some berries (blueberries, raspberries) or thinly sliced apples in with the bread cubes before pouring the custard. It adds a nice little pop of flavor. Just don’t go too crazy or it can make the dish watery.
- Chocolate chips: Yeah, I went there. A handful sprinkled in is pretty darn good, though it makes it even *more* dessert like.
- Spices: A pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg in the custard mixture is lovely, especially with apple variation.
- *Didn’t work so well:* I once tried adding orange zest to the custard, thinking it would be sophisticated. Eh. It was okay, but kinda weird with the caramel top. Stick to vanilla, folks.
Tools You Might Need (Equipment)
- A large baking dish (9×13 inch).
- Large mixing bowl and whisk.
- Measuring cups and spoons.
- Small saucepan (or microwave safe bowl) for melting butter.
- Plastic wrap.
- A broiler or a kitchen torch. Honestly, if you don’t have a torch and aren’t comfy with the broiler, you could *technically* just serve it as is after baking and skip the brûlée step it’s still delicious, just not Crème Brûlée French Toast. But the torch is fun! You can find affordable ones on sites like Amazon.

Keeping It Fresh (Storage)
If you somehow have leftovers (unlikely in my house, but hey, it could happen!), cover and refrigerate. Gently reheat individual portions in the microwave or oven. The sugar crust won’t be crispy anymore after refrigerating unless you re torch it but it still tastes great.
How I Like to Serve It (Serving Suggestions)
Right out of the dish, warm. A dusting of powdered sugar is nice. A side of fresh berries is always a good call. And, of course, a drizzle of really good maple syrup. We’re partial to Laird’s form Oregon, it’s seriously good stuff.
Lessons Learned (Pro Tips)
- Don’t rush the chilling time. Seriously, you need that time for the bread to soak properly. I once tried doing just 2 hours and the bottom was still a bit dry.
- Watch the broiler like a hawk! Walk away for 30 seconds and you’ll have a burnt mess instead of a lovely crust.
- Make sure the sugar for the topping is applied *right* before you brûlée it. If it sits for too long it can start to dissolve into the hot french toast, and then you don’t get that nice crackle.
Got Questions? (FAQ)
Stuff people ask me:
Q: Can I use frozen bread?
A: Yeah, just thaw it completely first. Stale bread works best though.
Q: What if I don’t have heavy cream?
A: Hmm, it won’t be quite as rich, but you could use more half and half or milk. The texture will be a bit different though, not as custardy. I really recommend the cream if you can swing it!
Q: My sugar didn’t get hard and crackly! What happened?
A: You probably didn’t get it hot enough or long enough. With a torch, you need to get pretty close and keep moving it. With a broiler, make sure it’s on high and you’re using the top rack.
Q: Can I make this ahead and freeze it?
A: You could bake it (without the top sugar), let it cool completely, wrap it up tight, and freeze. Thaw it overnight in the fridge, then reheat it in the oven and add the sugar and brûlée. It won’t be *quite* as perfect as fresh, but it works!
Q: Is it really that sweet?
A: It’s sweet, yes, especially with the brûlée top. But it’s breakfast sweet, not dessert sweet if that makes sense? The salt helps balance it. You could reduce the sugar in the custard slightly if you prefer it less sweet before the topping.
Alright y’all, go make this! Your future sleepy self will thank you. Happy breakfasting!