Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole is easy to make for a large crowd and perfect for busy mornings. With custardy bread and crunchy walnut streusel topping, it’s the ultimate breakfast everyone would love waking up for!
The holidays are fast approaching and if you’re expecting to host family and friends during the course of the Christmas season, you need to bookmark or pin this crockpot french toast casserole recipe!
We all know how frenetic this time of the year can get and the last thing we’d want is to spend hours in the kitchen flipping individual french toasts for 20 people. Not when we can enjoy the same delicious flavors with minimal effort!
This french toast bake is the ultimate breakfast or brunch for a large crowd. It requires less than 10 minutes of prep time and simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.
How to Make Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole
All it takes are three easy steps and the crockpot does most of the work!
Step 1: bread
- I like to use brioche bread which is hardy enough to soak up the custard without falling apart when cooking., but challah, French bread, Texas toast, and Pullman bread which have dense crumbs are also great options you can use.
- Use stale, dry bread as the excess moisture in a fresh loaf can make the french toast casserole soggy.
- Unfortunately, I could only find sliced brioche at our neighborhood grocery store. Try to use a whole loaf if you can and cut to the desired thickness.
Step 2: custard mixture
- If you want to cut down on the fat, feel free to swap whole milk for half and half but note that the custard will have a less rich flavor.
- You might want to strain the egg-milk mixture in a fine-mesh sieve to rid of streaks of egg whites.
- Don’t skip the salt as it helps balance the creaminess of the dish.
- Want to add grown-up fun? Whisk in a shot or two of Bailey’s, bourbon, or Cointreau to the mixture.
Step 3: walnut streusel topping
- I like walnuts for this recipe but almond slivers or chopped pecans are also good alternatives.
- Use cold butter and try to chill the streusel mixture for a few minutes before sprinkling on top of the french toast so they’ll cook up into crunchy buttery crumbs.
- I don’t normally add sugar to the custard as the brown sugar in the topping adds enough sweetness.
The hardest part of this slow cooker french toast recipe is waiting for the slow cooker to do its magic but I promise your patience will be rewarded. Entertain your guests, go about your chores, and in 3 to 4 hours, you’ll have a rich custardy bread with buttery topping everyone won’t be able to get enough of!
It’s simple comfort food you’d love cozying up to!
How to serve
- Crockpot french toast is delicious for breakfast or brunch. Serve with warm maple syrup and a dollop of whipped cream for the ultimate treat!
- Transfer leftovers to a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the microwave at 1 to 2-minute intervals until completely warmed through.
For more slow cooker recipes, try these honey-chipotle chicken, torilla soup , beef queso dip.
Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 loaf brioche or challah, cut into cubes
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups Half and Half
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup butter, cold
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Spray the inside of the slow cooker insert with nonstick cooking spray.
- Arrange cubed bread in the slow cooker.
- In a bowl, whisk eggs until frothy. Add half and half, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well blended. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain mixture.
- Add egg-milk mixture in the slow cooker, gently pressing down the bread to moisten.
- In a small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, and walnuts.
- Crumble the streusel over the bread mixture.
- Cover with lid and cook on LOW for about 3 to 4 hours or on HIGH for about 2 to 3 hours until warm and cooked through.
Nutrition
This is an awesome recipe, family favorite… I have only one comment, I strain the beaten eggs before adding the spices because I have found that straining the egg mixture after tends to also strain out some of the spices
Just a suggestion
Enjoy!
Thanks for the tip!
The instructions do not include what to do with the vanilla extract. I assume mix in the eggs, but I followed the instructions and didn’t realize until I was done that the vanilla never came into play.
What happened to the vanilla extract? I guess I’m going to add it to the egg milk mixture, since that’s the only thing that actually makes sense. LOL!
Ca n I use heavy cream instead of half and half?
Yes, you can 🙂