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Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Breakfast Bake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 69 reviews

This Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Breakfast Bake is a cozy, spiced twist on traditional French toast. Made by soaking sliced French bread in a rich custard flavored with warm gingerbread spices and molasses overnight, then baked to golden perfection. It’s an easy make-ahead breakfast perfect for holiday mornings or weekend brunches, offering comforting flavors of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves with a delightful maple molasses syrup drizzle.

Ingredients

Scale

Bread

  • 1 long loaf French bread (sliced about 3/4-inch thick, about 24 slices; fresh or 1–2 day old)

Custard Mixture

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted, half of 1 stick)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk (optionally 3/4 cup if bread is old or very crusty/hard)
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup light, medium, or dark molasses (not blackstrap)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (or to taste)
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cloves (or to taste)
  • Pinch salt (optional and to taste)

To Serve

  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting (optional)
  • Ginger molasses maple syrup or regular maple syrup
  • Butter (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the pan: Line an 8-by-9-inch baking pan with aluminum foil and spray it with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
  2. Arrange the bread: Place the sliced bread in three rows of about eight slices each, slightly overlapping. It will be a tight fit initially, but the bread softens as it marinates overnight, allowing for adjustments later if needed. Set aside the pan.
  3. Melt the butter: In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter for about 1 minute or until browned butter is achieved. Let it cool slightly to prevent scrambling the eggs when mixed.
  4. Make the custard: To the melted butter, add eggs, milk, maple syrup, molasses, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and a pinch of salt if using. Whisk thoroughly until all ingredients are combined. Adjust the spice levels according to taste.
  5. Pour the custard over bread: Slowly and evenly pour the mixture over the bread slices in the pan. Gently separate the slices slightly with your fingers to allow the custard to penetrate between them. Most of the custard will soak into the bread overnight.
  6. Refrigerate: Cover the pan tightly with foil to prevent fridge odors and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight or up to 24 hours for better soaking.
  7. Preheat oven: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and remove the pan from the fridge to come closer to room temperature as the oven heats.
  8. Redistribute custard: Carefully spoon any liquid pooled at the bottom of the pan over the top of the bread, ensuring that all slices are well moistened and no dry patches remain.
  9. Bake: Bake the French toast bake for 20 to 35 minutes until set and golden. Baking time varies depending on the bread’s initial texture and how much liquid was absorbed. If the top browns too fast, tent with foil to prevent over-browning.
  10. Serve: Optionally dust the baked French toast with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm with butter and ginger molasses or regular maple syrup. You can also add favorite toppings like fresh fruit or jam. Store leftovers airtight in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Notes

  • If your bread is very firm or stale, increase the milk to 3/4 cup for better soaking.
  • Adjust the amount of spices according to your taste preference; start with half if you prefer milder flavor.
  • Use light to dark molasses for the best flavor; avoid blackstrap molasses as it is too bitter.
  • Make sure to cover the dish tightly during refrigeration to prevent absorbing other fridge odors.
  • If the dish browns too quickly during baking, tent with aluminum foil to avoid burning.
  • Best served fresh but can be stored overnight up to 4 days refrigerated and reheated gently.

Keywords: overnight French toast bake, gingerbread French toast, holiday breakfast, brunch casserole, molasses French toast, spiced French toast, make-ahead breakfast

Find it online: https://bitesizedbenny.com/overnight-gingerbread-french-toast-breakfast-bake-recipe/