The house is quite as I’m sitting here typing this, sipping my coffee. My children are nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of every single toy they circled with a red crayon in the Target Christmas Catalog dance in their heads. The aroma coming from the kitchen is slowly creeping its way throughout the rest of the house, and I can hardly wait to sit down at the table with my family and a bowl full of this Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Casserole. Oh, if only I could capture the scent of this dish in a candle. It smells exactly like Christmas, and not the candy-cane or evergreen tree scent so many people try to make it. It smells like true homemade holiday magic, and the smell isn’t even the best part!
French toast casseroles are pretty popular around here. I make them for my family quite a bit. I’ve made Strawberry French Toast Casserole, Mixed Berry French Toast Casserole, and I’ve even made a Pumpkin Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole, but there’s just something about this gingerbread version that really steals the show. Personally, I’m a huge fan of molasses and ginger together. Gingerbread in general gives me those warm-fuzzy Christmas feelings, and adding a little powdered sugar and maple syrup on top? Honey, that’s some sho’ nuff certified goodness.
I typically use a loaf of Italian bread from the bakery at my grocery store to make any french toast casserole. Walmart always sells their loaves for $1 each, which is much cheaper than what you’ll find down the bread aisle! I simply slice the bread into thumb-sized pieces and toast them in the oven for about 15 minutes. Next, I whip up the egg mixture with a variety of spices typically found in gingerbread. Of course, molasses and ground ginger are a must in this recipe. I recommend using a milder version of molasses over blackstrap for this recipe. Then, pour the egg mixture over the bread crumbs, cover, and refrigerate overnight for best results before baking.
Try not to get too hung up on the “overnight” part of this recipe, though. If you don’t have that kind of time, don’t worry about it! You can certainly pop it into the oven right away if you need it in a hurry. It’ll still be fabulous, I promise! 😉
The cinnamon sugar crumble on top is probably my favorite part of this recipe. It gives a slight crunch that soaks up the warm syrup perfectly. Here’s a copy of the recipe if you’d like to give it a try!
Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
For French Toast Casserole
- 1 loaf Italian bread cubed
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
For Crumble Topping
- 1 stick cold salted butter cubed
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
Instructions
- Cube loaf bread into small pieces and toast in over at 300 F for 15 minutes
- Remove from oven and pour bread cubes in a greased 9x13 casserole dish
- Preheat oven to 350 F
- In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, greek yogurt, sugar, molasses, vanilla and spices
- Pour egg mixture over the bread. Cover dish and set in refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours. See note.
- Bake for 20 minutes, then add topping and bake for an additional 25 minutes.
- Serve with maple syrup and/or powdered sugar. Enjoy!
Notes
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Looking for more recipes similar to this Overnight Gingerbread French Toast Casserole? Check out these favorites found right here on Southern Made Simple!
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