Do a few minutes of prep work and have breakfast cooking for you overnight. This slow cooker french toast casserole is perfect for mornings you don't want to turn on your oven
Making Crockpot French Toast
It's no secret that my slow cooker is one of my absolute favorite appliances. And I use it year round.
Most people stash their slow cookers to the back of the cabinet only to be used in the winter. And that is just silly.
Why? Because it doesn't heat up your kitchen. And you don't have to turn on your oven or stove. This is incredibly exciting when you do not have air conditioner (like me).
And lucky for me, this month's Recipe ReDux is Beat the Heat with the Slow Cooker/Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker.: Whether you go slow or fast, just don't turn on the oven. Show us how keep the kitchen cool by using one of these appliances: Slow cooker, instant pot, pressure cooker.
And even luckier for me, I was already planning on making French Toast Casserole in the Slow Cooker.
Problem is that as I researched Crock Pot french toast casserole, I kept finding recipes that said "assemble and let sit for 4 hours. Then cook on low for 4 hours."
Um, what?
Are you telling me that I have to wake up four hours before breakfast and start cooking this? How is that easier?!
At least with a regular french toast casserole, you just have to bake for about an hour. There's no waking up at 5am for breakfast at 9am...
I felt so annoyed; then I decided that I'd test setting it on warm overnight while I slept, and it actually worked!
How to make French Toast Casserole in the slow cooker
And so here we are... a french toast casserole in the slow cooker that doesn't require weird hours to cook.
Just a little note that I tested it a few ways. The method I used in the photos and video are to start cooking it immediately after stirring together.
However, I found the texture to be best when you allow the mixture to sit in the fridge so the bread soaks up all the eggy goodness and the flavors have time to come together.
Either way, both will be delicious!
Slow Cooker French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 ounces bread brioche, whole grain, challah (about 8-12 slices)
- 1 cup milk 2%, whole or non-dairy
- 6 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon oil avocado, coconut, or canola oil
Instructions
- Tear bread into a bowl.
- Whisk together milk, eggs, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour into the bowl. Make sure the bread is completely covered in the mixture. Refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours.
- When ready to cook, lightly grease the inside of a slow cooker. Add the mixture in an even layer and cover. Cook on Warm for 8 to 9 hours.
- If the casserole has a lot of uncooked egg on top after 8 hours, turn the slow cooker to High for 30-60 minutes until done. Note that there will be some liquid on the edges from condensation and the melted sugar.
- Serve with maple syrup or powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
What to Use in This Recipe
What to use to make this recipe:
Meme
Jc says
Be very careful with this. The minimum safe temperature for cooking eggs is 160F but crock pots on warm operate between 145 - 165F. With the wrong model you might be undercooking the food and getting sick.
Meme says
Very true. I'll be sure to make a note in the recipe 🙂
Sydney Stanfill says
I love French Toast Casserole for Christmas morning. That way you don’t have to get up early to start cooking and can enjoy opening presents with the family. I also add about a cup of frozen blueberries to mine. Always a hit and makes everyone happy
Meme says
Yes!! It's so nice to wake up to breakfast being ready! I love the idea to add blueberries -- yum! Merry Christmas! xo
Julianne says
I was skeptical that my slow cooker would fully cook French test on warm mode in 8 hours. It totally worked!! Sharing the recipe with my friends! 🙂
For reference, I made mine in the Cuisinart 7 qt. Multicooker.
Meme says
Woohoooooo!!! So so happy you enjoyed it, and thanks for coming back to share! xo
regs says
So yummy and healthy, gonna try your recipe.
Meme says
Hooray! Enjoy 🙂
Maddie says
Made this once, and will now ALWAYS make my French toast this way! Super easy to put together and to have it ready when we wake up, is a life saver for me with two little ones! Thank you so so much!