Bailey’s Irish Cream Baked French Toast Casserole

Why You Will Love This

• Great for crowds: this casserole can be prepped ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready. Skip cooking each slice individually and make a big pan of this French toast.
• Made with simple ingredients: brioche bread, eggs, milk, Bailey’s, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon are the base ingredients of this dish, many you probably have on hand!
• Rich & Indulgent Flavor – The Bailey’s adds a creamy, slightly boozy sweetness with hints of vanilla and chocolate that make every bite decadent. This pairs well with the slightly sweet Brioche bread and hints of cinnamon.
• Perfectly Custardy Texture – Baking creates a golden, slightly crisp top while keeping the inside soft, pillowy, and soaked with delicious custard. The streusel toppings adds a buttery, crunchy topping.
• Easy & Make-Ahead Friendly – Prep it the night before, let it soak, and just pop it in the oven in the morning—perfect for stress-free brunches and holidays. This casserole can sit for as long as 24 hours or as little as 30 minutes before baking, the longer the better!
• Toppings – Serve with maple syrup, fresh berries, or whipped cream, I prefer homemade whipped cream which can easily be whipped up in just minutes with a whisk. A dusting of powdered sugar never hurts either.

What Is Bailey’s Baked French Toast

Baked French toast can be made dozens of different ways. What makes baked French toast different than traditional French toast, the bread is layered in a baking dish and covered with the egg mixture. Left to sit for several hours or overnight so the bread can soak up all the egg. Then baked until golden brown and fluffy, similar to a bread pudding.

French toast casserole is great for crowds and make ahead brunch for special occasions (think Easter breakfast, St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas morning Brunch, or Mother’s Day) because you don’t have to individually pan fry each slice and worry about everything being warm at the same time. This is the best Baileys French toast and it can be made up to 24 hours in advanced, the longer it sits the better, but it can be oven ready in as little as 30 minutes.

Key Ingredients

This casserole is made with a handful of simple items. Many of the ingredients needed can be substituted, read below to find substitutions if available:

• Whole eggs: I like fresh pasture raised farm eggs if available, but any kind will work for this egg bake. Liquid eggs can be used if needed. Whole eggs are recommended, using just egg whites or egg yolks will change the consistency.
• Brioche bread: find this at most grocery store bakeries, it is often pre-sliced, you want about 1″ slices. Challah bread, thick sliced cinnamon bread, or thick French bread can be substituted. Stale breads works too.
• Milk: I recommend using whole milk here, it is thick but not overly rich like heavy cream. Low-fat milk or half and half will also work. Skim milk will work in a pinch, but doesn’t provide the custard-like texture.
• Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur: the star of the show! If you want to make this non-alcoholic, use a NA Irish cream or substitute with chocolate milk.
• Granulated white sugar: white sugar works the best here, substitute brown sugar or coconut sugar (in a pinch)
• Pure vanilla extract: use homemade or store-bought vanilla extract, this accents the Bailey’s nicely. Vanilla bean paste can be used.
• Cinnamon: I love adding spices like cinnamon, ginger, or nutmeg. You can leave this out or add as much as you want.

Ingredient List for The Streusel

This is an optional addition, the recipe will explain how to make with or without the streusel topping:

• Unsalted Butter: salted butter may be substituted. Do not substitute margarine or oil.
• Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar works. Granulated white sugar can be swapped, but will result in a slightly different texture.
• Cinnamon: adds a nice extra touch of spice.
• All-purpose flour: no substitution here, other types of flour will change the texture and affect baking differently.

How To Make The Baked French Toast

Let’s talk a little about how to make this Bailey’s Irish Cream Baked French Toast Casserole (The printable instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Quick overview:

• Combine the egg mixture, dip in the slices of bread.
• Layer bread in baking dish, pour over remaining egg mixture.
• Bake loosely covered, if desired prep streusel.
• Uncover, add streusel if adding, and finishing in the oven.
• Top with whipped cream, berries, and powdered sugar.

• Grease a 4 qt. round braising pan or a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, set aside.
  
• In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, Bailey’s, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract until combined. Dunk each slice of bread into the egg mixture, let soak for a minute or two so the bread can soak up the eggs. Evenly arrange the bread in the prepared baking dish. Pour the remaining custard mixture over the top. Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Loosely cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes.
• While the casserole bakes, if desired prepare the optional topping. In a mixing bowl combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Use your hands or a pastry cutter to combine until small pea sized chunks of butter remain.
• Remove the casserole from the oven, if adding the streusel, evenly sprinkle the streusel mixture over the top. Bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until golden brown. If skipping the streusel, still bake the casserole for an additional 5-10 minutes uncovered.
• Remove from the oven and serve garnished with powdered sugar, fresh berries, whipped cream, and maple syrup.

Tools I Recommend

• Large Braising Pan -I love this signature braising pan for several things, it is oven safe making it perfect for one-skillet meals that need to cook on the stove and/or bake in the oven. I like the high walls of the pan for keeping messes at bay.
• Large Wire Whisk – a wire whisk is a must for whipping up light and airy eggs, this is one of my favorite whisks. It is sturdy and doesn’t hold water inside when washing.
• Glass Mixing Bowl – I love this lidded mixing bowl, it has measurement lines and the high sides are perfect for mixing without making a mess! Plus the lid is great for doughs and batters that need to chill in the fridge.

Storage and Reheating

Leftover casserole can easily be stored and reheated. Let cool completely and transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 2-3 days. To reheat, warm in the oven at 300 degrees F until warm.