Baked Cream Cheese French Toast

🍞💛 Baked Cream Cheese French Toast — Your New Brunch Bestie

Breakfast tastes like dessert but still counts as a meal, you know you’ve won the day.

 

This Baked Cream Cheese French Toast is the kind of recipe that makes you feel like you’ve got your life together — even if you’re still in pajamas at noon. It’s rich, custardy, and layered with pockets of sweet cream cheese, all topped with a buttery brown sugar crumble that bakes into golden perfection.

It’s:

• Ridiculously easy — prep it the night before, bake in the morning.
• Perfect for feeding a crowd — brunch, holidays, or “just because.”
• A total showstopper — people will think you worked way harder than you did.

💬 Reader prompt: Are you a “sweet breakfast” person or do you always sneak a little bacon on the side?

 

I love that this week, I have finally had some time to make good breakfasts. We went to Costco yesterday, obviously, because I hadn’t shopped in weeks trying to leave space for rolls and party foods.

We needed to stock up and I went crazy if you ask Matt, hence the reason you should never shop hungry. They had the best looking French bread loaves, I had to do it! This is turned out super good!

 

 

Baked Cream Cheese French Toast

Ingredients

• 1 loaf french bread
  
• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 large eggs
• 2 1/4 cups 2% milk
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
  

 

 

Topping

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 stick of salted butter cold and cubed

Directions

1. Prep the Pan
   • Grease a 9×13‑inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
2. Cube the Bread
   • Slice and cube bread into 1‑inch pieces. Spread half into the prepared pan. (Pro tip: slightly stale bread soaks up the custard like a dream.)
3. Make the Cream Cheese Filling
   • Whisk softened cream cheese until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until combined.
4. Layer It Up
   • Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese mixture over the bread layer. Top with remaining bread cubes.
5. Mix the Custard
   • In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, brown sugar, and remaining vanilla until smooth. Pour evenly over bread.
6. Chill
   • Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 3–4 hours, up to 24 hours (overnight is best).
7. Make the Topping
   • Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in cold butter until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over soaked bread.
8. Bake & Serve
   • Bake uncovered 45–55 minutes, until golden brown. Serve warm with maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar.

 

🔢 Calorie Count (Per Serving — Serves 12)

• Calories: ~320
• Protein: 8g
• Carbs: 38g
• Fat: 15g
• Sugar: 18g

 

📊 Nutritional Facts (Per Serving)

Nutrient	Amount	% Daily Value*
Calories	320	16%
Total Fat	15g	19%
Saturated Fat	8g	40%
Cholesterol	135mg	45%
Sodium	280mg	12%
Total Carbs	38g	14%
Dietary Fiber	1g	4%
Sugars	18g	—
Protein	8g	16%

 

\*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

 

 

Baked Cream Cheese French Toast

👩‍🍳 Cooking Tips for Brunch‑Level Success

• Stale bread is your friend — fresh bread can get soggy.
• Don’t skimp on the chill time — it lets the custard soak in fully.
• Cold butter = crumbly topping — warm butter will make it greasy.
• Check at 45 minutes — every oven is different; you want golden, not burnt.
• Serve immediately — the topping is crispiest right out of the oven.

💬 Reader prompt: Do you like your French toast soft and custardy or with a little crunch on top?

 

🎨 Recipe Variations

• Berry Bliss — add a layer of fresh blueberries or raspberries with the cream cheese.
• Apple Cinnamon — layer in thin apple slices and a sprinkle of extra cinnamon.
• Chocolate Swirl — drizzle Nutella between bread layers before baking.
• Pumpkin Spice — whisk pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice into the custard.
• Savory Twist — skip the sugar, add herbs and cheese for a brunch‑for‑dinner vibe.

 

🧒 Kid Tips

• Let kids sprinkle the topping — it’s like edible glitter.
• Serve with a side of fruit for balance.
• Cut into “French toast sticks” for little hands.
• Add mini chocolate chips for a fun surprise.

💬 Reader prompt: Parents — do your kids go for the topping first or dive right into the middle?

 

🛒 Grocery Hacks

• Buy bread ahead — let it sit out to stale naturally.
• Cream cheese — stock up when it’s on sale; it freezes well.
• Brown sugar — keep soft by storing with a slice of bread or marshmallow.
• Vanilla extract — make your own with vodka and vanilla beans for savings.
• Butter — freeze extra sticks; they last for months.

 

📣 Reader’s Challenge: #FrenchToastSquad

Here’s your mission:

1. Make this Baked Cream Cheese French Toast.
2. Put your own spin on it — maybe a fruit layer, a drizzle, or a spice twist.
3. Snap a photo and post with #FrenchToastSquad.
4. I’ll feature my favorites in an upcoming Friday Favorites post!

 

♻️ Leftover Remix

• French Toast Parfait — layer with yogurt and fruit.
• Bread Pudding 2.0 — cube and bake again with custard.
• Sweet Sandwich — spread with jam between slices.
• Ice Cream Topper — warm cubes over vanilla ice cream.
• On‑the‑Go Breakfast — wrap slices in foil and reheat.

 

 

💭 Final Thoughts

This recipe is proof that breakfast can be both easy and impressive. It’s creamy, sweet, and just indulgent enough to feel special without being fussy. Plus, it’s endlessly adaptable — you can make it your own every time.

💬 Reader prompt: If you could turn any dessert into a breakfast casserole, what would it be?

Some breakfasts are just breakfasts. This Baked Cream Cheese French Toast? It’s a brunch event. It’s the smell of cinnamon and vanilla filling the kitchen, the sight of golden crumble on top, and the joy of that first warm, custardy bite.

I love that it’s flexible — you can keep it classic, add fruit, or go full dessert mode. It’s forgiving, too; even if your topping isn’t perfectly even, it will still taste like a bakery treat. And it’s the kind of recipe that makes people linger at the table, coffee in hand, chatting long after the plates are empty.

So here’s my challenge: make it, share it, and tag your creations with #FrenchToastSquad so we can all drool together, swap ideas, and maybe even inspire the next great brunch bake. I want to see your crispiest tops, your boldest add‑ins, your “couldn’t wait to take a bite” photos.

Here’s to sweet mornings, warm kitchens, and recipes that bring people together. Here’s to you — because you’re about to bake something that will have everyone asking, “When are you making this again?” 🍞💛

Did you try our Baked Cream Cheese French Toast recipe? What did you think? Did you love it? We would love to hear from you! Please leave us a comment below or tag us on Instagram! 

 

FRENCH TOAST MADNESS

 

This EASY French toast casserole has a super crunchy nutty, cinnamon-sugar top! Bake right away, or make it ahead and refrigerate overnight. Give your family a treat this Saturday morning!

 

 

This is a Quick and Easy Recipe that is sure too please!  Baked Cinnamon Apple French Toast Casserole you can be made the day before and refrigerate overnight so it’s ready to bake and enjoy in the morning.

 

 

Baked Pumpkin French Toast!