This super easy Coconut French Toast Casserole brings a bit of tropical flavor to a classic and favorite breakfast dish. This casserole can be made the day of or prepared ahead overnight to be baked in the morning. It will make your life a whole lot easier during a busy week, and delicious to serve for weekend brunch.
This holiday season has been the busiest of them all. So many people to see and places to visit, and time just seems to disappear. So I think something easy is required for the New Year. This Coconut French Toast Casserole is the perfect easy breakfast to server on New Year’s Day. We’ll be curled up on the couch watching the Rose Parade with the dogs, sipping on hot coffee of a plate of delicious French Toast.
How to Make Coconut French Toast Casserole
This French Toast casserole can be made the same day or prepared ahead of time as an overnight French Toast casserole. It is made with stale bread cubes and a coconut milk custard mixture. It is almost like a bread pudding, except not as sweet, since you’ll most likely serve it with a sweet syrup for breakfast or brunch.
What type of bread is best for French Toast?
Your French Toast can only be as good as the bread it is made with. I love using enriched bread like challah or brioche. A loaf of traditional country white bread will work as well. Bread with denser crumb are preferred as they can soak up all the custard to give that creamy interior texture when cooked without falling apart. This Coconut French Toast Casserole is made with challah bread.
Why do we use stale bread for French Toast?
Day-old or stale bread is best for French Toast because you want the bread to be dry. Dryer bread will soak up the custard better and won’t fall apart during the process. You can prepare the bread the night before by cutting it up into cubes and place the cubes on a baking tray on the counter overnight. If you only have fresh bread, you can dry it out in the oven at 300°F right before making your french toast.
Prepare the custard by whisking together coconut milk, eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla extract until smooth. Use a bowl large enough so you can add the bread cubes to soak up the custard. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight if making overnight French Toast casserole.
When you’re ready to bake, add the mixture of bread and custard to a square baking dish, sprinkle coconut flakes generously over the top. Bake your Coconut French Toast casserole for 45 minutes until the custard sets.
French Toast Toppings
Dress up this Coconut French Toast Casserole however you like, but here are some delicious suggestions:
- If you like to keep it simple and classic, serve it up with maple syrup.
- If you want to keep the tropical vibe going, try it with coconut syrup.
- If you prefer your French toast like dessert, add coconut whipped cream or regular homemade whipped cream and strawberry compote on top.
If you need a helping hand during the holiday season or just to get through a busy week at the office, this Coconut French Toast Casserole will make breakfast a breeze. Double the recipe and make it in a larger baking dish when hosting family for the holidays. It is delicious yet easy to prepare and your family will love it.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it and don’t forget to tag me @wildwildwhisk on Instagram. I’d love to see what’s cooking up in your kitchen. Cheers!
📖 Recipe card
Coconut French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 12 oz day-old or stale challah bread - cubed
- 1 can coconut milk (13.5 oz)
- 5 large eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ rounded teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ cup coconut flake
Instructions
- To make stale bread cubes, cut bread into 1” cubes, spread on a baking sheet and leave out on the counter uncovered overnight.
- Add sugar, coconut milk, eggs, salt, vanilla extract to a large bowl and whisk together until smooth.
- Add bread cubes to the custard mixture and allow to soak for at least 2 hours or overnight, turning to coat evenly at least once. Alternately, add bread cubes to an 8”x8” or 9”x9” baking dish. Pour the custard mixture all over the bread, cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle coconut flakes over the top of the casserole and bake for 45 minutes.
Nutrition
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Jen
Made this for a brunch with friends and there was not a bite left! It was delicious 😊. I added two teaspoons of cinnamon and a little extra vanilla extract. Yummy!
Trang Doan
Thanks Jen! The additions sound delicious, so glad you and your friends enjoyed it.
Marie
This looks wonderfully simple to make and what a great spin on a classic.