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Overnight French Toast Casserole is a classic comfort food breakfast recipe. With only five minutes of prep time the night before, you can make an individual version that is baked or microwaved in the morning. In no time at all, you’ll have your very own gluten free French toast for one. Or make enough for the entire family so everyone can enjoy a mini French toast bake!
Disclaimer: This recipe was developed through a sponsored partnership with Schär. As always, all opinions are my own.
Being the only gluten free member of my family isn’t always easy. Especially in a family where food is the centerpiece of so many of our gatherings and celebrations. And especially for someone like me who shares my love through cooking and baking.
I don’t want to miss out on our traditions, so I have had to update family favorites. Nobody notices when I use gluten free noodles in my lasagna. I get to enjoy Gluten Free Strawberries and Cream Cake when we celebrate a birthday. And I have an arsenal of flourless desserts so that nobody really thinks they are eating something gluten free since the recipe was meant to be made that way anyway.
But I still have to approve the restaurant even when we are going out to celebrate someone else’s birthday. I bring along dishes I can eat at every holiday. And I have to check the ingredients in everything that someone else made and how and where they made it.
I mean, even something simple like French toast.
A well-intentioned family member might pick up a loaf of gluten free bread for me. But they don’t realize they can’t dunk it in the same egg mixture they used for everyone else’s. And if they made a baked French toast to be able to serve the entire family, well, that’s definitely not an option.
So what’s the solution?
Gluten Free French Toast for One Casserole
It’s genius! Six simple ingredients, five minutes of prep time at night, and a couple of minutes in the microwave in the morning and you have your own little dish of slightly sweet and custardy carb goodness.
No microwave? No problem! Just pop it in the oven.
Bring one along for yourself to a holiday brunch. Or make a whole bunch to share with the family.
Mini Gluten Free French Toast Casserole
I started making little French toast cups for my kids using whatever stray heels of the bread or stale hot dog buns or other scraps I had around. But I started getting jealous of watching them dig into their cups of deliciousness. So I knew I had to test it out with our favorite gluten free bread. And now the entire family gets to enjoy this breakfast comfort food together!
It took a few rounds of tweaking the ingredients to get it perfectly moist, but not soggy. The combination of maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon give it a warm flavor and the perfect hint of sweetness. You don’t even have to add anything else. But feel free to top it with butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or your favorite fruit compote!
What is in Overnight French Toast?
- Bread – I use Schär Gluten Free Artisan Baker Multigrain Bread, but you can also use the Artisan Baker White Bread.
- Egg
- Milk
- Maple syrup – I recommend real maple syrup and not pancake syrup.
- Vanilla extract
- Cinnamon – this is optional. Some people love cinnamon in their French toast and others don’t, so it’s up to you.
- Salt – just a tiny pinch to help enhance all of the other flavors.
What else do you need to make a mini French toast casserole?
Other than a knife to cut the bread and a fork to mix the ingredients, you’ll need 4 oz. ramekins.
While you’ll only need one if you are making a single French toast cup, these are great to have on hand. I fill them with my favorite pumpkin pie filling to make crustless pumpkin pies. They are perfect for making two decadent Deep Dish Gluten Free Brownies for sharing with someone special or keeping all to yourself. And while I love digging into a Classic Shepherd’s Pie, the kids think it is so much more fun to have their own Individual Shepherd’s Pie.
How do you make Overnight French Toast Casserole for One?
Here is a brief overview just to show you how easy it is to make. Keep scrolling for all the details in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Preparation:
- Coat your ramekin with cooking spray or butter.
- Cut bread into cubes.
- Add egg, milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and a tiny pinch of salt to the ramekin and lightly beat with a fork.
- Add the bread cubes to the ramekin and press down.
- Cover with foil or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Microwave cooking directions:
Microwave for about 2 minutes or until it is puffed up and cooked through. If you have an instant-read thermometer, it should reach an internal temperature of at least 175°F.
Making more than one? Two casseroles take about 3 minutes in the microwave.
Oven baking directions:
Remove French toast from the refrigerator to allow it to warm up slightly while the oven preheats to 350°F. Bake covered with foil for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until it is puffed up slightly and golden. If you have an instant-read thermometer, it should reach an internal temperature of at least 175°F.
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I am so thrilled to be partnering with Schär to share this recipe with you. These French toast cups are one of my kids’ favorite things for breakfast, and it means so much that I get to sit down with them and share the experience.
This is possible because Schär has been around longer than any other company creating gluten free foods that everyone can safely enjoy.
Of course, they have bread and rolls. But I love having the option to use their Honeygrams make s’mores or dunk into some Strawberry Cheesecake Dip. Plus, they have pasta, bread crumbs, and even some treats that might remind you of classic candy bars you haven’t had for years.
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Speaking of Schar Gluten Free bread…
Can I use stale bread for French toast?
Yes, if you didn’t quite eat your loaf of bread fast enough and it has gone stale, then this is the perfect recipe t make. In fact, French toast was originally made as a way to use up stale bread. In fact, stale bread tends to soak up the custard better making it nice and creamy, but not soggy, through the middle.
So don’t let those last few slices go to waste. Turn them into a delicious breakfast!
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Can you make this Mini French Toast Casserole recipe for a crowd?
Yes, you have three options to make as many as you need:
- Set up an assembly line, mixing up the custard in each individual ramekin.
- Scale up the recipe for as many servings as you need and combine the custard ingredients in a bowl.
- Again, scale up the recipe for as many servings as you need and combine the custard ingredients in a bowl. But this time, add the bread cubes to the bowl and divide between
- If you are going to cook them in the microwave, only cook two or three at a time. If baking in the oven, follow the instructions and baking times as written in the recipe.
Does French Toast Casserole need to be refrigerated?
Yes, while you let the French toast bake sit and absorb the custard into the bread, it does have to be refrigerated. Since it contains raw eggs and milk, it will spoil if left at room temperature.
Since these are individual servings, you likely will have only baked or microwaved as many as you need. But if you do have leftovers, they must be refrigerated. They can be kept for 2-3 days and reheated for a couple of minutes in the microwave.
How long can you store Overnight French Toast Casserole?
Once you have prepared the gluten free French toast, you can bake it the next day after at least 8 hours in the fridge. Or you can refrigerate it for up to three days before baking it.
After microwaving or baking, it can be kept for up to three days and then reheated.
What can you serve with Overnight French Toast?
- Waldorf Fruit Salad
- Maple Candied Bacon from A Mind “Full” Mom
- Hawaiian Cheesy Scrambled Eggs
- Strawberry Cheesecake Breakfast Parfaits
- One of your favorite Blueberry Smoothies
Mini Gluten Free French Toast Casserole Recipe
With only six ingredients and a few minutes of prep time, you can wake up and enjoy your own individual overnight French toast. This is the easiest way to make gluten free French toast for one. Or you can multiply the recipe to make enough to serve the entire family. They cook up in just a couple of minutes in the microwave, or you can bake it in the oven.
Mini Overnight French Toast Casserole
Equipment
- 4 oz. ramekin
Ingredients
- 2 slices Schar Gluten Free Artisan Multigrain Bread or Artisan White Bread
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- pinch salt
- Your favorite toppings, like butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or fruit compote.
Instructions
Preparation:
- Coat your ramekin (or ramekins) with cooking spray or butter.
- Cut two slices of bread into cubes and set aside.
- Crack the egg into the ramekin. Add milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and a tiny pinch of salt. Lightly beat with a fork.
- Add the bread cubes to the ramekin and press down with the fork until you see the bread absorbing the custard mixture.
- Cover with foil or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Microwave cooking directions:
- Remove French toast from the refrigerator and discard foil or plastic wrap.
- Microwave for about 2 minutes or until it is puffed up and cooked through. It will rise above the top of the ramekin but will sink back down when it comes out of the microwave. You can also use an instant-read thermometer to confirm that it has reached an internal temperature of at least 175°F.Making more than one? Two casseroles take about 3 minutes in the microwave.
- Serve with butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or your favorite fruit topping.
Oven baking directions:
- Remove French toast from the refrigerator to allow it to warm up slightly while the oven preheats. Leave covered with foil or replace plastic wrap with foil.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake covered for 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until it is puffed up slightly and golden. You can also use an instant-read thermometer to confirm that it has reached an internal temperature of at least 175°F.
- Serve with butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or your favorite fruit topping.
Notes
- Cooking time represents time to cook in the microwave. It will take 15-20 minutes to bake in the oven.
- You can multiply this recipe by as many mini casseroles as you need and mix it up individually in the ramekins. Or you can multiply the recipe and combine the custard mixture in one bowl, then divide the bread and custard between the appropriate number of ramekins.
Did you make this?
Leave a rating below and tag @cupcakesandkalechips on Instagram and hashtag it #cupcakesandkalechips
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Enjoy!
Wonderful recipe, but there was zero chance of me getting all of the mixture plus bread into my little 4 oz dish! I instead mixed the ingredients separately and then put it all into a dish about double the size and it worked perfectly. It even still aligned with the suggested bake time in the oven. Will certainly make this again.