Gluten Free French Toast Casserole for One
Wake up to comfort with this Mini French Toast Casserole! With just six ingredients and five minutes of prep the night before, you can enjoy a warm, custardy French toast bake in the morning. Make one just for you or multiply for the whole family, customizing to make them gluten or dairy free, if needed.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: French
- Primary Cooking Method: Microwave or Oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free option, Dairy-free option
- Skill Level: Easy
I first started making mini French toast cups for my kids using leftover bread scraps, and they loved having their own little casseroles. They looked so good that I had to try them with gluten free bread, and that’s when this recipe became a staple in our house. It’s custardy in the middle, golden on the edges, and just sweet enough with maple and cinnamon.
Now I can enjoy that same comfort food without missing out, whether I’m making one for myself or a few for the whole family, and each one of us can have the version we want or need – regular or GF (and even DF)! It’s quick enough for busy mornings, yet cozy enough for holidays. When I really want to serve a crowd, I turn to my Gluten Free French Toast Casserole. But these mini versions make it possible to enjoy that classic comfort any day of the week.
Why You’ll Love Making Mini French Toast Casserole
- Quick prep. Just 5 minutes of work the night before, then bake or microwave in the morning.
- Perfectly portioned. A single-serve breakfast when you don’t want leftovers, or scale up for a family brunch.
- Cozy and comforting. Warm, custardy French toast flavor with maple, cinnamon, and vanilla in every bite.
- Customizable. Top with syrup, fruit, powdered sugar, or keep it simple – this recipe works either way.
- Easy to make gluten and/or dairy free. Use your favorite gluten free bread and no one will notice the difference. And non-dairy milk works great too!
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need to make yourself a mini French toast casserole. Check your fridge and pantry, because you might already have all the ingredients on hand. The full amounts and step-by-step instructions are further down in the recipe card.
- Bread: This recipe can be made with regular white or whole wheat bread. But in our house, we use gluten free bread, either a couple of slices of your favorite store-bought loaf or homemade gluten free bread.
- Egg: Just one.
- Milk: Any kind of dairy or non-dairy milk works well in this recipe.
- Maple syrup: I recommend real maple syrup and not pancake syrup to sweeten the French toast.
- 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. A tiny pinch to help enhance all of the other flavors.
What size ramekins do I need?
These mini French toast casseroles fit perfectly in 6-ounce 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.
Tips for Success
It’s super easy to prep a mini French toast casserole (or two or three or…), but here are a few things to keep in mind that might help you out.
- Prep ahead. While you can assemble them quickly, just mixing up the custard and adding the bread cubes, you actually do want to prepare your French toast casserole the night before you plan to dig in for breakfast. It needs at least 68 hours for the bread to absorb the egg mixture before you bake or microwave them.
- Keep refrigerated. Since it contains raw eggs and milk, you do have to store the French toast in the refrigerator. It’s actually fine to keep them refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Bake or microwave. Depending on your time and preference, you can choose how to cook your French toast. Pop the ramekin in the microwave for about 2 minutes, or cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 15 minutes, then uncover for another 5-10 minutes.
- Cook thoroughly. You’ll know they are done when they puff up nicely, but if you have an instant-read thermometer, it should reach an internal temperature of at least 175°F to ensure the egg is cooked through.
- Stale bread is fine. If your bread has gone stale, then this is the perfect recipe to make. It actually tends to soak up the custard better, making it nice and creamy, but not soggy, through the middle.
- Top it like you want. A drizzle of maple syrup is classic, but you can also dust it with powdered sugar, spoon on some chocolate sauce or caramel sauce, or add a scoop of apple pie filling or cherry pie filling.
- Make more than one. I often whip up two at a time for my kids, or four at a time for all of us. But you can make as many as you like by setting up an assembly line or multiplying the recipe and mixing it all in one bowl before dividing between ramekins. Pop them all in the oven at once, or microwave up to two at a time, increasing the time in the microwave to 3 minutes.
- Store leftovers. After microwaving or baking, the French toast casserole can be kept for up to three days and then reheated.
Make it a Meal
My own individual French toast casserole with a little (or a lot of) syrup and a Blended Iced Coffee is all I need to start the day. And my kids enjoy it with one of their favorite Blueberry Smoothies. But here are more serving suggestions to round out the meal.
- Add some fruit. An orange or a banana is just fine, but if you make several casseroles to serve for brunch, you can also whip up a Waldorf Fruit Salad.
- Pair with protein. A quick batch of Hawaiian Cheesy Scrambled Eggs or some Maple Candied Bacon from A Mind “Full” Mom will make breakfast even more satisfying.
- Meal prep ideas. You can make a pan of Baked Eggs and freeze bananas to whip up a quick Banana Smoothie.
More Easy Gluten Free Breakfast Ideas
Mini French Toast Casserole
Equipment
- 6 oz. ramekin
Ingredients
- 2 slices white, wheat, or gluten free bread
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons dairy or nondairy 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 2 slices white, wheat, or gluten free bread into cubes and set aside.
- Crack 1 large egg into the ramekin. Add 2 Tablespoons dairy or nondairy milk, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch 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 your favorite toppings like butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or fruit compote.
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 your favorite toppings like butter, maple syrup, powdered sugar, or fruit compote.
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.
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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.