Brown Butter Praline French Toast Casserole

Thick slices of praline French toast casserole stacked on a plate with pecans and maple syrup.

Brown Butter Praline French Toast Casserole

This overnight French toast casserole has a rich vanilla-cinnamon custard with a gooey brown butter praline pecan layer underneath and buttery toasted pecans over the top. Assemble it the night before, shove it in the refrigerator, and let tomorrow-you take all the credit.

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American - Southern, Holiday

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Chilling time 8

Total Time 9 5

Servings

Calories 507kcal

Author Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

Brown butter praline

¾ cup butter
1½ cups chopped pecans
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon kosher salt

French toast casserole

16 ounces French bread cut into 1-inch cubes
8 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon kosher salt

For serving

Powdered sugar optional
Warm maple syrup optional

Instructions

Butter or spray a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Melt the ¾ cup butter in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Continue cooking, stirring or swirling frequently, until the butter foams and the milk solids at the bottom turn golden brown and smell toasted and nutty. Watch it carefully because brown butter goes from gorgeous to evidence remarkably fast.
Remove the pan from the heat briefly and add the chopped pecans. Return it to medium-low heat and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the pecans smell toasted.
Stir in the dark brown sugar, ¼ cup heavy cream, vanilla, and salt. Cook over low heat just until the brown sugar is melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Don't boil it for an extended period.
Spread about two-thirds of the praline mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Set the remaining praline mixture aside to cool.
Arrange the French bread cubes evenly over the praline layer.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, ½ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until well combined.
Pour the custard slowly and evenly over the bread. Press the bread down gently with the back of a spoon or clean hands so it begins soaking up the custard.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate the reserved praline mixture separately.
The next morning, remove the casserole and reserved praline from the refrigerator while the oven preheats to 350°F.
Break or spoon the reserved praline mixture into small pieces and scatter them evenly over the casserole.
Cover loosely with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set. A knife inserted near the center should come out without liquid custard. The center will be 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Do not let it go over 170℉ or it will be dried out.
Let the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving. Dust lightly with powdered sugar if desired.
Serve warm, with maple syrup on the side for anyone who believes brown butter praline requires additional sugar. We don't judge. Much.

Notes

Storage:

Cover leftovers tightly or transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Freeze individual portions in airtight containers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Tips:

Don't skip the salt. There's enough butter and brown sugar wandering around unsupervised here that salt is doing important work.
Assemble the casserole, cover tightly, and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours before baking. Keep the reserved praline refrigerated separately and scatter it over the top just before it goes into the oven.

Nutrition