Overnight Creme Brûlée French Toast

This Overnight Creme Brulee French Toasts is an easy overnight french toast with thick bread in a buttery sugar glaze and soaked with a sweet custard. 

This is hands-down my favorite French toast recipe ever.

Picture it: thick slices of brioche sitting in a buttery brown sugar caramel, soaked overnight in a rich vanilla custard, baked until puffed and golden, and then — this is the part that changes everything — sprinkled with sugar and torched until the top cracks like an actual crème brûlée.

That crackly sugar shell is what makes this crème brûlée French toast rather than just a very good French toast casserole. You tap it with a spoon and it shatters.

And the best part is you do almost nothing in the morning. Everything gets assembled the night before. You roll out of bed, turn on the oven, and forty minutes later you have a breakfast that looks like it came from a hotel brunch.

This is what we make Christmas morning. Readers tell me it’s become their tradition too.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s made the night before. Assemble it, refrigerate it, and your morning is free.

That brûléed sugar crust. Crackly, caramelized, and the reason this recipe earns its name.

No syrup needed. The caramel layer does all the work.

It feeds a crowd. A 9×13 serves 8 to 10, which makes it perfect for holidays and houseguests.

It’s genuinely impressive. This looks and tastes like something you would order at a fancy breakfast restaurant, and the good news is that it only takes 15 minutes of actual work.

So basically you want to impress your guests or even just your family but with minimal work in the morning when you can barely keep your eyes open. You can serve it with fresh berries and handcrafted whipped cream to offset the sweetness. No syrup needed with this overnight french toast!

Now you just need to run to the store to pick up all of the ingredients, throw it together tonight, and you have a gourmet breakfast ready to go! This Creme Brulee French Toast is beyond easy!

The creme brulee french toast sauce is made with melting butter, brown sugar, and a touch of corn syrup together in a saucepan until silky smooth. The custard is made with eggs, half-n-half, and vanilla and is soaked up by your favorite type of bread. Then you just place it in the refrigerator overnight to let the bread soak up every ounce of the custard goodness and then bake it in the morning. 

Ingredients

Full amounts are in the recipe card down below.

Bread. This matters more than anything else. Brioche or challah are the best choices — enriched, soft, and sturdy enough to hold the custard without falling apart. French bread or thick country bread work too, but avoid artisan loaves with really tough crusts.

Day-old bread is better than fresh. Slightly stale bread is drier, which means it soaks up more custard. If your loaf is fresh, cut it and leave the slices out uncovered for a few hours or overnight.

Salted butter. Half a cup for the caramel.

Light brown sugar. Packed. This plus the butter and corn syrup makes the caramel layer.

Corn syrup. Two tablespoons, and it’s doing real work — it keeps the caramel from crystallizing into a grainy texture. If you’d rather not use it, pure maple syrup works, though the caramel will be slightly softer.

Half-and-half. Richer than milk, lighter than cream. Whole milk works in a pinch; heavy cream makes it very rich.

Eggs. Five large, which is what makes it custardy rather than soggy.

Vanilla. Two teaspoons.

Salt. Half a teaspoon. Don’t skip it — it’s what keeps all that brown sugar from tasting flatly sweet.

Granulated sugar for brûléeing. Regular granulated, not powdered. Powdered sugar won’t caramelize properly.

How to Make Crème Brûlée French Toast

1. Make the caramel. Melt the butter with the brown sugar and corn syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until completely smooth and no longer grainy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Pour it into a 9×13 baking dish and tilt to spread it evenly.

2. Add the bread. Cut the bread into 1-inch thick slices or 1-inch cubes and arrange it over the caramel in an even layer, squeezing slightly to fit.

3. Make the custard. Whisk the half-and-half, eggs, vanilla, and salt until completely smooth. Pour it evenly over the bread, pressing gently so every piece gets saturated.

4. Refrigerate overnight. Cover with foil and chill at least 8 hours, up to 24.

5. Bake. Let the dish sit on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes while the oven heats to 350°F. Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes, until puffed and golden. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil.

6. Flip the pieces. Using a wide spatula, turn each slice over so the caramel side faces up. Some of the syrup will cling — that’s exactly what you want.

7. Brûlée the top. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar evenly over the surface. Either run it under the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, watching constantly, or use a kitchen torch, moving in slow circles until the sugar melts and turns deep amber.

8. Rest 2 minutes so the sugar hardens into a shell, then serve with fresh berries and whipped cream.

The Step Most Recipes Skip

Here’s the thing about most crème brûlée French toast recipes, including the version I made for years: they don’t actually brûlée anything.

They’re overnight French toast bakes with a caramel layer on the bottom, which is delicious but isn’t crème brûlée. Crème brûlée means burnt cream — the whole point is that thin sheet of hard caramelized sugar you crack through with a spoon.

So this recipe does two things differently.

First, you flip it. After baking, slide a spatula under the slices and turn them over so the buttery caramel that collected underneath ends up on top. It’s the same five seconds of work and it completely changes how it looks and tastes.

Second, you brûlée it. Sprinkle granulated sugar over the top and either run it under the broiler or hit it with a kitchen torch until the sugar melts, bubbles, and turns deep amber. Let it sit two minutes and it hardens into a shell.

That’s it. Two extra minutes, and you get the crack.

Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing

Make ahead: This is designed for it. Assemble completely and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours before baking.

Can you freeze it? Yes. Assemble the dish, let it chill the full 8 hours in the refrigerator first, then cover tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bake as directed, adding 8 to 10 minutes and watching for it to turn golden. Brûlée after baking as usual.

To store leftovers: Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. The sugar crust will soften overnight, which is unavoidable.

To reheat: 325°F for 10 to 15 minutes. If you want the crackle back, sprinkle a little fresh sugar on top and re-torch.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best bread for crème brûlée French toast?
Brioche or challah. Both are enriched and sturdy enough to soak up custard without falling apart. French bread and thick country bread also work. Avoid crusty artisan loaves with tough exteriors.

Can I use fresh bread instead of day-old?
You can, but day-old is better. Dry bread absorbs more custard. If yours is fresh, slice it and leave it out uncovered for a few hours.

Do I need a kitchen torch?
No. The broiler works — 1 to 2 minutes with the door cracked and your eyes on it. A torch gives you more control and is worth owning if you make this often.

Can I skip the brûlée step?
You can, and it’s still delicious. But the crackly sugar crust is what makes it crème brûlée rather than a caramel French toast bake.

Can I make this ahead and freeze it?
Yes. Chill it the full 8 hours first, then freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and add 8 to 10 minutes to the bake time.

How far in advance can I assemble it?
At least 8 hours and up to 24. Longer than that and the bread starts breaking down.

Can I substitute the corn syrup?
Pure maple syrup works. The corn syrup keeps the caramel from crystallizing, so without it you may get a slightly grainier texture.

Why is my French toast soggy in the middle?
Usually bread that was too fresh, or cut too thin. Use day-old bread in 1-inch slices, and make sure you bake the full 35 to 40 minutes.

Can I use milk instead of half-and-half?
Whole milk works but the custard will be less rich. Heavy cream makes it very decadent.

Do I need syrup to serve it?
No. The caramel layer and the brûléed top are plenty sweet. Fresh berries and whipped cream balance it better than syrup would.

Popular Breakfast Recipes:

Here are more of the best breakfast recipes…

Strawberries and Cream Stuffed French Toast

Baked French Toast Casserole

Best French Toast Recipe

Sweet Cream Ricotta Pancakes

SaveSaved Pin Print

5 from 17 votes

Overnight Creme Brûlée French Toast

By: Modern Honey® – www.modernhoney.com

Overnight Creme Brûlée French Toast. An easy overnight french toast with thick bread in a buttery sugar glaze and soaked with a sweet custard.

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

8 hours hours

Servings: 8

Equipment

• 9 x 13 baking pan

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1/2 cup Salted Butter
• ▢ 1 cup Light Brown Sugar (tightly packed)
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup
• ▢ 9-inch loaf French Bread, Brioche, Challah, Country (sliced or cut into cubes)
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups Half-n-Half
• ▢ 5 large Eggs
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar (for bruleeing)

Toppings:

• ▢ Fresh Fruit
• ▢ Whipped Cream

Instructions 

• Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup and cook, stirring, until completely silky smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour into a 9×13 baking dish and tilt to spread evenly.
• Slice or cube the bread and arrange over the caramel in an even layer.
• Whisk the half-and-half, eggs, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Pour evenly over the bread, pressing gently so every piece is saturated.
• Cover with foil and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
• Let the dish sit at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes while the oven preheats to 350°F. Bake uncovered 35 to 40 minutes, until puffed and golden. Tent with foil if browning too fast.
• Using a wide spatula, flip each piece so the caramel side faces up.
• Sprinkle the granulated sugar evenly over the top. Broil 1 to 2 minutes, watching constantly, or use a kitchen torch until the sugar melts and turns deep amber.
• Let rest 2 minutes for the sugar to harden, then serve with berries and whipped cream.

Notes

Bread: Day-old brioche or challah is best. Fresh bread gets soggy.
Watch the broiler. Sugar goes from amber to burnt in seconds.
Brûlée just before serving. The sugar shell softens as it sits.
To freeze: Chill 8 hours first, then freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and add 8 to 10 minutes to the bake time.

Nutrition

Calories: 1538kcal, Carbohydrates: 272g, Protein: 54g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 152mg, Sodium: 3019mg, Potassium: 680mg, Fiber: 10g, Sugar: 59g, Vitamin A: 597IU, Calcium: 335mg, Iron: 18mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: French

Servings: 8

Calories: 1538

Keyword: baked french toast casserole, creme brulee french toast, overnight creme brulee french toast, overnight french toast

Like this? Leave a comment below!Jump to Comments