I Tried the Pioneer Woman’s Baked French Toast
Every winter I host at least one sleepover with my childhood friends. It’s a nostalgic way to relive our youthful moments and catch up, as we’re all so busy. If we’re not doing takeout, I’m usually responsible for the cooking (being the food writer in the group). I always try to make an extravagant breakfast with cheesy omelets, crispy bacon, and some type of sweet dish. While I love taking on this role, sometimes I can spend hours in the kitchen, taking away from the quality time I could have with my girls. So when I came across this make-the-night-before French toast recipe from the Pioneer Woman, I was curious to test it out to see if it could help me save time prepping brunch in the future. Here’s how it went.
Get the recipe: Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Baked French Toast
How to Make the Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Baked French Toast
First, assemble the French toast by greasing a baking pan with butter. Then, tear the bread into chunks (or cut it into cubes) and evenly distribute the pieces in the pan. Whisk together eggs, milk, cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Pour that milk mixture evenly over the bread.
Make the French toast topping by mixing flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg in a separate bowl. Stir everything with a fork. Add butter to the bowl and use a pastry cutter to mix it all until the mixture resembles fine pebbles. Store both the French toast — covered tightly with aluminum foil — and the topping in a storage bag in the fridge until needed (overnight, preferably).
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Take the casserole out of the fridge and sprinkle the topping over the dish. Bake for 45 minutes for a softer, more bread pudding-like texture, or an hour for a firmer, crisper texture. Serve with butter, syrup, and fresh fruit like blueberries or strawberries.
My Honest Review of the Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Baked French Toast
While I adore French toast, it’s one of the dishes I can’t stand cooking. Battering and frying the bread slices until golden-brown takes forever — especially when I’m serving a large group. This recipe from Ree Drummond is ingenious because it nixes both of those tedious steps. Plus, you can make it the evening before, which saves you more time.
Ultimately, this breakfast casserole has all the characteristics I adore about French toast, from the caramelized crust to the custard-like center. Thanks to the cinnamon and nutmeg in the recipe, it’s also filled with comforting flavors. The butter mixed in makes it extra rich, too.
I served slices of this French toast casserole with a dollop of whipped cream and warm maple syrup and could not get over how delicious this recipe is. I can’t wait to pull this hack out the next time I make brunch. It’s so easy — I don’t know why I haven’t tried it sooner.
Tips for Making the Pioneer Woman’s Baked French Toast
Swap the milk. Instead of whole milk, try pouring evaporated milk into the casserole. This ingredient has a concentrated flavor with sweeter notes, which will help you achieve French toast with a decadent taste.
Upgrade the texture. When assembling this French toast casserole, sprinkle in nuts like walnuts or almonds, dried fruit like cranberries or raisins, and chocolate chips to help diversify the types of bites you encounter when you dig into this dish.
Top with whipped cream. This custard-like French toast casserole is begging for a final garnish of homemade whipped cream to infuse milky and silky flavors and light and airy textures in this dish.
Get the recipe: Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Baked French Toast
Further Reading
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