Gingerbread French Toast Bake is buttery, soft and full of warm, seasonal spices. Assemble it the night before and wake up to a festive, filling breakfast or brunch! Top with cranberries, fresh orange zest, and a cinnamon streusel topping, or try it with toasted pecans and powdered sugar. Don’t forget a drizzle of warm maple syrup! This is a sponsored recipe on behalf of the Ohio Poultry Association.

Gingerbread French Toast

This French toast starts off with a loaf of crusty French or Italian bread. Tear it into chunks or cut it into cubes. It is going to be soaked in an egg custard that is busting with warm, festive gingerbread spices, molasses, and maple syrup.

The butter is baked right into the casserole, and the egg custard gives it a rich flavor and keeps you full until your next meal.

Did you know that eggs are a holiday staple? Eggs are one of the most essential ingredients in holiday cooking and baking, and all year long! They add moisture, color, flavor, and nutritional value to recipes. More eggs are consumed during the winter holiday season than at any other time of the year- even Easter!

Baking Tips from Ohio Egg Farmers

  • Use large eggs in holiday baking! Using a different size egg, without making an adjustment, will affect texture, flavor and consistency. If you don’t have large eggs, use this conversion chart to see how to substitute different sizes. 
  • If your recipe calls for multiple eggs, add one egg at a time. This will help prevent a lumpy batter and will allow it to mix evenly.

Prep and Storage

  • Gingerbread French Toast Bake can be made the night before and chilled overnight in the refrigerator.
  • After baked, cover and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
  • Reheat individual servings in the microwave, air fryer, or toaster oven. Reheat the whole dish of leftovers in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes.

Gingerbread French Toast Bake

Yield: 10
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Gingerbread French Toast Bake is buttery, soft and full of warm, seasonal spices. Assemble it the night before and wake up to a festive, filling breakfast or brunch!
1
reviews
Leave a Review »
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

French Toast

  • 8 cups bread, crusty Italian or French loaf, cubed
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 cup orange juice
  • 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons ginger
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves

Streusel Topping

  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 5 Tablespoons butter, cold, cubed
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest

Instructions
 

French Toast

  • PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F. SPRAY a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  • POUR the orange juice over the dried cranberries.
  • TEAR or SLICE bread into cubes (about 8 cups total). PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees F.
  • PLACE the cubed bread evenly into the baking dish. STRAIN the cranberries and SCATTER over the bread. Discard the orange juice.
  • In a large mixing bowl WHISK together the butter, eggs, milk, cream, molasses, and syrup. ADD in all of the spices and salt.
  • POUR the mixture evenly over the bread cubes allowing the bread to soak up the liquid.
  • TOP with orange zest and optional Streusel Topping if using.
  • COVER with plastic wrap or foil and chill overnight in the refrigerator if making the night beforehand. Or bake immediately.
  • BAKE at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes until the bread is golden and the custard is set (no liquid remaining).
  • Let COOL for 10 minutes before serving.

Streusel Topping

  • WHISK together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
  • Using a pastry cutter or a fork, CUT butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse sand, leaving some larger chunks.
  • If you do not have a pastry cutter you can melt the butter and slowly drizzle it in, being careful to stir the mixture with a fork.

Notes

  • Gingerbread French Toast Bake can be made the night before and chilled overnight in the refrigerator.
  • After baked, cover and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. 
  • Reheat individual servings in the microwave, air fryer, or toaster oven. Reheat the whole dish of leftovers in the oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes. 
Course: Breakfast, Brunch
Cuisine: American
Author: Katrina Bahl
Keyword: breakfast, french toast, gingerbread

Original recipes and images © In Katrina's Kitchen

Did you make this recipe?Tag @katrinaskitchen on Instagram with the hashtag #katrinaskitchenrecipes

Egg Farming

  • There’s a good chance the eggs you’ll use for holiday baking came from an Ohio egg farm! Ohio is ranked No. 2 in the nation for egg farming, producing more than 10 billion eggs a year.
  • Visit OhioEggs.com to meet more egg farming families. Ohio egg farmers are proud to provide healthy, safe, and affordable eggs to consumers year-round while protecting the environment for future generations.

Visit www.OhioEggs.com and follow the Ohio Poultry Association on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube for more egg recipes and to learn about egg nutrition and egg safety tips. 

Related Recipes

Vanocka Czech Christmas Bread

Grandmas Gingerbread Spritz

Gingerbread Steamer

Eggnog Muffins with Eggnog Glaze