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There’s no better or more fun way to serve French toast than this Pull Apart French Toast Bake. Not only is this french toast incredibly easy, it’s also better than any other. Soft, buttery, and slightly sweet challah or brioche bread, soaked in a vanilla and cinnamon egg custard. The bread is cut into a crosshatch pattern to create cubes you can easily pull apart and enjoy! Serve just as you would any other french toast, with lots of cream, berries, and maple. It’s the perfect (make ahead) brunch entrée.
You know Mother’s Day must be right around the corner if I’m sharing a sweet breakfast recipe instead of something chocolate. While my mom loves chocolate (as we all know), she’s also a huge breakfast kind of girl. Actually, she really loves breakfast for lunch.
French toast, a dutch baby, pancakes, waffles…she loves them all. So every year when Mother’s Day rolls around I love to share a new recipe inspired by my mom!
This year’s French toast recipe is a favorite for sure. It’s unique, super easy to make, and most importantly so delicious.
Way back in the day I shared a recipe for cranberry brie pull apart bread. And when I say back in the day, it was 2016, which feels like forever ago (I can’t believe that HBH is going to be 10 years old soon!).
That bread has been one of my most popular recipes to date, especially around the holidays. It’s popular for a combination of things. First, it’s easy, and we all need easy. Second, it’s different. Slicing up bread this way isn’t all that common, so it feels like a fresh and exciting way to serve a pull apart style bread.
And third, it’s totally delicious!
I figured the same method could be applied to a baked french toast. The moment I had the idea, I knew I had to make it.
The details
The bread is key here. You want to use a loaf of challah or brioche bread, something soft and eggy. A loaf of sourdough will work too, but the flavor changes a little. And I always find a softer, sweeter loaf of bread to be so much more delicious for French toast.
Use a bread knife to slice the bread into thick slices horizontally, then vertically, to create large cubes of bread. Now the KEY is not to slice all the way through the bread. You want to leave a half-inch on the bottom of the loaf completely intact so that the loaf doesn’t fall apart on you.
It’s easy to do and pretty fun as well.
The custard is a simple mix of eggs, egg yolks, cream, cinnamon, orange liquor, and vanilla. I highly recommend using the orange liquor as it adds that touch of special flavor.
Pour the batter over the bread and use your fingers to very gently pull the bread apart to allow the batter to sink down into the bread. Then, I take cold slices of butter and place them in between the cubes of bread. They’ll melt down into the bread as it bakes.
Once the french toast has been assembled, you can bake it right away or place it in the fridge overnight. This is great if you want to have breakfast already prepped and ready for baking in the morning!
The final thing I like to do is to brush the top of the bread with the reserved egg whites. You don’t have to do this, but it gives the loaf a nice glisten.
Oh, and then a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar too, which in my book is a must. The french toast itself is not sweet, but a little cinnamon sugar on top goes a long delicious way.
Serve dolloped with whipped cream and plenty of berries, plus real maple syrup. Pull it apart and have fun eating.
The French toast is eggy and custard-like. And with a little maple on top, it will have everyone coming back for more. It’s pretty darn near perfect.
Looking for a few other Mother’s Day brunch recipes? Here are my mom’s favorites.
Lemon Strawberry Dutch Baby with Ricotta Cream
Raspberry Lemon Brioche Rolls with Whipped Ricotta Cream
Bakery Blueberry Vanilla Crunch Muffins
Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Sweet Rolls
Lastly, if you make this Pull Apart French Toast Bake be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Pull Apart French Toast Bake
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 382 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 large loaf challah or brioche bread
- 2 whole eggs, plus 2 egg yolks
- 1 cup heavy cream or canned coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier (orange liqueur)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons cold butter, sliced into thin slices
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- whipped cream and berries, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 375° F. 2. Slice the bread horizontally and vertically to create 1 inch cubes, being careful not to slice all the way through the bread (see above photo). Place in a 9×13 inch baking dish. 3. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks (reserve the whites), cream, Grand Marnier, vanilla, melted butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Slowly pour the batter over the bread, using your fingers to gently pull the bread apart to allow the batter to sink in. Spoon any batter from the baking dish, back over the bread until the bread has soaked up most of the batter. Don't stress if you don't use it all. 4. Line a baking dish with parchment and place the bread into the dish. Insert the butter slices in between the cubes of bread. Brush the top of the bread with the reserved egg whites. In a bowl, mix the sugar and 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the bread. 5. Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the French toast is golden and crisp. If the top of the bread begins to brown too quickly, cover with foil. Serve warm with cream, berries, and maple syrup.
Notes
To Make Overnight: Follow the recipe through step 4. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove the bread from the fridge while the oven preheats. Follow the recipe as directed through step 5.
Do you think this would work with vegan butter instead of regular? We are serving some dairy free guests!
Hey Sam,
Sure, I don’t see why not! Let me know how this recipe turns out for you, I hope you love it! xx
This recipe was amazing! I made two the night before with challah bread. My bread was half the height – so I just sliced the bread instead into thicker rectangular pieces and it worked great. Also omitted the grand mariner (didn’t have any on hand) and it was still good!
Hey Ashlyn,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you and appreciate you giving it a try! xT
Wow!! This is unbelievable. So, so good!! Every member of the family loved this. I made it the night before, and it worked out perfectly. I’ll make this again and again
Hey Bridget,
Happy Monday!! Thanks a lot for making this breakfast and sharing your review, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Have a great week! xx
Can you make this without the orange liquer?
Hey Dani,
You bet, that would be just fine for you to do! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Made this for breakfast for friends on vacation and it was so lovely. I used a day old loaf of brioche and it was so delicious and everyone loved it. Although the orange liqueur flavor was extremely subtle, it added another dimension to the dish and melded well with the vanilla/cinnamon/butter in the custard. I used Contreau because it was what we had on hand. I baked it for 25 min and it did not look done so I pulled the pieces apart into one layer and baked for another 15 minutes – so it took 40 min total for my oven. Highly recommend.
Hi Summer!
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback and making this recipe! Hope you’re off to a great weekend! xTieghan
I have made this recipe twice now, once for our family and once for a crowd. It is delicious! The first time we had quite a bit of extra batter, so the second time we used three loaves of brioche while only doubling (rather than tripling) the batter recipe, and it was perfect. We have several people who do not consume any alcohol for various reasons, so I subbed the orange liquor for orange juice both times, which worked nicely. Highly recommend! Next time I’m going to try making the night before and letting it sit overnight for a nice calm morning 🙂
Hey Ashley,
Awesome!! I am so glad this recipe has been enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xTieghan
Delicious! Another hit for me T! I normally use a different recipe that takes more time and is very sweet. Your recipe is super easy, fast and perfect sweetness! No syrup or additional toppings needed but I’m sure it would be great with all your suggestions. Thank you!
Hey Teresa,
Fantastic!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for trying it out! I hope you had a great holiday weekend!?
Hello~
When you reheat this-is it soggy on the bottom or in between the layers? I have a hard time baking or making layered french toast in the oven, because my husband complains about the soggy bread at the bottom or in between the slicesthat some french toast casserole recipes result in. Thanks so much!
Hey Amy,
You might have some soft pieces, as that is how French toast typically is, but I wouldn’t say soggy:) Let me know if I can help in any other way! xTieghan
My daughter’s exact words when she first tried it, “you didn’t tell me this was going to taste so good!” She’s 7 yo and she absolutely loved it! I loved it too. I do have a question about baking, how do you know when it’s done? I feel like mine was soggy at the bottom so I just kept baking it longer for an hour.
Hey Aimee,
Thanks so much for your comment and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit and thanks for making it! I typically go off how the top looks, fresh toast is usually on the softer side:) xTieghan
Oh my goodness! This was delicious! We ate it for dessert, but all thought it would be amazing for breakfast, too. Thanks for this yummy recipe. I’ll certainly make it again!
Hi Meghan,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was a hit! Have the best weekend!? xxTieghan
could you make this with 1/2 and 1/2 instead of cream?
Hi Heather,
Sure, that will work well for you! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
I made this today for our Mother’s Day brunch. My family loved it! I love how easy it is to make and how delicious it is! Thanks for the recipe!
Hey Beth,
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for making the recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! Have the best week:) xxT
I made this for Mother’s Day brunch and it was fantastic. Every last bite of it got eaten up. And it was really easy to put together, too! Delicious!
Hey Robyn,
Wonderful!! Thank you so much for making the recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed!! Have the best week:) xxT