Caramel-Bottom French Toast Bake

This Caramel-Bottom French Toast Bake is a show-stopping breakfast or brunch dish. With a rich, gooey caramel sauce at the bottom that bakes up into a delicious crust, and a tender, custard-soaked French bread topping, it’s a decadent and easy-to-prepare meal. Since it’s made overnight, all you have to do in the morning is pop it in the oven!

Caramel-Bottom French Toast Bake

Ingredients:

Ingredient	Quantity
Large loaf French bread	1
For the Caramel:
Dark brown sugar	1 ½ cups
Butter	1 cup (2 sticks)
Vanilla extract	1 teaspoon
For the French Toast:
Eggs	4
Milk	2 cups
Vanilla extract	2 teaspoons
Salt	½ teaspoon
For Topping:
Granulated sugar	2 tablespoons
Cinnamon	1 teaspoon
Butter, melted	¼ cup
Powdered sugar	For dusting

Instructions:

Prepare the Caramel (the Night Before): This dish is best prepared the night before! Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the 1 ½ cups dark brown sugar and 1 cup butter. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture is smooth and bubbling. Stir in the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and remove from heat. Pour the hot caramel mixture into the prepared baking dish, spreading it evenly across the bottom.
Assemble the French Toast: Slice the 1 large loaf of French bread into slices about 1 ½ inches thick. Arrange the sliced bread in a single layer over the caramel mixture in the baking dish. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the 4 eggs, 2 cups milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and ½ teaspoon salt. Pour this custard mixture evenly over the bread slices. Gently press the bread down with a spatula to help it absorb the liquid.
Chill Overnight: Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. Let it chill overnight, or for a minimum of 5 hours, to allow the bread to soak up all the custard.
Bake (in the Morning): When you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the plastic wrap. Drizzle the ¼ cup melted butter over the top of the dish. In a small bowl, mix together the 2 tablespoons granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, then sprinkle this cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the melted butter. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serve: Dust the top generously with powdered sugar before serving. Enjoy the warm, sweet, and decadent French toast bake!