Caramel Cream Cheese French Toast (Printable Version)

Golden brioche layers with cream cheese and caramel, baked overnight for a rich morning treat.

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread & Dairy

01 - 1 loaf brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 18 oz)
02 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 6 large eggs
04 - 1.5 cups whole milk
05 - 0.5 cup heavy cream
06 - 0.5 cup granulated sugar
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - Pinch of salt

→ Caramel Sauce

10 - 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
11 - 0.5 cup unsalted butter
12 - 0.25 cup heavy cream

→ Topping

13 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
14 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

# Directions:

01 - In a saucepan over medium heat, melt brown sugar and butter, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbling, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in heavy cream until fully combined. Pour caramel sauce into the bottom of a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
02 - Arrange half of the bread cubes evenly over the caramel layer in the baking dish.
03 - In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Drop spoonfuls of cream cheese over the bread layer, spreading gently but leaving some dollops intact.
04 - Top with remaining bread cubes.
05 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. Pour evenly over the bread and cream cheese layers, pressing gently to ensure the bread absorbs the custard mixture.
06 - Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours to allow the bread to fully absorb the custard.
07 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove casserole from refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
08 - In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole surface.
09 - Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, or until puffed, golden brown, and set in the center. If browning too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil.
10 - Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, optionally with additional caramel sauce or fresh berries.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • You do almost all the work the night before, leaving you free to actually enjoy your guests instead of frantically cooking in your pajamas.
  • The caramel layer at the bottom creates this glossy, almost fudgy surprise when you dish it up that never fails to impress.
  • It tastes indulgent and complicated, but honestly it's just bread, eggs, and cream cheese playing nicely together.
02 -
  • Stale bread is genuinely better here than fresh bread, because fresh bread falls apart when saturated with custard; stale bread holds its structure while absorbing all that eggy, creamy goodness.
  • The caramel sitting overnight in a cold dish becomes quite firm, which is exactly what you want because it won't run all over your plate, but don't panic if it looks set like candy; it'll warm up and soften in the oven.
03 -
  • Buy your bread the day before you plan to assemble this so it's truly stale, or cut fresh bread into cubes and leave it uncovered on the counter overnight to dry out.
  • If your cream cheese is still cold when you go to dollop it, it won't spread as smoothly; a few seconds in the microwave softens it just enough to work with your hands.
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