• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ahead of Thyme logo

  • Home
  • About
    • About Me
    • Work With Us
    • Press
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Resources
    • Food Blogger Business School
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Shop
  • Resources
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Breakfast and Brunch » Baked Gingerbread French Toast Casserole

    Baked Gingerbread French Toast Casserole

    18 Comments

    1K Shares
    Pin1K
    Yum43
    Share
    Tweet2
    More
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Festive baked gingerbread french toast casserole with cubed crusty bread, custard with warm gingerbread spices, and orange soaked cranberries, is baked until golden brown and crispy. It's soft and tender on the inside, and crispy and firm on the outside. This baked french toast is the perfect make-ahead holiday breakfast or brunch on Christmas morning or any cold winter morning to warm you right up and make your holiday season extra special and memorable.

    Festive baked gingerbread french toast casserole with cranberries is soft on the inside and crispy outside. The best holiday breakfast on Christmas morning. | aheadofthyme.com

    Is it too early to talk about breakfast on Christmas morning? I feel that once December rolls around, it's time to bring out the decor, pick up last minute gifts, and start meal prepping, especially with all things gingerbread. Like this gingerbread bundt cake with maple cinnamon glaze, gingerbread muffins with vanilla bean glaze, or gingerbread linzer cookies with white chocolate.

    Festive baked gingerbread french toast casserole with cranberries is soft on the inside and crispy outside. The best holiday breakfast on Christmas morning. | aheadofthyme.com

    Ingredients

    To make this baked gingerbread french toast, you will need:

    • eggs
    • heavy cream
    • gingerbread spices - ground cinnamon, ground ginger, all-spice blend, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg.
    • salt
    • bread - try a crusty homemade French baguette or other dense loaf that you would love to bring the classic gingerbread flavour you love to breakfast. Some other bread that work well are challah or brioche.
    • dried cranberries soaked in orange juice - dried cranberries that have been rehydrated with orange juice for a little something extra. The flavours work amazingly and add a nice contrast in texture.
    • orange juice
    • for serving - maple syrup and confectioners' sugar.

    You will also need a 9x13 baking pan.

    Festive baked gingerbread french toast casserole with cranberries is soft on the inside and crispy outside. The best holiday breakfast on Christmas morning. | aheadofthyme.com

    How to Make the Best Baked Gingerbread French Toast Casserole

    You will have one very happy family with a festive breakfast like this. The best part is that it really doesn't take that much effort to put this gingerbread french toast casserole together. It's easy to make in the morning or prepare it the night before.

    1. Make the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, cinnamon, ginger, all spice, cloves, nutmeg, and salt until smooth.
    2. Soak the bread. Place cubed bread in a large mixing bowl, then pour custard mixture on top. Stir to combine, and let sit for 30 minutes (up to overnight), tossing once halfway through.
    3. Soak the cranberries. Meanwhile, soak cranberries in a small bowl with orange juice for 10 minutes, then drain.
    4. Assemble. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray. Pour in bread and custard mixture and sprinkle on cranberries on top, dispersing evenly.
    5. Bake. Bake in a 350 F oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Serve warm with a dusting of powdered sugar and/or a drizzle of maple syrup on top.
    Festive baked gingerbread french toast casserole with cranberries is soft on the inside and crispy outside. The best holiday breakfast on Christmas morning. | aheadofthyme.com

    How to Store Baked Gingerbread French Toast Casserole and Make Ahead

    • Make ahead instructions: To make bake gingerbread french toast a day ahead, transfer the large mixing bowl with soaked bread into the refrigerator, cover and store overnight
    • How to store: Cover or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
    • How to reheat: Reheat in the microwave for about one minute or in a 350F preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.
    Festive baked gingerbread french toast casserole with cranberries is soft on the inside and crispy outside. The best holiday breakfast on Christmas morning. | aheadofthyme.com
    Festive baked gingerbread french toast casserole with cranberries is soft on the inside and crispy outside. The best holiday breakfast on Christmas morning. | aheadofthyme.com

    More Breakfast Recipes

    • Triple Berry French Toast
    • Egg and Potato Breakfast Casserole
    • Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
    • Gingerbread Muffins with Vanilla Bean Glaze
    • Cranberry Yogurt Muffins
    • Cranberry Scones with Orange Glaze
    • Whole Wheat Cranberry Bread

    Did you make this recipe? I would greatly appreciate a comment and rating below, letting me know what you thought of the recipe. You can also snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @aheadofthyme or share it on the Pinterest pin so that I can follow along.

    Don't forget to sign up for my email newsletter so that you don't miss any recipes. You can also follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for more recipe updates.

    Print

    Recipe

    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Festive baked gingerbread french toast casserole with cranberries is soft on the inside and crispy outside. The best holiday breakfast on Christmas morning. | aheadofthyme.com

    Baked Gingerbread French Toast Casserole


    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 4 reviews

    • Author: Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme
    • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    • Yield: 8-10 servings
    • Diet: Vegetarian
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    Festive baked gingerbread french toast casserole with cranberries is soft on the inside and crispy outside. The best holiday breakfast on Christmas morning.


    Ingredients

    • 4 large eggs
    • ½ cup heavy cream
    • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1 teaspoon all-spice blend
    • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 1 loaf of bread, cubed into 1-inch pieces (French baguette or other crusty, dense loaf) 
    • ¼ cup dried cranberries
    • ⅓ cup orange juice
    • maple syrup (optional, for serving)
    • confectioners' sugar  (optional, for serving)

    Instructions

    1. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, cinnamon, ginger, all spice, cloves, nutmeg, and salt  to create the custard mixture. 
    2. Place cubed bread in a large mixing bowl, then pour custard mixture on top. Stir to combine, and let sit for 30 minutes (up to overnight), tossing once halfway through.
    3. Meanwhile, soak cranberries in a small bowl with orange juice for 10 minutes, then drain.
    4. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray. Pour in bread and custard mixture and sprinkle on cranberries on top, dispersing evenly.
    5. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Serve warm with a dusting of powdered sugar and/or a drizzle of maple syrup on top.

    Notes

    Make ahead instructions: To make this a day ahead, transfer the large mixing bowl with soaked bread into the refrigerator, cover and store overnight. Then, transfer to a 9x13 baking pan in the morning, and add cranberries on top.

    How to store: Cover or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

    How to reheat: Reheat in the microwave for about one minute or in a 350F preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.

    • Prep Time: 10 minutes (+30 minutes rest time)
    • Cook Time: 25 minutes
    • Category: Breakfast
    • Method: Bake
    • Cuisine: American

    Did you make this recipe?

    I'd love to see! Tag me @aheadofthyme on Instagram.

    Festive baked gingerbread french toast casserole with cranberries is soft on the inside and crispy outside. The best holiday breakfast on Christmas morning. | aheadofthyme.com
    Baked Gingerbread French Toast Casserole
    1K Shares
    Pin1K
    Yum43
    Share
    Tweet2
    More
    « Cranberry Orange Shortbread Cookies
    50 Best Christmas Breakfast and Brunch Recipes »

    Stay Updated

    Subscribe now to receive all the latest recipes, tips and news directly to your inbox.
    * indicates required
    How often would you like to receive recipe updates

    Food Blogger Business School | foodbloggerbusinessschool.com

    Food Blogger Business School

    A step-by-step program that teaches food bloggers how to grow and scale their blogs into a full-time business

    in less time and without posting endless content until you burn out.

    LEARN MORE

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kathi says

      December 01, 2020 at 4:58 pm

      Looks fantastic. I will be making this on Dec 10th for a Christmas Brunch with some senior friends. It will be a nice change from eggs, sausage and potato quiche. Will let you know how they like it. Thanks so much for posting it - I was looking for a different brunch recipe.

      Reply
      • Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says

        December 04, 2020 at 6:50 pm

        That is so great! Looking forward to hearing what you think of the recipe.

        Reply
    2. Karly says

      December 21, 2018 at 1:40 pm

      This sounds amazing for Christmas morning!

      Reply
      • Sam | Ahead of Thyme says

        January 13, 2019 at 7:48 pm

        Thanks! It sure it 🙂

        Reply
    3. Amy says

      December 09, 2018 at 8:07 pm

      Oh my goodness this is amazing! This recipe reminds me of a

      Reply
      • Sam | Ahead of Thyme says

        December 19, 2018 at 11:11 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    4. Cindy Ingalls says

      December 07, 2018 at 4:47 pm

      I love the flavor of gingerbread. I always get the syrup put into my chai's during the holiday. I also love french toast so this recipe was made for me.

      Reply
      • Sam | Ahead of Thyme says

        December 07, 2018 at 5:15 pm

        That's awesome! So glad this recipe was what you were looking for! Enjoy 🙂

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Comment Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    Primary Sidebar

    Welcome!

    Quick and easy recipes for the everyday home cook, using fresh, seasonal and wholesome ingredients -- from healthy meals to take-out to comfort foods. | aheadofthyme.com

    Hi, we're Sam and Dan! We like to help busy people eat real food that tastes good. Here, you can find hundreds of delicious, quick and easy recipes, using quality and wholesome ingredients. Read more about us

    Stay Updated

    Subscribe now to receive all the latest recipes, tips and news directly to your inbox.
    * indicates required
    How often would you like to receive recipe updates

    Food Blogger Business School | foodbloggerbusinessschool.com

    Food Blogger Business School

    A step-by-step program that teaches food bloggers how to grow and scale their blogs into a full-time business

    in less time and without posting endless content until you burn out.

    LEARN MORE

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About Ahead of Thyme

    Hello and welcome! I'm Sam -- the founder of Ahead of Thyme, where we help busy people eat real food that tastes good. Here, you will find hundreds of delicious, quick and easy recipes, using quality and wholesome ingredients. So stay a while, browse around, and make something tasty for dinner tonight.

    • RSS Feed
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Learn More

    • About Us
    • Work with Us
    • Shop
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • Food Blogger Business School
    • Newsletter

    Browse

    • 60+ Easy Dinners
    • 60+ Chicken Recipes
    • 25+ Ground Beef Recipes
    • 40+ Pasta Recipes
    • 50+ Bread Recipes
    • 25+ Air Fryer Recipes
    • Dessert

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.

    Copyright © 2023 Ahead of Thyme Incorporated