Cream Cheese Cinnamon Roll French Toast (Printable Version)

Overnight bake with cinnamon rolls, cream cheese swirl, and French toast flavors

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread Base

01 - 1 large loaf brioche or challah bread (approximately 18 oz), cut into 1-inch cubes
02 - 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
03 - 6 large eggs
04 - 1 1/2 cups whole milk
05 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
06 - 1/2 cup light brown sugar
07 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
09 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
10 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
11 - 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Cream Cheese Swirl

12 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
13 - 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
14 - 1 large egg yolk
15 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Cinnamon Sugar Topping

16 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
17 - 1/3 cup light brown sugar
18 - 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Arrange half of the cubed bread evenly across the bottom of the prepared dish.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until thoroughly smooth.
04 - Pour half of the custard mixture over the bread cubes, pressing gently to ensure even saturation.
05 - In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
06 - Dollop the cream cheese mixture by spoonfuls over the soaked bread layer, distributing evenly across the dish.
07 - Top with remaining bread cubes and pour the rest of the custard mixture over the top. Gently press to ensure all bread is fully moistened.
08 - Mix melted butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon together. Drizzle or dot the mixture evenly over the casserole.
09 - Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for a minimum of 6 hours, ideally 8 hours or overnight.
10 - When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Remove casserole from refrigerator to allow it to come closer to room temperature while oven heats.
11 - Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top is puffed and golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
12 - Allow the casserole to cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve warm, optionally topped with maple syrup or a light dusting of powdered sugar.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It's essentially two desserts masquerading as breakfast, so nobody questions your life choices when you eat it.
  • Most of the work happens the night before, which means you get to sleep in and still impress people with warm, homemade brunch.
  • That cream cheese swirl hidden throughout creates pockets of richness that make every bite feel like a small gift to yourself.
02 -
  • Don't skip the overnight chill; bread needs that time to absorb the custard mixture, or you'll end up with crusty bread floating in soupy custard instead of a unified dish.
  • If your cream cheese isn't soft enough, it'll leave lumps throughout the casserole and refuse to distribute evenly—let it sit on the counter for 30 minutes before beating.
  • Stale or day-old bread is non-negotiable; fresh bread falls apart and becomes mushy rather than custardy and tender.
03 -
  • Use day-old bread cut into uniform 1-inch cubes; this ensures even soaking and cooking throughout the casserole.
  • Let the assembled casserole sit out for 15 minutes before baking so the cold interior reaches closer to room temperature for more even cooking.
  • If the top is browning too quickly, tent it loosely with foil for the final 15 minutes of baking, then remove to finish crisping.
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