This delicious chocolate french toast casserole is soft and fluffy on the inside and comes with a topping of sugar and pecans for a crunchy finish. Made with moderate amounts of fat and sugar and ready in under 40 minutes.
If you are a fan of French toast you will love this chocolate french toast casserole. Making a one-pot french toast recipe is super quick and easy.
This is because instead of making individual portions, which can be time consuming, you can cook the entire french toast mixture in one dish. This will produce enough chocolate eggy bread to feed 4 hungry people!
Preparation takes minutes and the time needed for the bread to absorb the egg mixture depends on how soft/fresh your bread is (I used soft rolls and waited approximately 5 minutes).
Chocolate french toast ingredients and substitutions
- Bread: I recommend using soft bread such as brioche, plain white or whole wheat rolls (they will absorb the egg mixture quickly). Alternatively use sliced bread.
- Eggs.
- Milk: Use any.
- Cacao: Use either cacao or cocoa powder. I tend to use cacao as it's a little healthier.
- Chocolate chips: I used dark chocolate chips but milk or white chocolate chips (or chunks) will work well, too.
- Light brown sugar: Adds sweetness and flavour to the french toast mixture.
- Demerara sugar: Adds crunch.
- Butter: Helps to make the top crispy.
- Pecans: These add a nice crunchy finish, but you can use walnuts or crushed hazelnuts instead.
Chocolate french toast casserole ingredients.
Can I use stale bread
It's ok to use slightly stale bread in this recipe, although you might have to wait a bit longer for the egg mixture to get absorbed. In my opinion, however, soft bread/rolls works best in this chocolate French toast recipe.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 F/ 190 C/ gas mark 5. Lightly grease a medium size casserole dish (20x22 cm/8x9'') and set aside.
1. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, cacao and brown sugar until smooth.
2. Place the bread chunks in your casserole dish, pour in the egg mixture and stir well. Set aside for 2-3 minutes then give another stir (most of the mixture will have been absorbed). Scatter the chocolate chips over the top tucking gently in-between the bread pieces.
3. Press the pecans gently into the mixture.
4. Sprinkle the demerara sugar and drizzle the melted butter over the casserole. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes (until the top is crispy and the pecans are lightly browned).
5. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Serving suggestions
Delicious with maple syrup, fruit compote or fresh fruit (such as berries).
Can I make this recipe ahead
Yes, you can! You can prepare this chocolate french toast casserole ahead (the night before) and refrigerate until you are ready to bake it. Bake in a preheated oven as per Instructions.
Top tips and FAQs
- Stir the egg and bread mixture gently so the bread pieces remain intact.
- If you prefer the bread pieces to cook separately use a larger casserole dish and arrange the bread in a single layer. Your casserole will probably need less time in the oven.
- Best served immediately.
- Not suitable for freezing.
Related recipes
- Banana French Toast Bake (Low Sugar)
- French Toast Muffins with Chocolate Chips
- Quick Blueberry French Toast Casserole
You may also like this collection of 18 healthy, easy vegetable breakfast recipes.
Keep in touch
If you make this chocolate french toast recipe I'd love to know how it turns out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)
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Recipe
Chocolate French Toast Casserole
Equipment
- 20/22 cm (8/9'') casserole dish
Ingredients
- 6 ounces (170 g) dinner rolls approx. 3 medium rolls (brioche, white or whole wheat rolls) torn into chunks
- 4 large eggs
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) milk any
- 1½ tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, any
- 1½ tablespoons demerara sugar
- ⅓ cup (40 g) pecans
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F/ 190 C/ gas mark 5. Lightly grease a medium size casserole dish (20/22 cm, 8/9'') and set aside.In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, cacao and brown sugar until smooth.
- Place the bread chunks in your casserole dish, pour in the egg mixture and stir well. Set aside for 2-3 minutes then give another stir (most of the mixture will have been absorbed). Scatter the chocolate chips over the top tucking gently in-between the bread pieces.
- Press the pecans gently into the mixture, sprinkle the demerara sugar and drizzle the melted butter over the casserole. Bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes (until the top is crispy and the pecans are lightly browned).
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Notes
- French toast bread: I recommend using soft rolls including brioche, plain white or whole wheat (they will absorb the egg mixture quickly). Alternatively use bread slices.
- Stir the egg and bread mixture gently so the bread pieces remain intact.
- If you prefer the bread pieces to cook separately use a larger casserole dish and arrange the bread in a single layer. Your casserole will probably need less time in the oven.
- You can prepare this chocolate french toast casserole ahead (the night before) and refrigerate until you are ready to bake it. Bake in a preheated oven as per Instructions.
- Cacao: Use either cacao or cocoa powder. I tend to use cacao as it's a little healthier.
- Best served immediately. Delicious with maple syrup, fruit compote or fresh berries.
- Not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Balvinder
This looks so good. Have to try this as my daughter is bugging me to make french toast.
Monika
Thanks Balvinder, I love making French toast on Sunday especially.
apuginthekitchen
Thank you for bringing this to the party this is a gorgeous dish.
Monika
Thank you! Glad you like it:)
Monika
Thank you Andy! I never thought my food could conjure up such images! Muscovado sugar is a type of unrefined brown sugar and I chose it for this recipe because it has a deep, rich flavour which goes really well with the cacao, but of course you can use any sugar you like. Especially since the sugar content is very small. Hope you like it if you do give it a try:)
Kat (The Baking Explorer)
This looks amazing! I would be so happy to wake up to this on a Sunday morning, or any morning for that matter!
Monika
Thank you! My children like it so much they want to wake up to it every Saturday and Sunday morning:)
Jhuls
This sounds absolutely delicious!!
Monika
Thank you Jhuls:)
Kate - gluten free alchemist
I've yet to make GF French Toast..... but this looks amazing! xx
Monika
Thanks! I am sure gluten free bread would work just as well in this recipe.
Jacqui Bellefontaine
Looks absolutely delicious. I will definitely be trying this for breakfast soon. Pinning so I can find it again.
Monika
Thank you Jacqui! Hope you like it:)
hijackedbytwins
Oh wow Monika this looks amazing! We would all love a huge bowlful of this dessert! Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare x
Monika
Thank you Kirsty! Glad you like the recipe:)
helenfern
That sounds so good - and those caramelized pecans sitting on the top look wonderful! Thanks for sharing on the Pleasures of the NW's DIY party!
Monika
Thank you and you are welcome! Glad you like the recipe:)