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This Eggnog French Toast Bake is the ultimate Christmas morning breakfast! Thick slices of bread are soaked overnight in a rich eggnog mixture, then baked until golden and slightly crisp on top. Every bite tastes like the holidays. Top it with our homemade gingerbread syrup and whipped cream.
The Best Make-Ahead Holiday Breakfast
I’ve made a lot of French toast recipes over the years, but this Overnight Eggnog French Toast recipe has become my family’s favorite. The overnight prep makes Christmas morning go so smoothly – just bake and enjoy while you open presents.
The eggnog gives the French toast a rich, custard-like flavor you can’t get from milk alone. And you can’t beat the incredible smell that fills the house while it bakes.
I like to serve it with our gingerbread syrup, but it’s also delicious with maple syrup or buttermilk syrup.
❤️ Emily
“I’ve always made eggnog french toast during the holiday season, this gingerbread syrup adds the perfect touch truly making it Christmas French toast! DELICIOUS!!”
-Kristen
Ingredients Needed
- French Bread: A thick slice of bread that is sturdy and can soak in the egg mixture.
- Eggnog: This is the star of the French toast! Eggnog is a specialty and is available during the holidays. You can make homemade eggnog or use store-bought eggnog.
- Eggs: The egg mixture is what the bread is dipped in before cooking. It holds the structure as well as gives a richness to the egg mixture. Whisk the large eggs together.
- Brown Sugar: Adds a hint of sweetness! Light brown sugar is a light sweetness but you can also use dark brown sugar for a more deep flavor.
- Additional Ingredients: Vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
How to Make Eggnog French Toast
- Slice French bread into thick slices.
- Arrange the slices in a 9×13 baking dish.
- In a large bowl combine eggnog, eggs, sugar, spices, and vanilla. Whisk until well blended.
- Pour egg mixture over bread slices, I like to turn them a few times to ensure good coating.
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for a few hours.
- In the morning bake for 45 minutes at 350°F or until golden brown.
- Optional: While the Eggnog French Toast is baking, prepare Gingerbread Syrup.
- Serve with gingerbread syrup (or maple syrup) and whipped topping.
The Best Bread to Use
For French toast, the obvious choice is good French bread but it is not your only option. There are all kinds of delicious breads you can use to make French toast. Try a new type of bread each time you make it!
- French bread – Has a crusty outside and a soft inside. Perfect for absorbing all the egg mixture and flavor but still sturdy to hold together.
- Brioche – This is a rich and tender bread that is slightly sweet and has a soft and delicate texture. Sometimes you can find fun flavors like cinnamon or vanilla brioche that also work great.
- Challah – This challah bread is a type of Jewish bread that is soft and airy with a sweet flavor to it.
- Cinnamon swirl bread – Give this eggnog french toast recipe a twist with a little extra cinnamon and fun with this cinnamon swirl bread.
- Texas toast – Plain Texas toast is easy to find and make. The slices are thick and perfect for soaking in all the egg mixture and then cooking it on a griddle.
- Homemade bread – White or wheat bread works well. Slice your homemade bread thick for sturdiness when making the eggnog french bread.
- Sourdough bread – Like most sourdough bread there is a tangy flavor the the french toast and a very chewy texture.
Tips for Making Eggnog French Toast
- Use stale bread: No matter what kind of bread you use, it isn’t a bad idea to let it go a little stale before using it. Stale bread will soak up the eggnog mixture better than fresh bread and will ultimately make for a better French toast. If you are looking for a way to use up that day-old bread, then use it for this eggnog French toast! Trust me, you’ll be glad you did!
- Fresh ingredients: It is best to make sure your eggnog is fresh for the best flavor as well as your eggs and seasonings.
- Avoid soggy bread: Before placing the bread on the griddle or stovetop pan, allow the drippings to fall off to avoid soggy bread when cooking.
- Stovetop or griddle: Instead of baking in the oven, you can cook it like traditional french toast. For best results turn the temperature on and preheat the skillet or griddle before cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this recipe is perfect for prepping the night before. Cover and refrigerate overnight, then bake on Christmas morning for a warm, effortless breakfast.
Of course, though it may alter the taste and texture of the eggnog French toast slightly.
Gingerbread syrup, maple syrup, buttermilk syrup, or a berry based syrup all taste delicious with eggnog French toast. It also tastes great with sugared cranberries, fresh berries, whipped cream, and powdered sugar.
You can freeze individual portions of leftover French toast once baked and cooled. Reheat in the oven or air fryer until warm and crisp again. Reheating in the microwave will cause it to be soggy.
READ NEXT: 33+ Breakfast Ideas
More Favorite Christmas Recipes
I just love all the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes this time of year. There are so many great recipes to try at Christmas, it feels impossible to fit them all in. But here are a few to try.
🎄Did your family love this Eggnog French Toast for breakfast as much as mine does? Please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below!
Eggnog French Toast Recipe (Overnight Christmas Breakfast)
Video
Ingredients
Eggnog French Toast:
- 1 loaf French bread
- 2 ½ cups eggnog
- 6 eggs
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Gingerbread Syrup:
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup cookie butter, or Biscoff Spread
- 1/2 cup corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Other:
- whipped topping, optional
Instructions
Eggnog French Toast:
- Cut bread into thick slices (about 2 inches wide) and arrange in a lightly sprayed 9×13-inch pan.
- In a large bowl beat together Meadow Gold eggnog, eggs, sugar, spices, and vanilla.
- Pour mixture over bread slices, I like to turn them a few times to ensure good coating. Optional: Sprinkle the tops with a little cinnamon and sugar.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 3 hours).
- In the morning bake for 45 minutes at 350 or until golden brown. Serve with gingerbread syrup and whipped topping (optional).
- Combine all the ingredients for the syrup in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a low boil, then remove from heat. Serve over French toast.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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The Best Eggnog
This post was originally sponsored by Meadow Gold® Dairy and Dairy Farmers of America. While putting this recipe together, I had the privilege of getting to know the story of the Van Es Dairy. The Van Es family moved to Texas from Holland and 1981 and started with a modest 28 cows. By 2005, they had moved to Marsing, ID with 1,400, and today, the Van Es family milks more than 5,200 cows and provides milk across the area. Meadow Gold works with family farms throughout the West.
Knowing that the milk and cream in the Meadow Gold Eggnog we used in this recipe could come from the Van Es family makes it that much more special! Meadow Gold eggnog is rich and creamy, making it perfect to use for this eggnog French toast recipe. It can be found in many grocery stores in the West, including Walmart, Target, and Smith’s.
This sounds amazing, I think I found our Christmas morning breakfast. Thank you for such a fun play on French toast!
What a great idea for a Christmas breakfast!
This is exactly what I was looking for to make on Christmas morning! Of course I can’t wait until then so I’ll be trying it out every weekend until, haha! Thank you!
What is Biscoff spread and what does it taste like, don’t think I have seen it in Canada. I might be able to find something comparable!
The only other spread I’ve seen is the cookie butter from Trader Joe’s, but I don’t know if they have those in Canada. It’s kind of a sweeter peanut butter.
What kind of containers do you use to put syrup in for neighbor gifts?
I like to use small glass jars with lids. You can also use small Rubbermaid containers with lids or Ziplock also makes small disposable plastic containers with lids. Thanks for asking!
I’ve always made eggnog french toast during the holiday season, this gingerbread syrup adds the perfect touch truly making it Christmas french toast! DELICIOUS!! A
So glad you liked it! Oh man, totally agree that the Gingerbread syrup kicks it up a notch 😉 So yummy!
I’d really love to try this recipe, but it’s not showing up for me. Is there somewhere else I can find it on your site?
Thank you for letting us know! We’ve had this problem a few times. We will have it back up as soon as possible. Please check back!
The recipe is now up again on the site. Thank you for your patience!
My husband loves Eggnog (me not so much) but I think I might like it in a recipe. So I am going to give this one a try.
My question is what is Biscoff spread and where would I find it in the grocery store (or do I need to make it myself)?
Thanks for any help you can give me on this!
You can usually find the Biscoff spread near the peanut butter aisle. Thanks for asking!
Interesting flavors.. It must be delicious!