Cinnamon Texas French Toast

Here is my favorite Texas French toast recipe, with thick slices of bread soaked in a rich custard mixture, cooked until golden brown, and served with plenty of butter and syrup.

This Texas French toast is what we make for special weekend mornings in our house. The kids always ask for seconds, and honestly, I don’t blame them. There’s something about that extra-thick, custardy center that makes regular French toast seem pretty boring.

What Kind of Texas Toast Should I Use?

For this recipe, you’ll want to grab a fresh loaf of Texas Toast from the bakery section of your grocery store – not the frozen kind from the freezer aisle. Fresh Texas Toast is thicker and has a better texture that soaks up the custard mixture without falling apart. Most grocery stores carry it near the regular sandwich bread, and it’s usually labeled clearly as “Texas Toast” with slices that are about twice as thick as regular bread. If you can’t find Texas Toast specifically, you could use thick-cut brioche or challah bread, but regular sandwich bread won’t work well since it’s too thin and will get soggy.

Options for Substitutions

While this recipe works best with specific ingredients, here are a few swaps you can make if needed:

• Texas Toast bread: This is one ingredient I really don’t recommend substituting – the thick-cut Texas Toast is what makes this recipe special. Regular bread will get too soggy and won’t hold up to the overnight soaking.
• Whole milk: You can use 2% milk or even half-and-half for a richer custard. Avoid skim milk as it won’t give you that creamy texture you’re after.
• Light brown sugar: Dark brown sugar works fine and will give you a deeper molasses flavor. You can also use regular white sugar, but you’ll lose some of that caramel-like taste.
• Butter: While butter gives the best flavor, you can use margarine in a pinch. Just make sure it’s the stick kind, not the tub variety.
• Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla is best, but imitation vanilla will work too. You could also try almond extract, but use only ½ tablespoon as it’s much stronger.
• Cinnamon: Feel free to add a pinch of nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice to the cinnamon sugar mixture for extra warmth and flavor.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Baking

The biggest mistake you can make with Texas French Toast is using frozen bread instead of fresh – frozen slices won’t absorb the custard mixture properly and will result in a soggy, uneven texture that ruins the whole dish.

Another common error is not letting the butter and brown sugar mixture cool slightly before adding the bread, which can cause the bottom layer to burn while the top stays undercooked.

Make sure to whisk your egg mixture thoroughly until completely smooth, as lumpy custard will create uneven pockets in your finished casserole, and don’t skip the overnight refrigeration step since this allows the bread to fully soak up all those flavors.

Finally, resist the urge to cut into it immediately after baking – letting it rest for about 10 minutes helps everything set up properly and makes serving much cleaner.

What to Serve With Texas French Toast?

This rich and indulgent French toast is pretty much a meal on its own, but a few simple sides can make it even better. Fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries add a nice tart contrast to all that buttery sweetness, and they look pretty on the plate too. Crispy bacon or breakfast sausage links are always a hit alongside French toast – the salty, savory flavors balance out the sweet perfectly. If you want to keep things on the lighter side, a dollop of Greek yogurt or a small fruit salad works great, and don’t forget that real maple syrup for drizzling over everything!

Storage Instructions

Refrigerate: This Texas French toast keeps really well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. I actually think it tastes even better the next day because all those flavors have had time to meld together. Just layer parchment paper between the pieces so they don’t stick.

Make Ahead: You can prep this the night before, which is honestly my favorite way to do it! Just assemble everything in your baking dish, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The bread soaks up all that custard mixture and becomes incredibly rich and custardy.

Warm Up: To serve leftovers, just pop individual pieces in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds, or warm the whole dish in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes. It comes back to life beautifully and tastes almost as good as when it’s fresh from the oven.

Preparation Time	15-20 minutes
Cooking Time	40-45 minutes
Total Time	55-65 minutes
Level of Difficulty	Medium

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 2600-3000
• Protein: 55-65 g
• Fat: 100-120 g
• Carbohydrates: 370-410 g

Ingredients

For the base:

• 1 loaf Texas Toast sliced bread (not frozen, for best texture)
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled slightly)

For the custard:

• 4 large eggs (at room temperature for easier mixing)
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk (gives a richer custard)
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the topping & serving:

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon (freshly ground for best aroma)
• Pure maple syrup, for drizzling (optional, I use Coombs Family Farms)
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Step 1: Prepare Brown Sugar Butter Mixture

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar

Place the unsalted butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 20-second bursts, stirring between each, until completely melted.

Add 1 cup of packed light brown sugar to the melted butter and stir until the mixture is fully blended.

Grease a 9×13-inch baking pan, then pour the butter-sugar mixture into the bottom and spread it out evenly.

Step 2: Make Egg Custard Filling

• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, whole milk, and vanilla extract until fully incorporated.

Set this custard mixture aside for assembling the French toast.

Step 3: Layer Bread and Brown Sugar Cinnamon

• 1 loaf Texas Toast sliced bread (1 lb 12 oz, not frozen)
• egg custard filling from Step 2
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

Slice the Texas Toast bread if not already sliced.

Lay a single layer of bread slices into the prepared pan, trimming pieces as needed to fully cover the butter-sugar layer.

Spoon 1 cup of the egg custard filling (from Step 2) evenly over the bread layer.

In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of light brown sugar and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon to make the topping.

Sprinkle half of this brown sugar/cinnamon mixture over the soaked bread.

Add a second layer of bread slices, then spoon the remaining custard evenly over the top.

Sprinkle with the rest of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture, making sure the custard is evenly soaked into the bread.

I like to gently press down on the bread to help it soak up more custard for extra richness.

Step 4: Chill Overnight

Cover the assembled French toast casserole tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate it overnight.

This allows the bread to soak up all the custard, resulting in a tender, flavorful bake.

Step 5: Bake the French Toast Casserole

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Place the casserole on the lower middle oven rack and bake for 40-45 minutes, keeping it covered for the first 30 minutes and then uncovering it for the remaining baking time so the top becomes golden and slightly crisp.

For a richer result, I like to let the casserole sit at room temperature while the oven preheats.

Step 6: Finish and Serve

• powdered sugar, for dusting
• pure maple syrup, for drizzling (optional)

Remove the casserole from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.

Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and serve slices, making sure to scoop up all the sticky, caramelized sauce from the bottom of the pan.

If desired, drizzle with pure maple syrup for extra sweetness.