Small Batch French Toast Bake (aka Weekend Joy in a Loaf Pan)

I know, I know. It’s only Wednesday and I’m already plotting what I want to make for breakfast this weekend. But are we really surprised? You know I think about food all the time. Like, all the time. I'm that person who finishes one meal and immediately starts mentally prepping the next. It's not a problem, it’s a passion. (Okay fine, it might be both.)

Weekends are my time to shine. It’s when I can actually enjoy cooking without the pressure of a time crunch, an evil commute at o-dark thirty, meeting after meeting going over everything you said in the LAST meeting.  So when Saturday morning rolls around and I don’t have to make breakfast while half-asleep and clutching a coffee like a life preserver, you better believe I’m going big.

But here's the thing: most French Toast Bakes out there are made to feed a crowd. Like…a “we just invited the entire baseball team and maybe some of their cousins” kind of crowd. And that’s great if you’re hosting brunch for your extended family and every neighbor on your block. But I live with exactly four people. And one of those four is still highly suspicious of any dish that includes both eggs and cinnamon. So I need something a little more Goldilocks: not too big, not too small, just right.

Enter: Small Batch French Toast Bake.

You make this beauty in a loaf pan. A loaf pan! That humble little bread-baking workhorse now gets to shine on center stage. And unlike most French toast casseroles that want you to cube the bread into a million soggy little sponges, this one keeps the bread in nice, thick slices—like the traditional stuff, just stacked and snuggled into your pan like they’re spooning for warmth. Cozy. Simple. Perfect.

Let’s talk method for a sec.

You make a cinnamon-laced custard (don’t worry, we’re not reinventing the wheel here—milk, eggs, vanilla, sugar, done). You soak those glorious one-inch slices of bread in it until they’re soft and saturated and about two seconds away from falling apart in the best way. Then you stack them back into your pan like a soft, cinnamon-scented loaf of happiness. Pour any extra custard over the top, add a generous sprinkle of brown sugar and sliced almonds (we’re fancy now), and bake it until the top is golden and crisp and the insides are creamy and dreamy.

And don’t skip the powdered sugar. Don’t even think about skipping the syrup. These are not optional. They are mandatory accessories. Like wearing earrings with a fancy dress or bringing a towel to the beach. Without them, you’re just not doing it right.

Anyway, let’s get into the recipe so you can get this on your own weekend menu. Or your Thursday morning menu. Or maybe you’re living your best life and having breakfast for dinner. Who am I to judge?

🥖 Small Batch French Toast Bake

Serves 2-4, depending on how much you like to share.

Ingredients:

• ½ loaf of day-old brioche or challah (about 6–7 slices, 1-inch thick)

• 3 large eggs

• ¾ cup whole milk (or half and half if you’re feeling wild)

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• Pinch of salt

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar (for topping)

• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds (optional but delightful)

• Butter or cooking spray, for greasing

• Powdered sugar and maple syrup, for serving

Instructions:

1. Prep the Pan & Bread
   Grease a loaf pan (standard 9x5-ish) with butter or nonstick spray. Slice your bread into 1-inch thick slices. If it’s not day-old and a little dry, just leave the slices out for 15 minutes while you make the custard and pretend you're planning ahead.

2. Make the Custard
   In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until smooth and dreamy.

3. Soak the Bread
   Dip each slice of bread into the custard mixture, giving it a little soak on both sides until it’s nice and saturated (but not disintegrating, we’re not making pudding here). As each slice is soaked, stack it into the prepared loaf pan like a weird, squishy card deck.

4. Add Extra Love
   Pour any remaining custard over the top, making sure it seeps into all the little crevices. Sprinkle with brown sugar and almonds like you're adding fairy dust and good vibes.

5. Bake
   Preheat your oven to 350°F (because I probably should’ve told you that earlier…my bad). Bake uncovered for 30–35 minutes, or until the top is golden and the custard is set. It will puff up slightly and make your house smell like a cinnamon wonderland.

6. Serve It Up
   Let it cool for 5–10 minutes if you can stand it. Dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with maple syrup like you’re auditioning for a Food Network special. Serve warm and feel extremely smug about your life choices.

A Few Notes from My Kitchen:

• If you’re feeling extra, toss in some berries between the slices before baking. Or swap the almonds for chopped pecans. Or, you know what? Don’t add anything at all and just live your best cinnamon toast life.

• You can assemble this the night before and keep it covered in the fridge. Just pop it in the oven the next morning while you make coffee and pretend you're one of those people who has their life together.

• Leftovers (if any) reheat like a dream in the oven or air fryer. Just don’t microwave it unless you like sadness.

So there you have it. Weekend French Toast dreams, scaled down to fit your actual life. No army required. Just a loaf pan, a little bit of time, and a serious love of syrup.

Now go ahead—plan that weekend breakfast. You’ve earned it.