Cinnamon-Pecan French Toast Bake

Name: Cinnamon-Pecan French Toast Bake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 loaf brioche, cubed; 8 eggs; 2½ cups half-and-half; ¾ cup brown sugar; 1 tbsp vanilla extract; 1½ tsp cinnamon; ½ tsp nutmeg; 1 cup praline pecans; ½ cup flour (for streusel); ½ cup brown sugar (for streusel); ½ cup butter (for streusel); 1 tsp cinnamon (for streusel); to serve warm buttermilk syrup

Chef-created by Chef Joel

Custard-soaked brioche baked with a buttery cinnamon-pecan streusel and finished with warm buttermilk syrup.

⏱ Prep 15m🔥 Cook 45m🕒 Total 60m🍽 10 servings

#chef joel's premium recipes#chef joel#catering#brunch

Your rating:

✨

Ask Chef AI

Scan this recipe for pairings, improvements, nutrition — or ask anything.

Transform this recipe

Servings

Units

Oven temp

👨‍🍳 Cooking mode

Ingredients

1 loafbrioche, cubed
8eggs
2½ cupshalf-and-half
¾ cupbrown sugar
1 tbspvanilla extract
1½ tspcinnamon
½ tspnutmeg
1 cuppraline pecans
½ cupflour (for streusel)
½ cupbrown sugar (for streusel)
½ cupbutter (for streusel)
1 tspcinnamon (for streusel)
to servewarm buttermilk syrup

Nutrition / serving

No nutrition data for this recipe — tap Nutrition in Ask Chef AI above for an estimate.

Cost estimate

My notes

Method

1
Cube the brioche and spread it on a sheet pan; let it sit out uncovered for a few hours (or overnight) to stale slightly, or dry it in a 300°F oven for 10–12 minutes. Stale bread soaks up the custard without turning mushy.
2
Grease a 9x13-inch (or half-size hotel) pan. Whisk the eggs, half-and-half, ¾ cup brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg together until smooth and no streaks of egg remain.
3
Spread the dried brioche cubes evenly in the pan. Slowly pour the custard over the top, then gently press the bread down with a spatula so every cube is coated and submerged.
4
Cover tightly and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or up to overnight, so the bread fully absorbs the custard.
5
While the bread soaks, make the streusel: in a bowl, combine ½ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, and 1 tsp cinnamon, then work in the ½ cup cold butter with your fingers or a pastry cutter until the mixture forms pea-sized, crumbly clumps. Fold in the praline pecans.
6
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the casserole from the fridge and scatter the streusel-pecan mixture evenly over the top.
7
Bake for 45 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and crisp, the custard is fully set (no jiggle in the center), and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle reads about 165°F. Tent loosely with foil partway through if the streusel is browning too quickly.
8
Let the bake rest 10–15 minutes before slicing so the custard finishes setting.
9
Serve warm, passing warm buttermilk syrup at the table for drizzling over each portion.