This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of King's Hawaiian. The opinions and text are all mine.
Let's chat about French toast casserole today... Have you tried it? On the surface it sounds amazing, but I've tried a number of French toast casserole recipes in the past and have never been completely wowed by any of them. They were either too dry, still soggy in the center, or just lacking flavor in general.
So I set out to create a recipe that's both easy to prepare and totally delicious, one with plenty of flavor and with a creamy center that's perfectly cooked through. Not an easy feat!
My Secret French Toast Casserole Ingredients
Most recipes call for using day old French bread. However, because this bread is dry and dense, it usually requires the bread and egg mixture to soak overnight. I wanted a simple recipe that could be prepared first thing in the morning and baked immediately, so I chose to use King's Hawaiian Original Hawaiian Sweet Rolls.
Cut up into 1-inch cubes, these soft and tender sweet rolls add lots of flavor, while absorbing the egg mixture quickly. One 12-count tray of King's Hawaiian Sweet Rolls is the perfect size for this recipe.
I also swapped in sweetened condensed milk for the heavy whipping cream that many recipes call for. It adds a pleasing creaminess to the recipe and eliminates the need for additional sugar in the egg mixture. It's my secret ingredient that I'm sharing with you all today!
The Best French Toast Casserole Topping
Now that we have a flavorful French toast casserole base to work with, it's time to get down to finishing it off. I went with a streusel-like rich cinnamon-pecan topping that gets crunchy and caramelized as the casserole bakes. It's the perfect contrast to the sweet and creamy custard-like center.
Serve this mouth-watering French toast casserole as is, or top it with your favorite fresh fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup. If you really want to go crazy (and why not?), add a dollop of homemade whipped cream -- amazing!
Quite simply, this French toast casserole is my go to brunch recipe. It never fails to wow the crowd and is one of the most requested recipes by friends and family. In fact, I've started keeping copies of the recipe on hand when I serve it because I have so many guests ask for it -- and I'm always happy to share!
Hawaiian Roll French Toast Bake
Ingredients
- 1 (12-ounce) tray King's Hawaiian sweet rolls, sliced into 1-inch cubes
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the topping:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 8 tablespoons salted butter, cubed
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
For the French toast casserole:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks, milk, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, ground nutmeg and kosher salt. Very gently fold in cubed King's Hawaiian sweet rolls, and pour the mixture into the buttered baking dish to absorb the liquid while the topping is prepared.
For the topping:
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut the butter into the mixture with a fork or pastry cutter until crumbly. Stir in the chopped pecans.
- Sprinkle the topping over the bread mixture and spread it out evenly.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes, until the center is set.
- Cool and serve warm. If desired, garnish with maple syrup and fresh fruit.
Products I recommend for preparing this recipe:
Kristen says
Can I prep this the night before and throw in the oven the next morning?
Tara Kuczykowski says
Hi Kristen! I'd recommend prepping the batter and topping separately and then refrigerating them overnight. Cut up the Hawaiian rolls into cubes, and transfer them to your baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Then all you have to do is stir everything together and add the topping while the oven is preheating.
Paola Freeman says
Can I use coconut flour?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Hi Paola! I'll be honest -- I don't have a lot of experience cooking with coconut flour, so I'm not really sure how it would affect the topping. If you give it a try, please share your results!
Jacquita says
I made your French Toast Casserole for a brunch at our RV Resort. There were 21 people there, so I tripled the recipe. It was a HIUGE hit. Everyone loved it. I also made some Almond Flavored Butter Sauce to go with it.
Carolyn Tinder says
I think I voted for you in the contest but saw no place to enter my name . Hope this counts because this sounds delish.
V says
I hate wasting eggs, could you use the whole egg?
Tara @ Unsophisticook says
Whole eggs would change the consistency, but I actually really like the whites scrambled, so you could try that to use them up. Or my husband will often do half egg whites and half whole eggs for his scrambled eggs.