This Oven Baked French Toast Recipe is a great one to have in your arsenal when you need french toast for a crowd and want it all hot at the same time! It makes perfect, non-soggy French toast and is a game changer.
I'm throwing it back to 2010 to reshare this post. I think it was the 5th or 6th recipe I ever shared here 🙂
I've NEVER had good luck with french toast. For some reason, it always seems to come out dry and rubbery on the outside and ooey-gooey soggy in the middle. Enter-- Oven Baked French Toast!
Oven Baked French Toast Recipe
Yeah, I know, I went to cooking school and still can't make decent french toast- it's pretty sad. But, never fear, if you have the same problems I do (let's hope you don't have all of them, though), there's hope. I found a way--thanks to good ole Alton Brown-- to thwart the snooty french toast gods that don't want you to get it right. I present to you, the perfected Oven Baked French Toast Method...
Lay your slices of bread out in a single layer on a baking sheet, topped with a cooling rack and place bread in the oven to toast while it preheats. I'm using cinnamon raisin bread, but any good quality, thicker sliced bread will work. 
Whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla and honey/maple syrup in a shallow dish.
Take the bread out of the oven and give each toasted slice a little dip in the egg mixture for 30 seconds on each side- don't skimp on the time here! Put each slice back on the baking sheet lined with the cooling rack and let sit for 2 minutes longer. This step is the key to getting a nice custardy, moist french toast. Think bread pudding...
Once your bread is all nice and soaked, fry it up in a little bit of butter until it's nice and golden brown on both sides.
As you cook up your slices of bread, lay out on a separate baking sheet in a single layer. Once all of your slices are browned, put the whole pan of them in the oven and cook for an additional 8 mins. Finishing the french toast in the oven assures that the middles are nicely cooked through and not soggy!
Tips for Making the BEST Oven Baked French Toast
- Use a good quality bread! The sturdier the bread, the better as it needs to be able to absorb the egg mixture and still keep its integrity without falling apart.
- Toasting the bread first allows it to dry out a bit, which in turn, allows it to absorb more of the egg mixture. The egg mixture is what gives French toast it's custard-y center.
- Use a non-stick pan to brown the French Toast in. This will just make your life and clean-up a little bit easier.
- Don't skip the last step of baking the browned French toast! This last step ensures that the egg-y center of each slice is cooked thoroughly and won't leave you with soggy slices.
Want to try your hand at other French Toast Recipes?
If you're just not up for browning each slice individually but still want the French toast experience for your guests, try this Blueberry Muffin French Toast Souffle. It's a french toast casserole baked in the oven and is pretty spectacular. If you're just in the mood for some French Toast that's a little different and totally delicious try this Melting Croissant French Toast or this Captain Crunch coated Really Crunchy French Toast.
Oven Baked French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cups milk
- 4 large eggs
- 2 ½ tablespoons honey or maple syrup
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- 12 slices cinnamon raisin bread
- 4 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Place slices of bread on a baking sheet lined with a cooling rack. Turn oven to 375 and put bread in to toast as the oven preheats. Toast the bread for about 10 minutes, or until lightly browned and turn over to brown the opposite side, about 3 minutes more. Remove from oven.
- Whisk together milk, eggs, honey or maple syrup, and salt until well combined.
- Dip each slice of toasted bread in the egg mixture and let soak for 30 seconds per side. Take out of the egg and place back on the baking sheet lined with a cooling rack. Let bread sit for an additional 2 minutes.
- Heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat with a little bit of butter. Once the bread has been soaked and has rested on the baking sheet, place each slice in skillet and cook until golden brown on each side. Transfer to a separate baking sheet and repeat with remaining bread.
- Once all of the bread has been browned, place the entire baking sheet into the oven and bake uncovered for an additional 8 minutes. Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe? Drop me a comment and let me know how it turned out!