Ree Drummond’s French Toast Bake Is a Comforting Pecan Pie-Inspired Breakfast That Everyone Will Love
This tip prevents a soggy French toast bake—perfect for your next brunch
French toast for brunch sounds like a dream–until you’re spending more time over a hot stove flipping each slice than enjoying the breakfast treat. Thankfully, the Pioneer Woman shares a decadent caramelized pecan french toast bake that feeds a crowd with less effort. The casserole soaks slices of French bread in an egg custard before they’re lined up in a dish and baked with a pecan pie topping. In as little as 25 minutes, you’ll have a sweet and nutty bake to start your morning on the most delicious note! Here’s how to make Ree Drummond’s pecan-infused French toast casserole recipe.
What is pecan French toast bake?
This dish takes French toast casserole to the next level with a topping of pecans, butter, corn syrup, brown sugar and maple syrup. Once baked, the topping becomes crunchy and caramelized–which pairs nicely with the soft and fluffy French toast casserole. All the bake needs is an extra drizzle of maple syrup and it’s ready to enjoy.
Why is my French toast bake soggy?
One of the most common mistakes when making French toast bake is not soaking the bread in the custard long enough. The soaking time is necessary so it absorbs the mixture and sets nicely as it bakes. This is also why it’s important to use thick slices of French bread as it can soak up plenty of custard without becoming soggy.
The Pioneer Woman’s brunch-worthy pecan French toast bake recipe
This Pecan Pie French Toast Casserole recipe comes from Ree Drummond’s website and will turn an ordinary brunch into a special occasion!
Pecan Pie French Toast Casserole
Ingredients:
French toast:
- Butter or nonstick spray
- 1 loaf French bread, about 18 inches long
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Pecan pie topping:
- 1½ cups pecans
- 1 stick salted butter (½ cup)
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
Directions:
- Active: 20 mins
- Total time: 1 hr, 20 mins
- Yield: 8 servings
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- For the french toast: Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray. Cut the bread into 16 slices, about 1-inch thick.
- In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, cream, brown and granulated sugars, cinnamon and vanilla. Dip slices of bread, four at a time, in the egg mixture. Let each slice rest in the mixture for 1 minute per side (2 minutes total). Once soaked, place the slices in the baking dish, shingling them slightly. Continue until all of the bread has been soaked. Pour any remaining egg mixture over top of the bread and let it rest while you make the topping.
- For the topping: Roughly chop the pecans, leaving some whole. Combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and maple syrup in a medium pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the pecans.
- Place spoonfuls of the mixture all over the top of the bread. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 25 to 30 more minutes, until the egg custard is set and the topping is golden brown. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
- Cut into squares and serve with a drizzle of syrup from the bottom of the pan.
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