Caramel Cream Cheese French Toast (Print View)

Golden baked brioche layers with creamy cheese filling and sweet caramel drizzle

# Ingredient List:

→ Bread & Dairy

01 - 1 loaf brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 18 oz)
02 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 1 cup whole milk
04 - 1 cup heavy cream
05 - 5 large eggs
06 - ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

→ Sugar & Flavorings

07 - ¾ cup granulated sugar
08 - ½ cup packed light brown sugar
09 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
10 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
11 - ¼ teaspoon salt

→ Caramel Sauce

12 - 1 cup store-bought or homemade caramel sauce

# Directions:

01 - Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Spread half of the bread cubes evenly in the prepared dish.
03 - In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with ¼ cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Dollop spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture over the bread layer.
04 - Drizzle half of the caramel sauce over the cream cheese and bread.
05 - Layer the remaining bread cubes over the caramel.
06 - In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cream, melted butter, remaining granulated sugar, brown sugar, remaining vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until well combined.
07 - Pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread layers, pressing down gently to ensure thorough soaking.
08 - Cover the dish tightly and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
09 - When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator while the oven preheats.
10 - Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown and set in the center. Cover loosely with foil if browning too quickly.
11 - Warm the remaining caramel sauce and drizzle over the casserole before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It's essentially French toast that you can make for eight people without flipping anything or timing individual pieces.
  • The cream cheese layers create pockets of richness that feel decadent but taste naturally balanced with the caramel.
  • You can prep it the night before, which means brunch guests actually get to sit down and eat with you instead of watching you cook.
02 -
  • Fresh bread will turn into mush, so use brioche or challah that's at least a day old, or even better, lightly toast fresh bread cubes to firm them up.
  • If you skip chilling overnight and try to bake it right away, the bread won't have absorbed enough custard and you'll end up with dry spots and soggy spots instead of even richness.
  • Caramel sauce temperature matters more than you'd expect, so warm it gently in a saucepan or the microwave before drizzling, otherwise it'll be too thick to flow beautifully.
03 -
  • Weigh your bread cubes if you have a scale, because eyeballing amounts can mean the difference between a casserole that's bread-heavy and one that's perfectly balanced with custard.
  • If you're nervous about the cream cheese lumps, warm it in the microwave for 15 second bursts until it's almost pourable, then whisk it into the custard mixture last, which incorporates it more smoothly.
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