If you’re looking for a simple, crowd-pleasing breakfast or brunch that everyone can enjoy—gluten-free or not—this Easy Gluten-Free French Toast Casserole is about to become your new go-to recipe. It’s the perfect hybrid of classic French toast and cozy bread pudding, all baked into one sweet, creamy, custardy dish (and yes, of course I have gluten free recipes for those other recipes, too!)
Not only does this recipe deliver all the nostalgic comfort of traditional French toast, but it comes together in just 15 minutes of prep time and bakes to golden perfection in about 35–40 minutes. That means you can have an impressive, flavor-packed gluten-free breakfast or brunch on the table in under an hour!
Why You’ll Love This Easy Gluten-Free French Toast Casserole
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Quick & Easy: Just 15 minutes to assemble!
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Make-Ahead Friendly: Prep it the night before and bake fresh in the morning — just wrap well and refrigerate overnight, then bake in the morning!
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Comforting Texture: The bread cubes are an ingenious marriage of French toast and bread pudding (or did they just have a delicious, gluten-free baby?!)
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Flavor-Packed: A touch of naturally gluten-free beer (or ginger ale) adds subtle herbal complexity to balance the sweetness of berries and cream. Be sure to use only gluten-free beer made from gluten-free ingredients, not gluten-reduced or gluten-removed beers (those are not safe for celiacs). I’ve used Ghostfish Pale Ale here with delicious results!
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Perfect Sweet Treat for Any Meal: Serve it for breakfast, brunch, or even dessert!
Secret to the Best French Toast Casserole? Homemade Gluten-Free Bread!
While store-bought gluten-free bread works just fine (hey — it’s already dry!! LOL), this casserole truly shines when made with homemade gluten-free bread. The texture holds up beautifully, and the flavor is richer and more satisfying without crumbling. Cutting your homemade loaf into cubes and letting them dry slightly ensures they absorb the custard mixture perfectly without getting soggy.
Even better? Keep a stash of frozen gluten-free bread cubes in your freezer!
They’re perfect for whipping up this casserole, making gluten-free Thanksgiving stuffing, or even tossing together a quick batch of gluten-free croutons for salads and soups. It’s a great way to minimize waste and maximize convenience.
French Toast Casserole Topping Ideas (Optional, but Delicious!)
This casserole is rich and flavorful enough to serve on its own, but if you want to go all out, consider these finishing touches:
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Pure maple syrup
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Whipped cream
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Powdered sugar
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A sprinkle of cinnamon or freshly-ground nutmeg
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EVEN MORE Fresh berries or chopped nuts
Make It Your Own
I’ve used fresh berries in this version of Easy Gluten Free French Toast Casserole, but you could just as easily swap the berries for diced apples, peaches, or even chocolate chips. And if you don’t have gluten-free beer on hand, a splash of ginger ale gives a similar lift with a bit of natural sweetness.
As you’re assembling the casserole, just layer your preferred additions where I use berries and the casserole will take shape in similar fashion, but with a totally different flavor profile.
That’s the beauty of a recipe like this one — change up the gluten free beer you use for an alternative flavor profile as well! I used Ghostfish Pale Ale for a subtle and truly delicious flavor no one would even suspect came from beer!
Easy Gluten Free French Toast Casserole Recipe
Easy Gluten Free French Toast Casserole
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 cups gluten free bread cubes
- 3 eggs eggs or substitute like aquafaba
- 1 cup gluten free pale ale or lager
- 1/3 cup coconut milk or cream
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnnamon
- 2 Tablespoons butter or vegan butter
- 3 cups blackberries, raspberries, blueberries or a combo
- 4 Tablespoons brown sugar or unrefined coconut palm sugar
Instructions
- Cut gluten free bread into cubes at least 3/4-1 inch in size. If using frozen, already cubed bread, measure out 6 cups of bread cubes and allow to sit out at room temperature while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs or egg substitute, gluten free beer, coconut milk and cinnamon.
- Arrange 4 cups of bread cubes in pan and cut butter into small pieces, distributing across the top.
- Spread half of the berries on top, then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Pour half of the liquid mixture over top of the bread cubes.
- Arrange the remaining bread cubes on top, pressing down into the other layers. Sprinkle the remaining berries and brown sugar, then pour on the remaining liquid. Press down on top of the bread cubes again to submerge all the bread into the liquid.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then cover loosely with foil and reduce the oven temperature to 300℉ and bake another 15 minutes. Remove foil and bake until the tops are lightly browned and the liquid is fully absorbed.
- Remove to cool slightly before serving.
** Please keep in mind that nutrition information provided is per serving, which may vary. While we have taken care to provide you with the most accurate nutritional values possible, please note that this information may differ significantly depending on the exact ingredients and brands that you choose to use to make this recipe. Additionally, where options are given for ingredients, the resulting calculation may include all ingredient options instead of only one per line, skewing the totals significantly.
I hope you enjoy making this super EASY Gluten Free French Toast Casserole, and you enjoy sharing it at your next breakfast or brunch gathering! We’ve even been enjoying it for dessert lately. You really can’t go wrong with this one!
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So simple! I love the idea of having homemade gluten free bread cubes in the freezer for this recipe — I already had some for Thanksgiving stuffing, now I have another recipe for my cubes to free up freezer space!