Cream Cheese Cinnamon Roll French Toast (Print View)

Decadent overnight breakfast bake with cinnamon flavors, cheesecake swirls, and brioche bread.

# Components:

→ Bread & Fruit

01 - 1 large loaf brioche or challah bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1 pound)
02 - 2 large ripe bananas, mashed

→ Custard

03 - 6 large eggs
04 - 2 cups whole milk
05 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
06 - 1/2 cup brown sugar
07 - 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
08 - 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
09 - 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
10 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Cream Cheese Swirl

11 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
12 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
13 - 1 large egg yolk
14 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Topping

15 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
16 - 1/4 cup brown sugar
17 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

# Directions:

01 - Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt. Stir in mashed bananas until well combined.
03 - Add bread cubes to the custard mixture and gently toss until all pieces are coated. Let sit for 10 minutes to allow bread to absorb the custard.
04 - In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese with sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.
05 - Pour half of the soaked bread mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Drop half the cream cheese mixture in dollops over the bread layer. Repeat with remaining bread and cream cheese mixture. Swirl gently with a knife to create a marbled effect.
06 - In a small bowl, mix melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Drizzle or sprinkle evenly over the casserole.
07 - Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or at least 4 hours, to allow flavors to meld and bread to fully absorb custard.
08 - When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F. Remove casserole from refrigerator while oven preheats.
09 - Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown on top and set in the center when tested with a knife.
10 - Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm, optionally with maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You prep it the night before, which means morning you gets to be the person who just pulls something gorgeous from the oven instead of standing over a stove.
  • The cream cheese swirl gives you those pockets of richness that make people wonder if you went to culinary school.
  • Brioche and bananas together create this soft, almost cake-like texture that's nothing like regular French toast.
02 -
  • Don't skip the overnight chill, even if you're in a hurry, because the bread needs those hours to absorb the custard fully or you'll end up with crunchy bread under a custardy top.
  • Your cream cheese has to be soft before you mix it, not cold from the fridge, or you'll spend twenty minutes beating it and still end up with tiny lumps.
  • If the top starts browning too quickly before the center is set, tent it loosely with foil for the last 10 to 15 minutes.
03 -
  • Use brioche or challah that's a day old if you can find it, because slightly stale bread holds its shape better than fresh bread when it's soaking in liquid.
  • Set a phone timer for the 10-minute bread soak and the 40-minute bake, because overstuffed ovens and overnight forgetting are the two ways this goes sideways.
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