St. Patrick's Day is coming and if you're wondering what to make, this This Baileys Irish Cream French Toast Casserole makes a really great St. Patrick's Day breakfast or brunch potluck dish. I'd even eat it for dessert; it's that good!
It may be the Baileys talking but this is the best French toast casserole I've ever had! But Baileys makes everything better, doesn't it? This Bailey's French toast is a decadent French Toast that's perfect for St. Patrick's day breakfast or brunch, Christmas morning brunch, Mother's Day brunch, any holiday brunch for that matter, or special occasions!
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What I love about overnight baked French toast casserole is that it's so easy! And that is what makes it the best Baileys French Toast! It only takes a few minutes to prep the night before, then pop it in the oven when you get up and you have an amazing breakfast or brunch. However, when I brought it to work, I made it a day ahead, then reheated it.
🥘Ingredients
- Irish soda bread, thick French bread or Brioche
- large eggs
- half-and-half cream
- Bailey's Irish Cream *substitute Baileys coffee creamer Irish Cream (non-alcoholic)
- brown sugar
- vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon
- maple syrup * I use low sugar maple syrup
- powdered sugar (optional)
- whipped cream (optional)
- green sprinkles (optional)
💭Does cooking alcohol remove alcohol?
The short answer is NO. Cooking does not necessarily remove alcohol. Although much of the alcohol evaporates during the cooking process, it depends on how much you use, the cooking process (when you add the alcohol) and the cooking time. You can read more about cooking and alcohol evaporation HERE.
📖 Variations & Substitutions
Non- alcoholic substitute for Baileys Irish Cream
- The fact that some of the alcohol remains could be of significant concern to recovering alcoholics, some parents, and others who have ethical or religious reasons for avoiding alcohol. Baileys Coffee Creamer (affiliate link) is the perfect non-alcoholic substitute for this recipe!
- Toppings: optional toppings are chocolate or caramel sauce or syrup
- Irish Cream - you could use homemade Irish cream, if you prefer
This Baileys French Toast Casserole is the perfect St. Patrick's day breakfast or brunch dish for a potluck. (Non-alcoholic substitute included.) I brought it to a work breakfast potluck and it was well-loved!
🍞Bread for Baileys French Toast
Irish soda bread, thick French bread or Brioche bread is the best bread to use for this Baileys French toast casserole because you need it to be thick enough to absorb the liquid and not disintegrate. However, you could substitute any type of thick white bread.
🥗 Side Dishes
This Baileys Irish Cream goes great with bacon, sausage, fresh berries or a fresh fruit salad! (shown below)
👪 Serving Size
This Baileys French Toast makes 8 servings. However, you can half, double or triple the recipe by clicking on the blue serving number and selecting the number of servings you'd like. The ingredient quantities will automatically adjust. If you half it, use a smaller casserole dish and if you double it, use 2 casserole dishes.
🍽Equipment
You'll need a 9X13 baking or casserole dish (affiliate link) for this Baileys Irish Cream French Toast recipe.
🌡️Storing & Reheating
Store: You can store this Irish Cream French Toast recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days after making it. You can also make it a couple of days in advance. *If you are making it in advance, I would suggest you bake it in a casserole dish, allow it to cool, then use Glad Press N' Seal to cover it until you are going to serve it (if you don't have a lid for your casserole dish). You can easily transport it like this to wherever you are serving it (this is what I do for work breakfast potlucks)
Reheat: Place in microwave (make sure your casserole dish is microwave safe!) and heat until warmed (about 5 minutes, depending on the power of the microwave). Then add whipped topping and sprinkles.
So, if you're looking for an easy, fun and delicious Baileys French toast recipe for your next brunch or St. Patrick's Day recipe, give this a Baileys Overnight French Toast Casserole a try!
And if you love French toast, give my French Toast Sandwich with Raspberry Cream a try!
If you love Baileys Irish Cream, check out these 10 Baileys Irish Cream Desserts you need in your life!
⭐ Reviews
📋 Baileys French Toast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 loaf Irish soda bread or thick french bread
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups half-and-half cream
- ½ cup Baileys Irish Cream *substitute Baileys coffee creamer Irish Cream (non-alcoholic)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup maple syrup * I use low sugar maple syrup
Garnish
- powdered sugar
- additional cinnamon
- whipped cream
- green sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Generously spray a casserole dish with non- stick cooking spray. Arrange slices of bread in a 9 X 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices in a casserole dish.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half cream, Baileys Irish Cream, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and maple syrup. Then beat with a whisk until blended thoroughly.
- Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk and egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the layers. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight (about 8 hours)
- The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove from refrigerator, leave the foil on and bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.
Garnish:
- Sprinkle additional cinnamon and powdered sugar on top, top with dollops of whipped cream and add green sprinkles/sparkling sugar, if desired.
- Serve with additional maple syrup.
Tom
Great recipe. Going to make this soon.
Just wondering if it would freeze well.
Thanks.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Tom! I hope you enjoy it 🙂 I usually try to freeze my recipes, but I didn't get a chance with this one. I think it would get a little mushier, as there are quite a few eggs in the recipe and cooked eggs run when they are frozen. So, freezing this one may not be ideal. However, let me know if you try it!
Tom
Thanks for the response, Terri.
I will try freezing and let you know ow it turns out.
Terri Gilson
Great!
Leanne | Crumb Top Baking
I absolutely love this Terri! French toast bakes are one of my favourite things to make for brunch gatherings. And I'm also a huge fan of St. Patrick's Day and all the food! Great recipe!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Leanne!
marilyn @family food around the clock
Baked French toast! wow that sounds amazing and the recipe is very simple to make. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Marilyn! Yes, I love that it's so simple to make!
Elaine
Make-ahead is the way to go for brunch gatherings! Love your substitution for "real" Bailey's! This one will be devoured, for sure!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Elaine. Yes, it's great for potlucks! I brought it to a work potluck (real Baileys and all :)!
Colleen
I love to do make ahead french toast bakes for gatherings. This one with Bailey's is a perfect St Patrick's Day breakfast that I know will be a huge hit!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Colleen! I hope you enjoy it!
Sabrina
How have I never thought of Bailey’s French toast?!?! Amazing, and baked French toast is totally the way to go for a crowd! Fabulous recipe, thank you 🙂
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Sabrina! Baileys is magical - it makes french toast even better 🙂
Denise@urbnspice
I can think of a few Bailey loving family members who would love this Overnight French Toast brunch dish, Terri! I always love having make-ahead breakfast options in my back pocket. This one is getting pinned to try very soon. Many thanks for the St. Patrick's inspiration.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Denise! I hope you like it!
Vanessa | Zest & Simmer
Oooh I love french toast bakes! And the fact that this involves Baileys makes me love it even more. We’re away for St Patrick’s Day this year so I guess I’ll just have to make this even sooner 😉
Sarah L Czepizak
Hi! Should I leave the foil on to bake? Was also thinking about tearing the bread up instead of just having slices....not sure if it will affect bake time though....sounds delicious!
Terri Gilson
Hi Sarah! Yes, leave the foil on- I should clarify that 🙂 You could tear the bread up, but I am also not sure how that would affect it. Probably not much difference. Funny, when I brought it to my work potluck, my colleague wanted to try it with the bread cubes too. It's just a preference. I prefer the big pieces personally, but go for it! Let me know how it turns out and I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for stopping by my blog... Terri
Mary anne
Sounds delicious !! but does the bread get soggy overnight?
Terri Gilson
Hi Mary Anne, it doesn’t because you use a very thick bread!