Our Easy French Toast Casserole is a classic recipe for brunch or breakfast, especially a holiday breakfast! You’ll go nuts for the cinnamon crumb topping. 

It has been years and years since we’ve updated this old post for our favorite, simple french toast bake, but I’m finally getting around to it. Every year I’ve made it for a special breakfast, vowed to take new photos and then gobbled the entire thing up. 

Well, a few months back we lost a few of our older posts in a tragic mishap on the blog, so here we are, desperate to get this baked french toast back up because it’s the perfect holiday breakfast!

Ingredients for French Toast Casserole

There’s nothing too surprising here, but starting with a good bread is crucial! Other than the bread, you’ll probably have everything else at home already. Here is your ingredients list:

• Challah, Brioche or Sourdough Bread: you want a dense sturdy bread and day old is best
• Eggs: large eggs, medium and you’ll need more eggs, extra large and you’ll need less
• Milk: don’t use fat free milk, but any other milk will work fine, we prefer 2%
• Heavy Cream: essential for the custard base of the casserole and adds richness and flavor
• Sugar: any granulated refined sugar works great
• Brown Sugar: adds flavor and richness
• Cinnamon: any brand of cinnamon is great
  • NOTE: If you’re a nutmeg fan, you could add a little pinch of nutmeg too. I especially love that during the holidays!
• Vanilla: real vanilla extract is preferred

Topping

• Butter: chilled and cut into small (1/2 inch-ish) cubes
• Flour: just all purpose
• Brown Sugar: I never need a reason for brown sugar…haha…but really it’s all the flavor and sweetness
• Cinnamon: combined with the brown sugar and it’s all the flavor you need
• Salt: just a little pinch enhances all the flavors
• Optional: Top with powdered sugar and fresh raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc.

How to Make French Toast Casserole

This is a great recipe for the holidays because you can make it the night before and just pop it in the oven in the morning. In fact, it’s better if you let it sit overnight. Overnight french toast casserole makes breakfast on Christmas morning so easy! Just a thought! Here are the simplified steps for making this breakfast casserole:

1. Prep: Tear or slice the bread into bite size pieces and prepare a baking dish by spraying with cooking spray. Place the bread into the pan.
2. Whisk: Whis

Get into the holiday spirit with these delicious cranberry crumb bars. It is my favorite way to use up leftover cranberry sauce. Follow our step-by-step instructions and video to create a festive and tasty dessert that is perfect for any holiday gathering.

I got fed up last year with leftover cranberry sauce so for months after Thanksgiving I was testing it in all sorts of recipes to find ways to use it. This is how our cranberry sauce muffins came to be! And it’s the same story for this cranberry crumble bars recipe. I’ve been experimenting with this one and this is finally the winning recipe. They are to die for!

They are the most wonderful combination of creamy cranberry sauce and a chewy sugar cookie, tart shortbread crust!

Ingredients for Cranberry Sauce Bars

We will actually make one crust recipe and we will use it for both the base of the bars and the crumble on top! Then we will make a filling to go in the middle. I’ll include the ingredients for an optional glaze too. Here is everything you will need for each component:

Crust and Topping

• Wet Ingredients: Butter (softened), Cream Cheese (softened), Brown Sugar, White Sugar, Egg, Vanilla and Almond Extract
• Dry Ingredients: All Purpose Flour, Cornstarch, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Salt

Filling

• Sour Cream: full fat cream cheese
• Eggs: binds the filling together
• Cornstarch: helps thicken the filling
• Vanilla and Ground Cinnamon: add flavor
• Cranberry Sauce: homemade is preferred, but store-bought would work fine too, just don’t use the canned cranberry jelly
• Whole Fresh Cranberries: adds more flavor and texture

Glaze

• Powdered Sugar: acts as the base of the glaze and adds all the sweetness
• Milk: adds richness and creates the glaze
• Vanilla: adds flavor

The measurements for each ingredient can be found down below in the recipe card. This is meant to just be an overview of the ingredients you will need.

How to Make Cranberry Crumb Bars

Let me walk you through each step of this recipe! It might seem like a lot of steps, but it’s super easy.

Crust

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9×13 inch baking dish with a piece of parchment. Spray everything with cooking

Easy Ham Dipping Sauces [+Video]

Elevate your next ham dinner with these easy and delicious dipping sauces. From a sweet honey mustard sauce to a tangy pina colada sauce, these sauces will take your ham to the next level.

These are the best easy ham sauce recipes that I’ve ever had.

Oh, Christmas Ham, Oh Christmas Ham, and delicious ham dipping sauces… Who needs a song about a tree when you’ve got the world’s best brown sugar ham?!

My family has this funny way of eating ham, we eat it with applesauce. It is truly delicious. I mean, apples and pork are meant to be together and while many may not do actual applesauce they really should. We always use my mom’s homemade applesauce which is 10x better than any ol’ can. Or we did, until we found these ham dipping sauces.

My cousin, Robyn works as the manager for the LDS Church’s Catering and she is the one that introduced me to these easy ham dipping sauces.

I don’t know what it is about ham, but I just have to have a little sauce to dip it in.

Ingredients for Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

This honey mustard recipe is my personal favorite, which is funny because I’m not a lover of mustard. I tell you what though, it is wonderful with the ham. DELIGHTFUL. You only need 3 simple ingredients:

• Mayonnaise: Duke’s is our favorite brand of mayo, but you can use whatever brand is your favorite.
• Honey: adds natural sweetness
  • PRO TIP: If you want to add a little heat to your sauce, use hot honey!
• Mustard: Just regular yellow mustard is our preference, but you change up the flavor to your liking with dijon mustard, stone ground mustard, etc.

If you end up with extra sauce, this would make a bomb diggity sandwich the next day. The measurements needed are listed in the recipe card below.

Ingredients for Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

The pina colada sauce is most everyone’s favorite. It’s so fun and creamy and pairs so well with the ham! It seriously tastes just like a pina colada and I’m sure you won’t have anyone throwing a fit about a little coconut and pineapple action. Here is what you will need:

• Cream of Coconut: head to the alcohol section of your local grocery store and it will be by the margarita mixes
• Sour Cream: use full fat sour cream for maximum flavor and creaminess
• Crushed Pineapple: make sure you drain it before adding to the sauce
• Desiccated Coconut: has a more fine and powdery texture than shredded coconut and a milder flavor

Again, the measurements are listed in the recipe card at the end o

Sweet and Salty Rolo Pretzel Bites Topped with M&Ms!

These Sweet and Salty Rolo Pretzel Bites with M&Ms are the ultimate 3-ingredient holiday treat—simple, delicious, and perfect for any celebration! Their perfect combination of crispy pretzels, gooey caramel, and chocolatey goodness makes an ideal snack, dessert, or even a thoughtful holiday gift. So simple and impossible to resist, they’re a crowd-pleaser for any occasion! Plus they’re so easy! The hardest part is preheating the oven!

I tried these cute little Christmas Rolo Pretzel Bites with M&Ms years ago, and I absolutely fell in love with them. Good heavens, they taste amazing, and they are addicting!

The Best Christmas Treat for Kids to Make

This is one of those things that you must teach your kids to make. It is so simple that you don’t have to worry about messes or problems and it is a great chance for them to invite friends over or do a little service by delivering them to people that might need a pick-me-up.

Ding-Dong Ditching

Did your family ever ding-dong ditch when you were a kid? Ours did, and let me tell you—it was the best! There’s nothing quite like the thrill of sneaking up to a neighbor’s house, leaving a little surprise, and running away giggling before they catch you. It’s such a fun way to spread a little cheer!

1. Pick a favorite treat (these Rolo Pretzel Bites are perfect!) or a small gift—Redbox codes for a movie night are always a hit.
2. Package it up all cute and festive.
3. Load the kids in the car and head to your lucky recipient’s house.
4. Let the kids dash up, drop the gift on the doorstep, ring the bell, and RUN!

The laughter, the excitement, and the secret joy of doing something kind—it’s a memory-maker for sure. Plus, it’s a sneaky way to get kids thinking about others and how a simple gesture can make someone’s day!

Rolo Pretzel Ingredients

Rolo pretzels at my house look like this:

• Square pretzels (or mini regulars are fine too but squares hold up better)
• Rolos (I just love that gooey caramel!)
• M&Ms- we usually buy red and green or pink, white and red for holidays.

How to Make Rolo Pretzel Bites with M&Ms

1. Preheat the oven: Set your oven to a low temperature.
2. Prep the pretzels: Line a large cookie sheet with square pretzels. Add as many as you’d like to make.
3. Add the Rolos: Place one unwrapped Rolo on top of each pretzel, then carefully transfer the tray to the oven to avoid knocking off the chocolates.
4. Melt and top: Once the Rolos are shiny and slightly softened, remove the tray from the oven and gently press an M&M into the top of each pretzel.
5. Cool and store: Let the pretzels cool completely before storing them in an airtight container.

Creative Variations

• Switch up the chocolate: Try swapping Rolos for Hershey’s Kisses or Reese’s Peanut 

Gingerbread Loaf [+Video]

Master the art of baking a delicious gingerbread loaf full of the flavors of the holiday season with this easy quick bread recipe. Moist, flavorful, and sure to be a hit at any holiday gathering!

For the last 10 years, I’ve worked on a gingerbread loaf recipe, and I’ve hated all of them. This recipe is the first that’s actually moist and dense while still full of flavor and bounce. It is pure gingerbread heaven!

And I am an expert on gingerbread heaven, believe it or not! Have you tried our soft and chewy gingerbread man cookie recipe? That, my friends, is gingerbread heaven, and this molasses quick bread is like those gingerbread cookies but in loaf form. Perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert or snack!

Ingredients for the Perfect Gingerbread Loaf

Here is a quick overview of all the ingredients you will need to make this rich gingerbread loa cakef. It is the perfect mix of those bold holiday spices in a moist delicious bread.

• Dry Ingredients: All-Purpose Flour, Baking Soda, Nutmeg, Ground Ginger, Ground Cinnamon, Ground Cloves, Allspice and Salt
• Wet Ingredients: Sugar, Brown Sugar, Vegetable Oil, Apple Butter, Molasses, Vanilla Extract, Eggs and Buttermilk
• Powdered Sugar: gives it a beautiful festive snowy appearance

The measurements for each ingredient can be found in the recipe at the end of the post.

How to Make a Gingerbread Loaf

We are going to follow the typical baking steps for making a quick bread recipe. Dry ingredients, wet ingredients, combine and bake! Here are those steps a little more detail:

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a bread loaf pan.
2. Whisk: Combine all the dry ingredients together and whisk to combine.
3. Cream: Add the sugars, oil and apple butter to a large bowl and cream together until well combined. Then add the molasses and vanilla and mix well. Finally add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated each time.
4. Combine: Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients mixture and stir until a few flour streaks remain.
5. Fold: Fold in the buttermilk.
6. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan and bake for 50-60 minutes.
7. Cool: Once baked, let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove from the pan and cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
8. Dust: Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top once it has cooled completely.

The entire recipe can be found in the recipe card down below so keep scrolling for all the details. You can also print or save the recipe there.