This Overnight Bagel French Toast Casserole can be made the day of or turned into an overnight french toast casserole! Using Panera’s Cinnamon Crunch Bagels, this will quickly become a favorite of yours for Sunday Brunch!
As an adult, I’ve become a huge fan of breakfast casseroles. They are so easy to make and everyone loves them!
I especially love overnight casseroles or those that can be prepped ahead of time. This Cinnamon Crunch Bagel French Toast Casserole meets both of those requirements!
Do you ever find yourself craving Panera Bread French Toast Bagels? I suspect if you are here, that means you aren’t on a Keto or Paleo or Gluten Free diet. Because this Bagel French Toast Casserole recipe’s main ingredient is Panera’s Cinnamon Crunch Bagels. And we all know bagels are packed with carbs!
When asked ‘what is the one food you could eat for the rest of your life’ I always answer bread.
Bread because you can make so many things out of the simple ingredients of bread. And if you aren’t allowed to have the ingredients that make up bread, then you can do SO MANY things with a basic loaf of bread.
I love carbs and my family relies heavily on them to get us through the day.
I’m also a sucker for a Panera French Toast Bagel. I’ve been known to swing by on Tuesdays to pick up a baker’s dozen at their discount price just so I can eat them all week long!
My favorite bagel at Panera is also their stickiest – the Cinnamon Crunch Bagel.
Sliced, toasted and smothered in cream cheese, the cinnamon crunch bagel by Panera is to die for. A thick crust of cinnamon sugar on top of a bagel with cinnamon sugar pockets throughout tastes like dessert but is considered breakfast.
Lately, I’ve found myself in possession of french toast bagels by Panera as well as their other varieties on a regular basis. Because of this, I’ve been trying to come up with a few recipes that use bagels instead of traditional bread.
I can’t be the only one who loves their cinnamon crunch bagels, and this recipe will hopefully give you a simple treat you can serve for breakfast or dessert!
When it comes to the best french toast recipe, the basics are bread, eggs, sugar and cinnamon. If you want to know how to make french toast, it’s easy. Mix those ingredients together , dip your bread and fry. However, this recipe is an upgrade to traditional easy french toast!
However, because we are using Panera’s highly sugar coated and cinnamon infused bagels, the cinnamon and sugar is already taken care of.
The lack of sugar in this recipe for Overnight Bagel French Toast Casserole may strike you as odd. But trust me there is plenty of it in the bagel already as well as the maple syrup you’ll be pouring on top.
The idea of this Bagel French Toast Casserole is to let the Cinnamon Crunch Bagels really highlight the dish. If you’re going to pay a little extra for their delicious bagels, then you better let them do their job!
Consider it a trade off. The money you save on sugar and cinnamon, you spend on the bagels themselves. However really, you should look into taking advantage of their Tuesday special of a bakers dozen bagels for $6.99! That drops the price down to $0.53 per bagel.
For this recipe you’ll only need 3 bagels. So save 3 for this overnight Bagel French Toast Casserole recipe and grab a few of their other flavors to enjoy at home.
Personally I’d recommend grabbing one or two everything bagels too and making these Bagel Chips.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THIS RECIPE:
- Panera Cinnamon Crunch Bagels
- Eggs
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Milk
- Salt
- Vanilla.
With only 6 ingredients , you can whip up your new favorite brunch casserole! Turn this into an overnight casserole or make it the same day. Either way, I have yet to meet someone who didn’t love it!
DO BAGELS FREEZE WELL?
Yes they do! I’ve frozen store bought bagels as well as Panera bagels and they both do well in the freezer. The longest I’ve frozen bagels is for 3 weeks. However if you wrap the bagels in heavy duty foil, the can last up to 3 months in the freezer!
When ready to eat, pull out a frozen bagel, wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. If your bagel is already pre-sliced, you can toast the frozen bagel. I however prefer to thaw my bagel in the microwave first (even if just partially) and then toast it. I get better results from my toaster this way.
CAN I USE PLAIN BAGELS INSTEAD?
Yes! If you choose to use a plain bagel you’ll want to add 1/4 cup of sugar to your egg mixture as well as 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix well and pour over bagel pieces.
If you use a store brand bagel, they tend to be smaller than Panera’s so plan to 4 or 5 bagels – depending on size.
CAN I ADD FRESH FRUIT TO THIS BREAKFAST CASSEROLE?
Of course you can! Mix in or sprinkle whole blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries on top before baking. If using strawberries, you’ll want to chop up each berry into bite sized pieces first. Fresh fruit works well with this Easy French Toast Casserole! I’ve added fruit several times and it always turns out great!
Mixing in wilted fruit is a great way to use it up!
Bagel French Toast Casserole
This Bagel French Toast Casserole can be made the day of or turned into an overnight french toast casserole! Using Panera's Cinnamon Crunch Bagels, this will quickly become a favorite of yours for Sunday Brunch!
Ingredients
- 3 Cinnamon Crunch Bagels (Panera)
- 8 Eggs
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray or butter.
- Cut each bagel into bite sized pieces and spread out in casserole dish. Do not pick off crunchy top layer. Leave it on and cut the bagels.
- In a bowl combine eggs, heavy whipping cream, milk, salt and vanilla. Whisk until combined.
- Pour milk mixture over the bagel cubes.
- Press each bagel into the milk mixture, ensuring each piece is well soaked.
- Place casserole in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350*F
- Press each bread piece into the egg mixture again and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Serve with fresh fruit, real maple syrup and powdered sugar.
Notes
Additional cinnamon and sugar are not needed. There is plenty of cinnamon in the Cinnamon crunch bagel and crunchy top layer as well as plenty of sugar - especially if you use maple syrup. Trust me.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 190Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 119mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 7g
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