Pear and vanilla flavors are infused intros delicious overnight Pear Baked French Toast. This is the perfect breakfast for holidays or for company.
For more favorite overnight breakfast casseroles, try this Overnight French Toast Casserole or this Creme Brûlée French Toast.
I am a fan of overnight breakfast casseroles. Not only are they delicious, but you get to do all the work ahead of time, so in the morning, all you have to do is pop the casserole in the oven.
I’ve made a few variations of baked French toast before, and this is the perfect breakfast casserole for fall. Baked pears, combined with a caramel-like syrup that forms at the bottom – it’s really like eating dessert for breakfast.
Serve this up with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, and you’ve got an irresistible breakfast recipe. It’s perfect for holiday breakfasts or for when you have company. Or just for any fall morning!
Ingredients
- Butter: I use unsalted butter, but you could definitely use salted butter, as well.
- Brown Sugar: I always have light brown sugar on hand, but if you do have dark brown sugar, it will just give the syrup a deeper flavor.
- Pears: I like to leave the peel on the pears to give them some texture and to keep them from falling apart. But if you don’t like the peel, you can peel the pears first.
- Bread: I like to use French bread for this recipe. And it’s even better if it’s a couple of days old.
- Pecans: The pecans are optional, but I loved the texture and flavor they brought.
- Eggs: You need large eggs.
- Milk: I used 2% milk. If you want a richer casserole you could use half and half.
- Vanilla: Make sure you are using a good vanilla extract so that the flavor will shine through.
How to Make Pear Baked French Toast
STEP 1: Start by making your caramel syrup that goes in the bottom. Melt the butter, then add the brown sugar and let it cook until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and add the water.
STEP 2: Pour this syrup into the bottom of a 9×13-inch pan. You want an even layer, so once all of the syrup has been poured, tilt the pan until the whole bottom is covered.
STEP 3: Take the sliced pears and layer them over the caramel. You don’t need to get fancy, but you do wan this to be as even as possible.
STEP 4: Add your bread cubes, then sprinkle the pecans over the top. It may seem like it won’t all fit, but it will shrink down a bit when you add the custard.
STEP 5: Whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Pour this mixture evenly over the bread. Cover the dish, and transfer it to the refrigerator to rest overnight.
STEP 6: The next morning, bake the casserole until it is browned and cooked through in the middle.
To serve, slice the casserole and place a piece on a plate. Take some of the syrup at the bottom of the pan and spoon it over each portion.
Tips and Tricks
Once I’ve added the custard, I like to take my hands and press down on the bread to make sure it is all soaked with the custard.
While you can technically bake this right after assembling it, I do suggest letting it sit in the refrigerator overnight. This allows the flavors to mingle, and for the bread to really soak up that custard.
I always bake this with a baking sheet under the baking dish. Sometimes it will puff up as it is baking and some of the syrup can sneak over. The baking sheet helps to keep those drips from ending up in the bottom of your oven.
While there is no need for syrup since you can serve this with the syrup that forms in the pan, I still like to sprinkle a little bit of powdered sugar on top. Totally not required, but optional.
More French Toast Recipes
Ice Cream Soaked French Toast
Blueberry Banana French Toast Bake
French Toast Sticks
Classic French Toast
Stuffed French Toast
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Pear Baked French Toast
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 3 fresh pears sliced
- 1 pound French bread cut into 1-inch squares
- 1/2 cup pecans chopped
- 9 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, and cook until bubbly. Remove from the heat and stir in the water.1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons water
- Pour the brown sugar mixture into the a 9×13-inch baking dish. Tilt the pan to make sure the syrup is spread in an even layer.
- Layer the pears over the syrup. Then place the bread over the pears. Sprinkle the pecans evenly over the bread.3 fresh pears, 1 pound French bread, 1/2 cup pecans
- In another bowl (I like to use a large liquid measuring cup), whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. Pour this mixture over the bread. If desired, use your hands to gently press the bread down into the custard, making sure the bread is saturated.9 eggs, 2 cups milk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Cover the pan and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning, remove the casserole from the refrigerator to take the chill off as the oven is preheating.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the casserole dish on a larger baking sheet to catch any drips.
- Bake the casserole, uncovered, until it becomes puffy and the center is cooked through, about 1 hour.
- To serve, cut the casserole into squares, then spoon some of the syrup from the bottom of the pan over each piece.
Judy McCarthy says
I made this recipe and it was excellent. I am making it a second time. It is a keeper.
Deb Foster says
Sounds delicious and we just received a very large box of beautiful pears as a gift so now I have your perfect recipe to make use of several. No where does it state to peel the pears before placing in the dish. Is this a required step or totally unnecessary? I will look forward to your reply. Best of luck with the sale of your home! If it has yet to be sold, you may want to place a stature of Saint Joseph upside down in your yard. My husband is a Real Estate agent and it has worked very well for many of his clients! Wishing you the happiest of Holiday’s!
Deborah says
Hi Deb – this is actually an old recipe, and I don’t remember if I peeled the pears or not. I went and grabbed my cookbook that this recipe comes from, and it doesn’t specify or not, but I’m guessing I probably did peel them. Although I do think you could get away with not peeling them to add in a little bit of texture. I hope you love it!