I started making this the night before a family brunch years ago, mostly because I wanted to sleep in. Toss cubed bread with an egg and carrot juice custard, layer cream cheese through the middle, slide it into the fridge, and forget about it until morning. By morning everything has softened into a single custardy layer, and by the time you pull it out and scatter on the crumble topping, you are ten minutes of passive oven time away from feeding a crowd. No flipping individual slices at the stove. No standing over a griddle.
Think of it as a cross between bread pudding and carrot cake, served warm with a cream cheese glaze drizzled on top. It is sweet from the carrots and carrot juice, but not dessert-sweet. The cinnamon and brown sugar keep it grounded. I make this every spring now, and there are never leftovers.
How to Make Baked Carrot Cake French Toast
Build the Layers the Night Before
Cut a loaf of French bread or challah into 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes. Stale bread works best here because it absorbs more custard without turning to mush. 
Butter your baking dish and spread half the bread cubes across the bottom. Drop spoonfuls of the sweetened cream cheese mixture over the bread, then pile on the rest of the cubes.
Whisk together 8 eggs, 350ml (1 1/2 cups) whole milk, 240ml (1 cup) carrot juice, 2 cups shredded carrots, 100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour it over the bread, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.
Bake with the Crumble Topping
Preheat your oven to 175C (350F). While it heats, combine 115g (1 stick) butter, 100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar, 190g (1 1/2 cups) flour, a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 60g (1/2 cup) chopped walnuts until crumbly.
Scatter the crumble over the soaked bread and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until puffed and golden.
Finish with Cream Cheese Glaze
Beat 225g (8 oz) cream cheese with 60g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Thin with water until drizzleable. Pour it over the hot casserole right out of the oven so it melts slightly into every crevice.
How to Make Baked Carrot Cake French Toast
Build the Layers the Night Before
Cut a loaf of French bread or challah into 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes. Stale bread works best here because it absorbs more custard without turning to mush.
Butter your baking dish and spread half the bread cubes across the bottom. Drop spoonfuls of the sweetened cream cheese mixture over the bread, then pile on the rest of the cubes.
Whisk together 8 eggs, 350ml (1 1/2 cups) whole milk, 240ml (1 cup) carrot juice, 2 cups shredded carrots, 100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour it over the bread, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.
Bake with the Crumble Topping
Preheat your oven to 175C (350F). While it heats, combine 115g (1 stick) butter, 100g (1/2 cup) brown sugar, 190g (1 1/2 cups) flour, a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 60g (1/2 cup) chopped walnuts until crumbly.
Scatter the crumble over the soaked bread and bake for 30 to 40 minutes until puffed and golden.
Finish with Cream Cheese Glaze
Beat 225g (8 oz) cream cheese with 60g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Thin with water until drizzleable. Pour it over the hot casserole right out of the oven so it melts slightly into every crevice.
Baked Carrot Cake French Toast
Ingredients
French Toast
- 8 oz of cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 loaf of French bread or Challah (preferably stale, cut into 1 inch cubes)
- 8 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk (or heavy cream for added richness)
- 1 cup carrot juice
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Crumble
- 1 stick of butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 walnuts
Icing
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- water
Instructions
- With a mixer, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar. Set aside.
- Whisk together eggs, milk, carrot juice, shredded carrots, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Butter a baking dish.
- Place half of the cubed bread in a baking dish. Top with dollops of sweetened cream cheese. Feel free to leave in dollops or spread over bread with a spatula.
- Top with second half of cubed bread.
- Pour egg and milk mixture over bread, cover and allow to soak overnight or for 8 hours.
Crumble
- By hand or with a food processor, combine all ingredients until crumbly in texture.
Icing
- Combine all ingredeints in a bowl and use water or more powdered sugar to adjust consistency. If sorting overnight, lay a damp paper towel on its surface and cover the container.
Baking
- Remove pan from fridge and preheat oven to 350F.
- Top pan with crumble.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes.
- Remove from over and top with cream cheese glaze.
- Category: Breakfast
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular milk instead of carrot juice in this French toast?
You can, but the carrot juice pulls double duty: it tints the custard a warm orange and rounds the sweetness in a way plain milk won’t replicate. If you skip it, increase the shredded carrots to 3 cups and add an extra tablespoon of brown sugar.
How far in advance can I assemble this casserole?
It needs at least 8 hours in the fridge, and it holds well for up to 24 hours. I have assembled it two nights ahead with no issues; the bread just gets softer, which honestly makes the texture even better.
Can I freeze baked carrot cake French toast?
Yes. Let it cool completely, cut into portions, wrap each one tightly in cling film, and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat individual pieces in a 175C (350F) oven for about 15 minutes straight from frozen. Add fresh glaze after reheating.
