Cream Cheese Swirl Cinnamon Roll French Toast (Printable)

Overnight bake combining banana bread flavors with cinnamon rolls and cream cheese swirl

# What You'll Need:

→ Bread Base

01 - 1 large loaf brioche or challah bread (about 1.1 lbs), cut into 1-inch cubes
02 - 2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
03 - 6 large eggs
04 - 1.5 cups whole milk
05 - 0.5 cup heavy cream
06 - 0.5 cup light brown sugar
07 - 0.25 cup granulated sugar
08 - 2 tsp vanilla extract
09 - 2 tsp ground cinnamon
10 - 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
11 - 0.25 tsp fine sea salt

→ Cream Cheese Swirl

12 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
13 - 3 tbsp granulated sugar
14 - 1 large egg yolk
15 - 1 tsp vanilla extract

→ Cinnamon Sugar Topping

16 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
17 - 0.33 cup light brown sugar
18 - 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

# Method:

01 - Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
02 - Arrange half of the cubed bread evenly in the prepared dish.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together mashed bananas, eggs, milk, cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until smooth and fully combined.
04 - Pour half of the custard mixture over the bread cubes, pressing gently to ensure even saturation.
05 - In a medium bowl, beat softened cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Dollop by spoonfuls over the soaked bread layer.
06 - Top with remaining bread cubes, then pour remaining custard over the top. Gently press to ensure all bread is thoroughly moistened.
07 - Mix melted butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Drizzle or dot the mixture evenly over the casserole.
08 - Cover tightly with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate overnight, minimum 6 hours, ideally 8 hours.
09 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove casserole from refrigerator while oven reaches temperature.
10 - Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, until puffed and golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
11 - Cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve warm, optionally with maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • You assemble it the night before and literally just bake it in the morning while coffee brews.
  • It tastes like three desserts had a baby, but it's still technically breakfast so no judgment.
  • Eight servings means you can feed a crowd or eat leftovers guilt-free for days.
02 -
  • If you use fresh bread instead of day-old, you'll end up with a mushy, soupy disaster; I learned this the hard way when I tried to rush the process.
  • Don't skip the overnight chill; it's not just a convenience thing, it's how the bread fully absorbs the custard and the flavors deepen into something special.
  • That cream cheese absolutely must be softened, or you'll spend ten minutes beating it and still have lumps.
03 -
  • Use truly softened cream cheese (leave it out for an hour) and your swirls will be smooth and luxurious instead of lumpy.
  • Don't overbake; a knife that comes out with just a few moist crumbs is perfect because carryover cooking continues while it rests.
  • That cinnamon sugar topping is where the magic happens, so don't skip it or reduce it thinking you're cutting sugar; it creates the texture everyone remembers.
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