Bolillo French Toast Casserole

This Bolillo French Toast Casserole is made with crusty bolillo rolls and topped with sweet cinnamon pecans. The overnight soak gives it a rich, custardy center that brings bakery vibes to your table with minimal effort.

My family loves this Bolillo French Toast Casserole, and I love it because it’s a no-fuss, make-ahead breakfast that’s perfect for special mornings or brunches. It’s so much easier than standing over a stove and flipping French toast.

You can use bolillo rolls or any crusty bread you have—just prep ahead, bake, and enjoy a sweet start to your day.

Ingredients Needed

You’ll need these ingredients for the Bolillo French Toast Casserole, and I’ve provided some substitutions below.

Bread- Bolillo Rolls are an oval-shaped Mexican bread with a crusty exterior and soft interior, similar to a French roll. In Mexico, they use Bolillos to make Molletes, Tortas, and Lonches. You can use any type of crusty bread or baguette.

Milk- Using whole milk will give it a rich custard flavor. I’ve also used dairy free oat milk, which gives a slightly different flavor, but is still creamy.

Sugar- I’m using brown sugar to get more caramel flavor but regular sugar works too.

Butter– This is used to coat the pecans. Another option is coconut oil, which gives them a nuttier taste.

Pecans– I used crushed pecans for the topping, but walnuts or sliced almonds are great, too. Feel free to omit if you don’t like nuts.

How to Make

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the bolillo rolls into 1-inch slices and place on a baking sheet in a single layer. Toast the bread in the oven for about 10 minutes or until lightly toasted on both sides. You’ll have to flip them over halfway through.

While the bread is toasting, prepare the custard by whisking together eggs, milk, sugar, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.

Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish with butter, and layer the toasted bread. I slanted the slices at an angle to absorb more of the custard and still be crunchy on top.

Pour the custard mixture evenly over the bread, making sure to coat each piece. At this point, I like to cover the dish and place it in the refrigerator overnight. However, I’ve made this the same day and baked it right away. The bread doesn’t soak up the custard as much, but it’s still slightly soft in the center and crispy on the outside.

If using the overnight method, remove the casserole from the fridge in the morning while the oven is preheating. You don’t want to bake a cold dish straight into a hot oven.

Make the pecan topping by mixing melted butter with brown sugar and cinnamon, then stir in the pecans.

Cover the dish in foil and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, then remove the foil and top with the cinnamon pecan topping. Continue baking for an additional 15 minutes or until golden on top.

Serving and Storing

Allow the casserole to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Use a large spoon to scoop out servings onto a plate. You can see that it has the texture of a bread pudding on the bottom.

You can serve the bolillo French toast with a drizzle of maple syrup or a dusting of powdered sugar. My family enjoys it with fresh berries and a side of bacon or sausage.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 2 months. You can reheat the frozen casserole in the oven for 20 minutes, covered in foil.

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