Overnight Pancake Breakfast Bake (Printer-Friendly)
Fluffy pancakes soaked in cinnamon-vanilla egg custard, baked golden with cheese and your choice of savory or sweet add-ins.
# What You'll Need:
→ Pancake Layer
01 - 8 large pancakes, store-bought or homemade
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
→ Egg Custard
03 - 6 large eggs
04 - 1½ cups whole milk
05 - ⅓ cup heavy cream
06 - ½ teaspoon kosher salt
07 - ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
08 - ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
09 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
→ Add-Ins
10 - 1 cup cooked and crumbled breakfast sausage or chopped cooked bacon (optional)
11 - 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
12 - ½ cup diced fresh strawberries or blueberries (optional, for a sweet variation)
→ Topping
13 - 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
14 - Powdered sugar, for serving (optional)
15 - Fresh berries or sliced bananas, for serving
# How to Make It:
01 - Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish generously with cooking spray or softened butter, ensuring all surfaces are evenly coated to prevent sticking.
02 - Layer the pancakes in the prepared baking dish, overlapping them slightly to create an even surface. Brush the tops with the melted butter.
03 - In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, salt, black pepper, cinnamon, and vanilla extract until fully combined and smooth.
04 - Scatter the desired add-ins — crumbled sausage or bacon, shredded cheddar cheese, and/or fresh fruit — evenly across the pancake layer.
05 - Slowly and carefully pour the egg custard mixture over the pancakes and add-ins, tilting the dish gently to ensure everything is evenly coated and saturated.
06 - Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, ideally overnight, to allow the custard to fully absorb into the pancakes.
07 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator, uncover it, and let it stand at room temperature while the oven comes to temperature.
08 - Drizzle 2 tablespoons of maple syrup evenly over the surface of the casserole before baking.
09 - Bake uncovered for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is golden brown, the center is puffed and firmly set, and a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
10 - Allow the casserole to rest for 10 minutes before slicing into portions. Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh fruit as desired. Serve warm.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- You do all the real work the night before, so morning you just opens the oven and looks like a hero.
- It walks the line between sweet and savory so beautifully that everyone at the table finds something to love.
02 -
- If you pull it out of the fridge straight into a cold oven, the dish can crack from the temperature shock.
- Underbaking by even five minutes leaves a soggy center, so wait until the edges pull away slightly and the middle no longer jiggles.
03 -
- Dried out, day old pancakes actually absorb the custard better than fresh, soft ones, so this is the perfect use for leftovers.
- A light sprinkle of cinnamon sugar across the top in the last five minutes of baking creates a thin, crackly crust that people will ask about.