Maple Pecan Cream Cheese French Toast Bake
Warm maple brioche with creamy cheesecake filling, buttery pecan streusel and a maple glaze.
Contains dairy, eggs, gluten and pecans. Card heading includes chill time but the method does not specify a required chill duration; none is invented. Tips: day-old bread gives the best texture; lemon zest in the cream cheese adds a tangy filling; toast pecans; let rest to set; use pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Prepare the night before, cover and refrigerate, then bake fresh in the morning. Serve with extra maple glaze and whipped cream. Variations: 1 cup diced apples between layers; ½ cup praline pecans; ½ cup pumpkin purée and ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice in custard; cinnamon cream cheese drizzle instead of maple glaze; ½ cup chocolate chips in streusel. Store covered refrigerated up to 4 days. Freeze without glaze up to 2 months; thaw overnight and reheat at 325°F (165°C) until warmed through, adding fresh glaze before serving.
Ingredients
Brioche
- 1 large loaf brioche or challah (about 1 lb), cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
Cream cheese filling
- 16 oz (2 packages) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg (optional, for extra richness)
Custard
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp salt
Pecan streusel topping
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ½ cup cold unsalted butter (cubed)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
Maple glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1–2 tbsp milk (as needed)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
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Method
- 1
Prepare the bread: cut brioche into 1-inch cubes. Grease a 9 × 13-inch baking dish.
- 2
Make the cream cheese filling: beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla and egg (if using) in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy.
- 3
Prepare the custard: whisk eggs, milk, cream, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl until smooth.
- 4
Assemble the layers: spread half the brioche cubes in the dish. Add dollops of cream cheese filling. Top with remaining bread cubes. Pour custard evenly over the top, pressing down gently so bread absorbs the custard.
- 5
Make the streusel topping: combine flour, brown sugar, pecans, cinnamon and salt in a bowl. Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or fingers until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the top.
- 6
Bake: cover with foil and bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 20 minutes until golden brown and set.
- 7
Make the glaze: whisk powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over the warm bake.
- 8
Serve: let rest 10–15 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra pecans if desired.
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From Bobbie's “Bobbie's Recipe Card 124”. Written up by Bobbie's Kitchen · Updated 26 October 2026