Overnight Waffle Breakfast Casserole

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Overnight Waffle Casserole combines the flavor of French toast casserole with convenient frozen waffles. It soaks overnight and bakes to perfection in the morning, then topped with a delectable brown sugar pecan sauce! Serve alongside Sheet Pan Eggs or Hamburger Hash Brown Casserole to feed a crowd!

Overnight Waffle Breakfast Casserole with pecan brown sugar sauce on white plate

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Every Christmas morning, I pop an overnight breakfast casserole in the oven. I love for my family to wake up to the scents of vanilla, cinnamon and syrup. It is truly what Christmas morning smells like to me.

This year, I put a twist on my typical breakfast casserole with a big pan of waffles soaked in a spiced egg and milk mixture and I am positive that this dish will be a new holiday tradition!

Why I love this recipe

The waffles soak up all of the flavors of cinnamon, vanilla and maple syrup. The edges and tops get golden brown and lightly toasted. The nooks on the surface are absolutely perfect to capture all of that glorious brown sugar pecan sauce. This is serious deliciousness, plus you do all the hard work the night before so it’s pure reward in the morning.

Ingredients

  • frozen waffles (the thicker, the better)
  • eggs
  • whole milk or half and half
  • maple syrup
  • vanilla extract
  • ground cinnamon
  • salt
  • unsalted butter
  • brown sugar
  • chopped pecans

Step by step

  1. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Using a toaster, toast 12 frozen waffles.
  3. In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to blend eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, syrup, and salt.
  4. Dip each toasted waffle into the egg mixture and layer the waffles in the baking dish overlapping each one halfway with the next.
  5. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the waffles, cover the baking dish with foil, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
  6. When you are ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven.
  7. Leave the casserole covered with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  8. Remove the foil and bake the waffle casserole for another 20-30 minutes until the waffles are fully baked (meaning they are not jiggly and there is no wet egg mixture) and the edges of the waffles are golden brown and toasted.
  9. After you remove the foil and continue baking, make the brown sugar pecan sauce: Combine the butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and pecans in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the butter is melted and the brown sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to low and simmer the brown sugar pecan sauce until the waffle casserole has finished baking.
  10. Cut the casserole into 10 servings and drizzle with brown sugar pecan sauce.
frozen waffles layered in casserole dish
gif of stirring bowl

Tips for Best Results

  • when choosing the frozen waffles, choose the thickest ones you can find so they hold up well to the overnight soaking
  • it is important to thoroughly blend the eggs, I recommend using a hand mixer, blender, or food processor to ensure they are uniformly blended
  • do not add the sauce to the casserole until ready to eat so it does not get soggy

Well, breakfast is served and I’m pretty sure that our holiday breakfasts will never be the same again thanks to this Overnight Waffle Breakfast Casserole with Brown Sugar Pecan Sauce!

Storage

Store leftover waffle casserole in covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven.

If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!

Print
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waffle casserole with pecan sauce on white plate with fork

Overnight Waffle Breakfast Casserole


5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 4 reviews

  • Author: Melissa Riker
  • Total Time: 9 hours 5 minutes
  • Yield: 10 1x

Description

Overnight Waffle Casserole combines the flavor of French toast casserole with convenient frozen waffles. It soaks overnight and bakes to perfection in the morning, then topped with a delectable brown sugar pecan sauce! 


Ingredients

Scale
  • 12 thick frozen waffles
  • 8 large eggs
  • 2 cups whole milk or half and half
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
  • pinch salt
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

  1. Prepare a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. Using a toaster, toast 12 frozen waffles.

  3. In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to blend eggs, milk (or half & half), 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, syrup, and salt.
  4. Dip each toasted waffle into the egg mixture and layer the waffles in the baking dish. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the waffles, cover the baking dish with foil, and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
  5. When you are ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  6. Leave the casserole covered with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
  7. Remove the foil and bake the waffle casserole for another 20-30 minutes until the waffles are fully baked (meaning they are not jiggly and there is no wet egg mixture) and the edges of the waffles are golden brown and toasted.
  8. After you remove the foil and continue baking, make the brown sugar pecan sauce: Combine the butter, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and pecans in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until the butter is melted and the brown sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to low and simmer the brown sugar pecan sauce until the waffle casserole has finished baking.
  9. Cut the casserole into 10 servings and drizzle with brown sugar pecan sauce.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 50 minutes
  • Category: breakfast
  • Method: baking
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 545
  • Sugar: 29.3 g
  • Sodium: 400.8 mg
  • Fat: 35.2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 48.6 g
  • Protein: 10.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 209.3 mg

STRESS-FREE

AND DELICIOUS?

DO YOU WANT DINNER TO BE

Its easy! I will show you how.

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14 Comments

    1. I may never use boring bread again … those waffles are PERFECT to capture all of that sauce in the little nooks & crannies 🙂

  1. This is amazing! I’ve been dreaming about it ever since making it a month ago. I’m finally making it again this weekend. I’m gonna serve it with a bowl of fresh berries and some whipped cream this time. It doesn’t need it. I’m just extra. LOL THANKS for this deliciousness. Super easy, too! BONUS!

  2. Can I make it using homemade waffles? Or does it need to be frozen? I’m most the way through making homemade waffles, but realized since they are not frozen it may turn out too soggy…

  3. The flavors are delicious. I had homemade protein waffles that were a little dry to start with. I used those instead of Eggo waffles. I found this to be a little extra spongy on the bottom. I think I might reduce the liquid next time I make it. I think this would be perfect for a brunch. The brown sugar topping is definitely the star.

  4. This is exactly what I was looking for! Something easy that I could make for a breakfast brunch. My ONLY question is, would it still be fine if I make this 2 nights ahead instead of one? The brunch is Saturday, but we have a wedding on Friday and I’d like to make it today! Thank you!