With flavorful sausage and a sweet vanilla custard filling, this high protein french toast casserole with sausage is the ultimate weekend breakfast or meal prep. Made this tender challah bread, the casserole comes together in just 20 minutes and doesn’t require any soaking time. Plus, it freezes beautifully so you can make a double batch to keep one on at hand at all times!
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Have you ever had a French toast casserole? It’s this wonderful combination of eggs, milk, and fluffy bread, just like traditional French toast, but baked in the oven. This makes it completely hands off so you can enjoy a slow morning with the family!
Now, take that French toast casserole and add sausage and protein powder and you’ve got a filling, protein-packed breakfast recipe! So read on to find out how to make this family-favorite breakfast casserole with sausage. Then you can sit back and enjoy a high-protein ginger matcha latte or coffee with extra creamy oat milk creamer.
Jump to:
- Why these breakfast casserole with sausage will make you do the happy food dance
- recipe ingredients
- how to make a protein french toast bake (with photo & video!)
- expert tips
- common questions
- troubleshooting & testing notes
- how to store & meal prep it
- more high protein breakfasts you'll love
- Recipe
- Expert Tips
- Common Questions
- Storage & meal prep tips
Why these breakfast casserole with sausage will make you do the happy food dance
- It tastes amazing: Like really, really amazing! No one even knows it has protein powder in it.
- Packed with protein: Pairing the 24 grams of protein with carbs and sugar means there’s no sugar crash after eating it.
- Can be made in one pan: If you use a cast iron, dutch oven, or similar oven-safe skillet you can saute the sausage and bake it all in one pan!
- Freezes and reheats awesome: Freeze a second tray of this French toast with sausage and when you reheat it, it’ll taste just like it did on day 1!
recipe ingredients
notes & substitutions
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See recipe card for quantities.
- Bread: I like to use challah bread to keep it dairy-free but brioche bread works great too! Just make sure your cubed bread pieces are about the same size. For a low calorie version, some people may want to use a low carb bread or a high-protein bread which is fine but the taste will not be as good. If your bread is denser, you will need to let the egg mixture soak longer.
- Breakfast sausage: I use ground-seasoned breakfast sausage because I think the flavor is slightly sweeter. If you do use sausage links, use maple-flavored.
- Eggs: More eggs = more protein!
- Protein powder: So I am mostly dairy-free so I use egg white vanilla protein powder and it really helps create that super fluffy texture. You can use vanilla whey protein powder but the texture will be slightly denser so I find egg white protein powder to be the best protein option.
- Milk: Using unsweetened almond milk adds a little more protein and keeps it dairy-free. But, any milk you like will work. Another way to add more protein is to use a milk like Fairlife or other protein milk.
- The basics: You’ll need salt to bring out the other flavors and cinnamon for a little warmth.
- The topping: What really sets this casserole apart is the topping. It's a combination of coconut sugar (brown sugar will work too) and margarine or butter that caramelizes on the top. You go a step further and protein syrup!
variations
- Blueberry French toast casserole: Try adding fresh blueberries throughout the bake for a fresh twist.
- Blueberry cheesecake breakfast casserole: You can leave out the sausage, mix in lemon zest, and top with dollops of cream cheese for a sweeter take on it.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
how to make a protein french toast bake (with photo & video!)
Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full high protein french toast recipe!
- Prep by browning your sausage, cutting the bread, and preheating the oven.
- Mix the custard ingredients in a large bowl.
- Layer ¾ths of the bread in a 9x11 baking pan, then the sausage, then the remaining bread, and finally carefully pour the custard mixture over the top.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown.
quick recipe video
expert tips
- It’s ok if some lumps remain! Sometimes protein powder can be hard to fully mix so some will recommend using a blender. The issue is that you don’t want too many air bubbles in the eggs. The heat will help the lumps mix in, so don’t sweat it, just try to mix it as best you can.
- Press the bread down into the custard mixture using a spatula. We really want to make sure each piece is fully coated.
common questions
Adding protein to an otherwise very sweet and carb-heavy dish helps you to not crash after eating it. So not only is it a delicious breakfast, its functional!
Yes, you can make it without, I would just add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup in place of the protein powder.
Yes, you can use any soft bread. Challah and brioche both are sweet breads making them ideal. But, white bread, Hawaiian sweet rolls, or even hamburger buns will work. I don’t recommend whole wheat bread unless you understand it will taste healthy if you make it with that.
Yup, you can dice up the breakfast sausage and brown it. I still recommend browning it because it adds that nice caramelized flavor.
I love to serve this with our cottage cheese egg bake, steak and eggs, or our breakfast casserole with turkey sausage and kale.
troubleshooting & testing notes
I tried it with strawberries and here's what happened.
In my first 2 attempts, I used a more traditional French toast coating with added sugar and then made a strawberry yogurt glaze for the top. The texture was fine but it was way too sweet and the glaze was way too runny.
I made this with vegan protein powder and here’s why you shouldn’t.
I really did try to make this with plant protein but it just is so chalky and bakes funky. So please, don’t make it with plant-based protein powder.
Letting it soak is not needed and here’s why.
Many French toast casseroles say to let the bread soak overnight but why? Because they use stale bread. But I don’t know many people who let their bread get stale so why add another step? Plus, when I tested it with soaking, it was straight mush.
how to store & meal prep it
fridge
This will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
frozen
To freeze the entire tray, cover with plastic wrap, twice, then top with foil. To freeze individual pieces, wrap each one in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container or plastic ziptop bag. They will keep for 3 months in the freezer.
Meal Prep & Making it in Advance
To meal prep this, just make as directed and then store individual slices in containers to grab as needed on the go.
If you want to prepare this in advance, do the following:
- Chop the bread and store in the bread bag or a plastic bag for up to 3 days.
- Brown the sausage and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Mix the protein powder and egg mixture and store in an air-tight container for up to 2 days.
- When you’re ready to make it, simply combine everything and bake as directed.
reheating
To reheat, just pop individual slices in the microwave for 45-60 seconds. Or heat the entire casserole in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
Recipe
High Protein French Toast Casserole with Sausage
Equipment
- 1 skillet
- 1 9x11 baking dish
Ingredients
- 1 loaf challah bread (cubbed)
- 1 pound breakfast sausage (browned)
- 5 eggs
- ¾ cup vanilla protein powder (egg white protein powder, see notes for whey protein)
- 2 cups almond milk (or any milk you like)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1 stick butter (equivalent to 8 tbsp)
Before you start!
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Instructions
- Prepare by cubbing your 1 loaf challah bread and placing it in a 9x11 baking dish, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and brown the 1 pound breakfast sausage.
- Top the bread with the sausage. Stir it up a bit to mix the sausage and bread evenly. Its common for the bread to be over flowing at this point, just keep pressing it back in.
- Mix the 5 eggs, ¾ cup vanilla protein powder, 2 cups almond milk, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl and pour over the bread and sausage mixture. The protein powder may not fully mix but that's ok, it will dissolve as it bakes. Use a spoon or spatula to press the bread into, making sure each one has been soaked or coated in the mixture.
- Melt 1 stick butter and mix with the ½ cup coconut sugar. Pour this over the casserole evenly.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- It’s ok if some lumps remain! Sometimes protein powder can be hard to fully mix so some will recommend using a blender. The issue is that you don’t want too many air bubbles in the eggs. The heat will help the lumps mix in, so don’t sweat it, just try to mix it as best you can.
- Press the bread down into the custard mixture using a spatula. We really want to make sure each piece is fully coated.
- If you use whey protein, the texture may be a bit denser than when using egg white protein.
Common Questions
Can I make this without protein powder? Yes, you can make it without, I would just add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup in place of the protein powder. Can I make this with another type of bread? Yes, you can use any soft bread. Challah and brioche both are sweet breads making them ideal. But, white bread, Hawaiian rolls, or even hamburger buns will work. I don’t recommend whole wheat bread unless you understand it will taste healthy if you make it with that. Can I make this with sausage links? Yup, you can dice up the breakfast sausage and brown it. I still recommend browning it because it adds that nice caramelized flavor.Storage & meal prep tips
Refrigerator
This will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.Frozen
To freeze the entire tray, cover with plastic wrap, twice, then top with foil. To freeze individual pieces, wrap each one in plastic wrap and place it in an airtight container or plastic ziptop bag. They will keep for 3 months in the freezer.Meal Prep & Making it in Advance
To meal prep this, just make as directed and then store individual slices in containers to grab as needed on the go. If you want to prepare this in advance, do the following:- Chop the bread and store in the bread bag or a plastic bag for up to 3 days.
- Brown the sausage and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Mix the protein powder and egg mixture and store in ana air-tight container for up to 2 days.
- When you’re ready to make it, simply combine everything and bake as directed.
Reheating
To reheat, just pop individual slices in the microwave for 45-60 seconds. Or heat the entire casserole in the oven at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes or until heated through.Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
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