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Pancakes are sliced in half, placed in a casserole dish, drenched in a custard batter, topped with your favorite toppings (like half blueberries and half chocolate chips), and baked in the oven. This make-ahead breakfast pancake casserole is like bread pudding meets French toasty pancakes with a cake-like texture and crispy edges on top.
What is Pancake Casserole?
Whether it’s Christmas morning, Easter, or just another Sunday, this overnight pancake casserole is perfect for feeding a crowd for breakfast. It’s assembled using prepared pancakes (either homemade or frozen). I like to make a batch of blueberry pancakes and a batch of chocolate chip pancakes, but you can use plain pancakes or any toppings you like. They are stacked upright in rows, then an egg-based custard, similar to French toast batter, is poured over them. It’ll sit in the fridge while it absorbs all that custard before getting baked, making this perfect for making ahead, as you can prepare it the night before! The final result is a pancake casserole with a cake-like texture; it is sweet and delicious and can be served as dessert or brunch.
Grab These Ingredients
You’ll see that this sweet breakfast casserole is so easy to make with just a few ingredients needed. Be sure to review the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Pancakes – either grab premade pancakes from the freezer section or whip up a homemade batch. I like a semi-homemade version using a mix like Krusteaz (that’s the brand my grandfather swore by). You will also need whole milk for the batter and butter to cook the pancakes.
Eggs – they provide structure, add fluffiness and lightness, and make these pancakes rich and delicious.
Heavy Cream – added to the eggs for richness, creaminess, and moisture. The higher fat content in heavy cream makes this even more decadent!
Vanilla & Cinnamon – both of these ingredients add so much flavor to the casserole. The cinnamon adds warmth, while the vanilla provides the classic, warm, inviting flavor you find in baked goods.
Toppings – you can use your favorite. I love to do half the pancakes with chocolate chips and the other half with fresh blueberries. The toppings make the pancake casserole more interesting, but of course, plain works great too.
Make-Ahead Pancake Casserole Instructions
- Make the Pancakes – unless you are using premade pancakes, you’ll prepare the pancakes according to the package instructions for 5 cups of mix. Be sure to use whole milk for a better taste rather than water. Add toppings to the batter if desired, then cook in a large pan or on a griddle using a pancake dispenser for a more efficient process. Set them aside to cool.
- Pour Over the Batter – slice the pancakes in half, and stack them upright side by side in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Whisk together the eggs, cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Pour evenly over the pancakes.
- Set in Fridge Overnight – cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight (or at least 4 hours) to allow the pancakes time to absorb the custard mixture.
- Bake – remove the pancakes from the fridge and add additional toppings, working them in between the layers. Bake at 350 degrees for about 45-55 minutes. You may need to cover the top with foil toward the last 15 minutes of bake time to ensure the tops don’t brown too quickly.
- Drizzle & Top – dust with powdered sugar and drizzle over warm pancake syrup. Serve warm.
Looking for More Brunch Recipes?
Breakfast Casserole with Hashbrowns
Easy Almond Croissant Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake Turnovers
Baked Crab Cakes
Cheesecake Stuffed Hawaiian Roll French Toast
Viral French Toast Waffles
Authentic Southern Shrimp and Grits
Did you love this Pancake Casserole Recipe? Be sure to comment below with any questions or feedback. Don’t forget to tag me on IG with any photos, @BadBatchBaking, and use #BadBatchBaking
Overnight Pancake Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 24 prepared pancakes 5-6" pancakes
- desired mix-ins blueberries, chocolate chips, etc.
- 5 large eggs
- 2 cups half-and-half
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Toppings: powdered sugar and pancake syrup
Instructions
- This recipe starts with prepared pancakes. You can use pre-made pancakes or make them before starting this recipe. I use Krusteaz mix and used whole milk instead of water. You'll need about 5 cups of pancake mix to make 24 5-6" pancakes.
Assemble Pancakes
- Slice each pancake in half. Arrange the halves upright, standing side by side, in a greased 9×13 baking dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Pour the custard mixture evenly over the pancakes, making sure everything is well coated.
Set in the Fridge Overnight
- Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight—or for at least 4 hours—to allow the pancakes to soak up the custard.
Bake
- When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove the dish from the fridge and add extra toppings, tucking them between the pancake layers. Bake for 45–55 minutes, covering the top with foil during the last 15 minutes if it begins to brown too quickly.
Drizzle & Top
- Let the casserole cool slightly, then dust with powdered sugar and drizzle generously with warm pancake syrup. Serve warm and enjoy!
This was delicious! A nice departure from my usual French toast casserole I make every year. It looks nicer and in my opinion, pancakes are always better than French toast 🙂 Thanks for all your hard work that goes into creating your delicious recipes!
Can you use whole milk instead of half n half?
You can but it will result in a less rich, lighter, and slightly less creamy texture.
thank you, im going to make these for my bible study fellowship next time!