Easy Overnight Pancake Casserole Recipe (Make-Ahead)

Once, on a family beach vacation with my aunts, uncles, and cousins, I thought it would be a great idea to make pancakes for my entire extended family. Anyone who has ever made pancakes for a crowd can see where this story is going. 

After hours of making one plate at a time, with my family having to eat in shifts and not getting to sit down together like we wanted, I vowed to never make individual pancakes for my large family ever again. This easy pancake casserole is the perfect solution. 

Why You’ll Love This Easy Pancake Casserole

I’m a big fan of the classic eggy, meaty breakfast casserole. Toss a bunch of ingredients into a baking dish and in less than an hour you can feed a crowd. This spin on that idea gives you the same level of ease, but with all the nostalgic flavor of a stack of pancakes instead. 

Rather than reprising my role as short order pancake cook, I skip all of that work and opt for frozen pancakes in this recipe. I recommend Dewafelbakkers Frozen Buttermilk Pancakes. They come in a 24-count package and they’re the perfect size to fill a 9×13-inch baking dish. They bake up to be fluffy and soft with just the right amount of sweetness. 

To make the casserole, I slice the frozen pancakes in half (no need to thaw!), layer them into a baking dish in a pretty pattern, then pour an easy custard on top. The pancakes soak in the custard overnight before baking into a beautiful breakfast casserole that’s almost no work. 

Tips for Making This Easy Pancake Casserole

• Slice each frozen pancake individually: Avoid the temptation to stack the frozen pancakes to slice several at a time. The frozen texture can cause your knife to slip, so it’s safer to just cut one pancake at a time. 
• Stagger the pancakes: When I make this casserole, I make sure to stagger the edges of each pancake so they overlap slightly in the center. This creates space between each pancake for the rich custard to soak in (plus: it makes it pretty on the table, like hasselback potatoes!). 
• Make it ahead: Because the pancakes need to soak in the lovely custard, I recommend at least 5 hours of soaking time in the fridge. Of course, since this is a breakfast dish, it’s even easier to assemble it the night before and let it soak overnight, so all you have to do in the morning is pop it in the oven. But don’t let it go too long—I don’t recommend letting the pancakes soak in the custard for more than 8 hours to ensure they maintain their structure.  
• Feed a crowd: This casserole serves 10, but you can easily double the recipe to feed 20, using two baking dishes or a large roasting pan. It’s great for large family gatherings, fundraisers, or pot lucks because it stays warm much longer than traditional pancakes and is so much easier to make. 

Serving Suggestions

This pancake casserole is delicious topped with fresh berries like blueberries, strawberries, or raspberries. I also love it with chocolate chips, crushed toasted pecans or walnuts, or even sprinkles. Add the fresh fruit or chocolate chips as soon as the pancakes come out of the oven so they get nice and warm before serving. The casserole is also amazing with a drizzle of maple syrup and dollops of fresh homemade whipped cream on top.

I like to serve this casserole as a side along with bacon, scrambled eggs, and fruit salad or as the main dish all on its own with some fresh berries on top. This overnight pancake casserole is filling, simple to make, and packed with flavor for a well-rounded breakfast.

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