Baked Apple French Toast
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Whip up this baked apple French toast for your next holiday brunch—it’s a heavenly blend of French toast and apple pie that’s sure to become a family favorite.
A lovely mash-up of French toast and apple pie, this prep-ahead baked apple french toast has all the makings of a special holiday breakfast casserole—the kind that becomes a much-loved family tradition. You can assemble and bake it right away, or prepare it the evening before, let it sit in the fridge overnight, and then pop it in the oven in the morning when you’re ready to eat. I like to add a little bourbon to the custard mixture for depth of flavor but it’s fine to substitute apple cider or more half & half, if you prefer. Serve the baked apple French toast with a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup, and bacon on the side (for perfectly crispy bacon, see how to cook bacon in the oven).
“This was amazing and worked perfectly as a make-a-head casserole for brunch the next day. I followed the recipe exactly and got rave reviews.”
What You’ll Need To Make Baked Apple French Toast
- Challah: Absorbs the custard mixture well and provides a rich, slightly sweet base. A raisin challah would also work nicely.
- Eggs: Bind the custard mixture and help create a creamy texture.
- Half & Half: Adds richness and creaminess to the custard mixture.
- Maple Syrup: Sweetens the custard mixture and adds a distinctive maple flavor.
- Bourbon: Adds depth and complexity to the dish; it can be replaced with apple cider or more half & half.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the custard mixture with its aromatic richness.
- Butter: Adds richness and helps cook the apples.
- Granny Smith Apples: Provide a tart contrast to the sweet custard and topping.
- Dark Brown Sugar and Maple Syrup: Sweeten the apples and create a caramel-like sauce.
- Cinnamon: Adds warmth and spice to the apple topping.
- Confectioners’ Sugar and/or Maple Syrup: Optional toppings that add extra sweetness and flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin with the custard: in a large bowl, combine the eggs, half & half, maple syrup, bourbon, vanilla, and salt.
Whisk to combine.
Dip each slice of challah into the custard mixture for about 5 seconds, then arrange in an overlapping pattern in the prepared baking dish.
Be sure the entire bottom of the dish is covered with the bread. Pour any remaining custard over the bread. Set aside.
In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Add the apples, brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon.
Bring to a gentle boil.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are softened and the sugar-syrup is thickened, about 8 minutes.
Spoon the apples and sugar-syrup evenly over the bread, making sure not to leave any of the syrup behind. If not baking immediately, cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Otherwise, proceed with the recipe.
When you’re getting ready to eat, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes more.
Remove from the oven and, using a fine sieve, dust with the confectioners’ sugar. Serve with maple syrup.
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Baked Apple French Toast
Whip up this baked apple French toast for your next holiday brunch—it’s a heavenly blend of French toast and apple pie that’s sure to become a family favorite.
Ingredients
For the French Toast
- One 1-lb challah or raisin challah
- 5 large eggs
- 1½ cups half & half
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional; replace with apple cider or half-&-half if desired)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Apple Topping
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For Serving
- Confectioners' sugar and/or maple syrup
Instructions
For the French Toast
- Butter a 9 x 13-inch or 3-QT baking dish. Slice the bread into ¾-inch-thick slices.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half & half, maple syrup, bourbon, vanilla, and salt.
- Dip each slice of challah into the custard mixture for about 5 seconds, then arrange in an overlapping pattern in the prepared baking dish. Be sure the entire bottom of the dish is covered with the bread. Pour any remaining custard over the bread. Set aside.
For the Apple Topping
- In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are softened and the sugar-syrup is thickened, about 8 minutes. Spoon the apples and sugar-syrup evenly over the bread, making sure not to leave any of the syrup behind. If not baking immediately, cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Otherwise, proceed with the recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes more. Remove from the oven and, using a fine sieve, dust with the confectioners' sugar. Serve with maple syrup.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 473
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 65 g
- Sugar: 33 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Sodium: 358 mg
- Cholesterol: 177 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Jenn… Seriously… You make me look and feel like an epic chef. This turned out a) gorgeous b) delicious. WE LOVE ALL YOUR RECIPES. ALL OF THEM. COME TO MONTREAL FOR A BOOK-SIGNING, PLEASE! Sending lots of gratitude and love from Montreal, Canada. Keep those awesome recipes coming. I will cry if you ever stop sharing them.
After seeing this recipe recently in your newsletter, I tried it and everyone thought it was delicious. Followed directions exactly except used Brioche bread. Not only is it an easy dish to prepare but the aroma and presentation is perfect for a fall morning breakfast.
My family has really benefited from your collection.
Thanks Jennifer for sharing,
Rosemary
Hi Jen,
Do you think it would be ok to make this in the morning, refrigerate and then bake the following morning, or would that be too long in the fridge?
Thank you and you really do have the most delicious recipes, I love your book too!
Lisa
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes, Lisa! I think that will be just fine – it shouldn’t get too soggy. 🙂
Hi Jenn. Happy holidays to you and your family! I was wondering whether instead of apples I could use frozen cherries? My family members (unlike me) are not big fans of apples but love cherries so I wanted to try this recipe but still have them enjoy it. Should I use about the same amount of cherries as apples after they thaw? Thanks so much!
Hi Julia,
I think this would work with cherries. I’d thaw them first and drain off any liquid. Please LMK how it turns out!
Could it sit unbaked in the frig for 2 nights before baking or would it get too soggy?
Thanks!
I think it will be fine, Leslie. Enjoy!
I made this for a brunch with extended family last weekend. I baked the honey challah recipe from the cookbook earlier in the week. Used equal amounts of whole milk and half and half, and omitted the bourbon (didn’t have any on hand). Prepared the apples without the maple syrup because I ran out; added an extra 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. I prepared the components Saturday evening and refrigerated them overnight and assembled them in the morning. An additional 15 minutes was required for the uncovered baking time, probably because the ingredients were so cold. This was a huge hit! Everyone commented about how wonderful the aroma was while I was cooking the apples Saturday evening and again while it was baking Sunday morning. This was a huge hit! Everyone loved it! I apologized for not putting maple syrup in the topping but everyone thought that it would have made it too sweet. I definitely will add the bourbon as called for next time as I’m sure this will take the recipe to the next level.
I made this french toast for my Bible study group last week. The presentation was beautiful and the ladies were so anxious to try it, just based on how gorgeous it looked! The taste did not disappoint with the mixture of apples and cinnamon and maple. Thanks for the great recipe!
I made the Baked Apple French Toast for a brunch with extended family last weekend and it was a huge hit. I used the Challah recipe from the cookbook; baked it earlier in the week. Prepared the custard omitting the bourbon (didn’t have any) and used equal amounts of half and half and milk instead of all half and half. Prepared the apple topping but omitted the maple syrup because I didn’t have enough and added an extra 1/2 tsp of cinnamon. Refrigerated the bread/custard and apple topping separately overnight. I took the components out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to baking and topped the bread with the apples. It needed about another 15 minutes of additional baking time uncovered to bring to proper temperature. Everyone loved it and said they thought that putting maple syrup in the apples would have made it too sweet. I will add the bourbon next time because I’m sure that will take it to the next level. Delicious!
Another huge hit with our Airbnb guests! Having so many fabulous recipes from your website has helped to make me a Super Host! Thank you so much for all of the delicious breakfasts.
Moist and delicious and a great way to use up the leftover challah from the holidays. Super easy to make. Get everything together, put it in the refrig overnight and put it in the oven in the morning. Highly recommend.
I made this for my birthday breakfast treat last weekend, and it was delicious!! Honeycrisp worked great. I didn’t have half & half so I used equal proportion of heavy cream and almond milk. I thought 5 seconds for the challah dipping was a little too long, as I ran out of custard with a few slices remaining (maybe I just counted too slowly!). It was no biggie in any case — I just alternated the drier and the wetter bread in the pan. My 6yo had the leftovers for 3 breakfasts in a row!