Baked Apple French Toast
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Part French toast, part apple pie, this baked apple French toast is the ultimate holiday brunch dish.
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 beloved family tradition. You can prepare it the night before, let it chill in the fridge overnight, and pop it in the oven when you’re ready to eat. I like to add a splash of bourbon to the custard mixture for extra depth, but feel free to substitute apple cider or more half & half if you prefer. Serve it with a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup, and crispy bacon on the side.
“This was amazing and worked perfectly as a make-ahead 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
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; see note)
- 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 (23 x 33-cm) or 3-QT (3-L) baking dish. Slice the bread into ¾-inch (2-cm) 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 (175°C) 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.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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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Can this sit for wo nights before baking? Thinking of serving it for breakfast day after thanksgiving and would prefer to prep before Thursday.
I think it could, but I wouldn’t let it go any longer than that. 🙂
Hi Jenn, I’m hosting my first brunch in two weeks and this dish seems like the perfect main/dessert to serve! Do you think this recipe will be enough for a party of 6? Thanks!
Yes, Peggy, perhaps with a little leftover (it’s intended to serve 8). Hope everyone enjoys! 🙂
What other breads would you recommend using for this recipe as a substitute? Would regular whole wheat or multigrain bread work?
Hi Ayesha, I’m assuming you mean flour? If so, for the most predictable results, I’d stick with the all-purpose flour. If you’d like you use whole wheat flour, I’d suggest starting by using half whole wheat and half all-purpose to make sure you like the texture. If you do like it, the next time you make this, you can up the ratio of whole wheat to white a bit more. Also, you may want to consider white whole wheat as it’s lighter and milder tasting than regular whole wheat flour (yet just as nutritious).
I understood her question as referring to the BREAD itself. White whole wheat bread has lighter texture, so I’d go with that if aiming to have the “custardy” result. Multigrain would definitely be heartier and could produce a less “wet” final product (not to mention more nutritious). I would avoid whole wheat bread as it could be a bit strong tasting, but that’s up to personal preference.
I bake both regular (hubby and family members) and gluten-free (for me and Celiac daughter), so I’m going to do half-recipe using multigrain bread slices (lightly toasted as a reviewer contributed doing to cubed bread) and not laying on a cookie sheet as suggested by another reviewer, then pour the batter and top with prepped apples. Will see how it goes, but I’m sure my hubby will love it. I use Truvia Brown Sugar and Cane Blends for him due to diabetes. VERY light drizzle syrup or none, just light powdering of 10X.
Would an 8×8 pan work for halving the recipe? Thanks.
Sure, Kay, that should work. Enjoy!
This looks delicious! Since you recommend making it a day ahead, can you please tell me how long to bake it, both covered and uncovered? I want to give it to someone to bake in her home, so it would be helpful to have suggested times. Thanks!
Hi Teresa, If you make this a day ahead, the baking times will be about the same as indicated in the recipe plus about 5 or 10 minutes added to both the covered and uncovered baking time. Hope that helps!
Would this recipe work for Break the Fast for a crowd as one of many dishes ? Carol
Definitely!
I cant even begin to describe how delicious this is. I love apples and cinnamon, but don’t like thinks overly sweet. This is so perfect. I made it the night before, and baked it off for a leisurely breakfast for my husband and I on our screened porch this morning. With scrambled eggs, bacon, and fresh coffee, he said he felt like he was at some high end B&B. Perfect way to sit and watch the hummingbirds and rabbits start their day. Since it was out of the fridge, I increased the covered step to 35 minutes, and added an extra 10 minutes to the uncovered step of the recipe. It was perfect with a drizzle of warmed maple syrup. Thanks for another keeper recipe.
Hi Jenn! I want to make the Baked Apple French toast Friday for a Sunday brunch. Do you think that will work or would it be too long sitting?
Hi Colette, I wouldn’t let it sit any longer than that, but yes, I think it’s fine. Hope everyone enjoys! 🙂
Hi jenn
What it means in the recipe 1-1/2 cups half & half ?after 5 eggs
Thanks
Hi Fanny, Half & half is a dairy product that contains half whole milk/half cream. Hope that helps!
Thanks
This recipe was a huge hit at Easter brunch this year, I think it will become an annual request. Tasted just like a combination of apple pie and French toast, and looked beautiful, too. Loved it!
Sunday morning. Had some older apples (gala and honey crisps) trying to figure out what to do with them. Headed to my no fail website and had designs on an apple pie or cobbler or such for dessert. Saw this recipe and remembered I also had a half a loaf of home-made challah from Easter. I “halved” the recipe (2 eggs vs 3) and cut back on sugar a bit figuring the sweeter apples would compensate (they did). This came together really quickly and the biggest “problem” was actually waiting for it to be finished in the oven. Had a fantastic brunch with some sausage, fresh French roast coffee, and this ridiculously easy and tasty casserole. I am looking forward to having some for dessert, warmed with some French vanilla ice cream. If you love French Toast with challah and don’t want to slave over the griddle for a crowd, this is a winner.