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.
Add a Comment
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I make this french toast at least once a month because I love it so much. We like our french toast crispy so we lay each slice out on a large cookie sheet.
Hi Jenn,
First off I love your recipes, so thank you for that! I am planning on making this, this weekend for a Bachelorette party! I wanted to know if it would work to tear the bread, cube the apples and mix it all together that way. Or is it going to work better with the apples on top? And if you think it would work, would you need to change the cooking time?
Thanks,
Liz
Hi Liz, so glad you like the recipes! I think that you could do what you’re describing without any changes to the baking time. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Made this for family visiting and it was delicious. My brother thought the apples on top were like candy. I’m not sure if my Challah loaf was bigger than normal, but I had to make a bit more custard for the final slices. I was worried this would make it soggy, but I needn’t have. Made it the night before and baked and the indicated time of 55 minutes and it was perfect! I haven’t found a recipe of Jen’s that isn’t a success.
Amazing! It’s staying in my recipe box online. I sprinkled raisins on the top before putting it in the oven.
Would French bread work instead of challah?
Sure, Karen, French bread will work here too. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn
Could i use heavy cream instead of half and half, it is all i have?
Thank you !
Your recipes are amazing!
Glad you like the recipes! Sure, you should be fine using heavy cream. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn
I made your Baked Apple French Toast last weekend for my niece’s birthday brunch …
I followed the recipe exactly; it was a huge hit !! And I turned lots of guests on to you and your recipes.
I also made your Savory Sausage and Cheddar Cheese Bread Pudding recipe (followed exactly) and it, too, was loved by all … Six guests wanted your two recipes !!
Thank you 😊
Bernadette Garfinkel
Hi Jenn! Love your recipes 🙂 If I prep this a day before and refrigerate overnight, do I need to adjust the baking times as it will be cold from the fridge? Thanks in advance!
Yes, I would add a few minutes to the baking time. You could also take the dish out of the fridge 30 to 45 minutes before you bake it to take the chill off. Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Is there a way to make this in a slow cooker so I can bring it to work and serve it hot?
Thanks for all the recipes.
M
Hi MC, Unfortunately, I don’t think this would translate very well to a slow cooker. Sorry!
Hi Jenn! Can I make this two days ahead and keep in fridge before baking off?
I think you could probably get away with that but I wouldn’t push it beyond that. Hope you enjoy!
SO good!!!! Made is as part of our “breakfast for dinner”! And it’s still delicious the next day