Baked Apple French Toast Casserole

Our Apple French Toast Casserole is the ultimate Fall breakfast or brunch recipe that’s easy to make in advance for a crowd. Prep the bake in minutes, then cook when you’re ready to serve for a sweet breakfast that will be gone in seconds.

We will be the first to say, this is one of our favorite easy seasonal breakfast recipes we’ve ever made! We recently served it at a neighborhood brunch and it was the most popular recipe by far, there were no leftovers.

The best part is it’s easy to assemble with one bowl and a baking dish. Plus, you can prep the recipe the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight to bake fresh in the morning. It’s truly so easy for entertaining and will taste like you took hours to make it.

Our Brioche French Toast Casserole is a similar recipe and one of our most popular breakfast recipes on our site, give it a try too!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Easy to assemble with minimal cleanup. This is a one-bowl breakfast recipe. Regular french toast uses a lot of kitchen equipment, but not our breakfast bake version.
• Perfect to make in advance to serve a crowd. We made sure when developing the recipe to have instructions to be able to make this the day before, keep it in the fridge overnight, and bake it in the morning for simple cooking.
• A family favorite fall recipe. You will be the most popular person at the table because everyone will be asking you for this apple french toast bake recipe.

Laura Ashley’s Tip: Our secret ingredient is using apple cider drink mix as the special spice mix. If you can’t find this, then add a bit more sugar, as well as a hearty dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of cloves.

Ingredients

Scroll Down for Ingredient Amounts Listed in the Recipe Card Below.

• Large eggs: Binds the apple french toast casserole together to give it that custardy flavor.
• Evaporated milk: Richer in flavor than regular milk and helps with creaminess.
• Spiced apple cider instant drink mix: Adds all the fall flavors in every bite.
• Brown sugar: Sweetens the french toast bake perfectly, plus adds a hint of molasses.
• Vanilla extract: Gives caramel and floral notes.
• Cubed bread brioche, French, or challah bread: All different bread varieties work in this recipe. We often recommend to use day-old bread so it soaks up more of the egg mixture for the perfect moisture.
• Peeled and chopped apples apple: Use your favorite type here! Granny smith, honeycrisp, or cosmic crisp are our preference.
• Chopped pecans, walnuts or sliced almonds: Nuts are optional, but we love to add them for a bit of crunch and their rich flavor.
• Salted butter: Brings all of the ingredients together and adds moisture to every bite.
• Optional garnishes: These are some of the fun toppings we’ve served with the french toast bake with apples – maple syrup, salted caramel, additional chopped fresh apple, and fresh whipped cream.

Tools You’ll Need

• Mixing Bowls
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Whisk
• 13”x9” Pan or Casserole Dish

How to Make Apple French Toast Casserole

1. Grease a 13×9-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.
2. Spread the prepared bread cubes and apple pieces in the prepared baking dish.
3. For the custard, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, evaporated milk, half of the spiced apple cider drink mix, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and vanilla extract until well combined.

4. Pour the custard evenly over the top of the bread and apples. Gently tap to ensure all of the bread cubes are submerged.

5. If desired, sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts on top of the bread. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
6. Once ready to bake, remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375°F.
7. In a small bowl, whisk together butter and the remaining half of the spiced apple cider drink mix and 1/4 cup brown sugar. Pour the mixture over top of the prepared base.

8. Bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set.
9. Let the baked French toast cool for a few minutes. Dust with powdered sugar if desired and serve with your favorite toppings.

Expert Tips

• Choose your favorite type of apple for this recipe. We love Granny smith, their tartness pairs with the sweet bake so well. Another couple favorites are honeycrisp and cosmic crisp. They are sweet and sour in flavor making for the perfect flavor.
• Add nuts if desired. We love adding pecans, walnuts, or even almonds for a bit of a crunch in every bite.
• Day-old bread is better for this apple french toast bake. When the bread is slightly stale, it actually soaks the custard up better to make it more moist and delicious.
• We recommend soaking the casserole overnight if you have the time. You can soak for 1 hour, but if you do have time to assemble the day before, it allows the flavors to become even more delicious when baked.

Storage

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave, oven, or toaster oven until warmed through.

You can freeze the leftovers as well for up to 2 months. We like to cut the casserole into individual servings, then wrap and freeze them for easy reheating. Reheat in the oven or toaster oven for the best results.

This is the best breakfast to make in advance as well! We love to assemble it the night before to make serving breakfast on a busy weekday morning or to a group of people on the weekend so much easier.

FAQs

More Easy Apple Recipes

• Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins
• Apple Dapple Cake
• Apple Roll
• Apple Crescent Rolls