This Apple French Toast Casserole combines fluffy French toast and sweet cinnamon apples. The perfect make-ahead breakfast or brunch dish with warm and cozy flavors in every bite!
Three things to love about this recipe
Make ahead: This French toast casserole is best if it sits in the fridge overnight which makes this a fantastic breakfast/brunch dish to prep in advance.
Fall flavors: Apples, cinnamon, and brown sugar give this French toast tons of cozy flavor. Try our pumpkin French toast casserole, too!
Feed a crowd: Hosting guests for breakfast or brunch? This dish is always met with rave reviews.
Recipe snapshot: 3 parts
Apple compote: Sauté diced apples with brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon until tender and syrupy. These will get layered into the French toast.
French toast: Cubes of French bread soaked in a simple cinnamon-vanilla custard.
Brown sugar crumble: This sweet, crunchy, buttery topping adds a little crunch to the French Toast.
Recipe tips
Day old bread is best. the bread soaks up the custard better if it is on the drier side. Only have fresh bread? Cut it into cubes, spread on a baking sheet and leave at room temp for several hours (if you live in a dry environment like me) or dry it out in a low oven. It shouldn’t be toasted, just more dry than moist.
Timing: This French toast is best if it soaks overnight, so be sure to plan ahead. You can cook the apples and prepare the crumb topping up to two days in advance of assembly and store them in the fridge.
Serving suggestions: Maple syrup, whipped cream, and/or caramel sauce are all great. We even enjoy it without toppings!
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Recipe
Apple French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
Apple compote:
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup water or apple juice
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice or cinnamon
- 4 apples peeled and finely diced, preferably firm/tart apples like Granny Smith or Honeycrisp
French toast:
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup whole or 2% milk
- 1 cup half and half
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple pie spice or cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- One 14-15 oz loaf French bread, cut into cubes, preferably a day or two old
Crumb topping:
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon apple pie spice or cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- pinch salt
Instructions
Apple compote (can be made up to two days in advance):
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter, water, cinnamon, and apples. Cook, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and the liquid has thickened, about 10 minutes. If necessary, add a splash of water during cook time to keep the apples moist and syrupy. Set aside to cool to room temp then transfer to the fridge until assembly.
French toast assembly (allow time to soak overnight):
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, half and half, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla.
- Grease a 9×13 casserole dish. Place half the bread cubes into the casserole dish. Top with half the apples. Place the remaining bread cubes on top and pour the egg mixture evenly over the top. Press the bread down lightly to absorb the custard. Spoon the remaining apple mixture over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Continue with the topping.
Topping (can be made up to two days in advance):
- In a medium bowl combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add melted butter and stir until well combined. Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to bake the French toast.
Baking:
- Remove the crumble from the fridge and let it sit at room temp while your oven is preheating. Preheat oven to 350°F. Crumble the topping over the top of the French toast and bake uncovered for 35-50 minutes, until the center is completely set and the French toast is baked to your liking. Serve warm with maple syrup and/or whipped cream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Brittany says
I would just like to suggest that you add that it is intended to soak overnight into the prep time. As someone who clicked on and wanted to make it for supper the night of I was a bit disappointed.
Celebrating Sweets says
Hi, Brittany. I have it mentioned in the instructions (allow time to soak overnight), but I can see how that might be missed if you’re not reading all the way through the recipe. I’ll change that. Thanks for the suggestion.
Maria says
I just made this last night and baked it this morning, omg I was not expecting it to be this good! ??? I also added some caramel sauce on top to make it even better! I highly recommend this recipe, it was very good 🙂
Celebrating Sweets says
I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂