Apple French Toast Casserole
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Apple French toast casserole might not look fancy, but it always hits the spot. Warm cinnamon apples, soft baked bread, and a sweet crumble on top make it a cozy fall breakfast that disappears fast, especially with a little maple syrup drizzled over the top.
Why You’ll Love Apple French Toast Casserole
- Warm, Cozy Flavors – Cinnamon-spiced apples and soft baked bread come together for a breakfast that tastes like apple pie meets French toast. It’s a cozy breakfast, especially in the fall.
- Sweet Crumble Topping – A buttery cinnamon sugar topping adds just the right amount of crunch on top. It feels like a cross between French toast and apple crisp in the best way.
- Make-Ahead Friendly – This casserole can be prepped the night before, which makes mornings way easier. Perfect for holidays, brunch with friends, or busy weekends.
- Kid-Friendly and Crowd-Pleasing – Always a hit with both kids and adults, especially when there’s maple syrup on the table.. Great for potlucks, overnight guests, or breakfast-for-dinner nights.
Ingredients For Apple French Toast Casserole Recipe
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.
Ingredients For The French Toast Bake
- French bread brioche or challah bread are also great but you can use any sturdy bread, cut into 1-inch cubes. You want a stale loaf or to toast the bread so it’s dry, see the notes at the bottom of the page. Grab a day old loaf from the grocery store at a discount!
- apples peeled, cored, and cubed into about 1 inch pieces
- brown sugar
- butter melted
- eggs
- milk – I like 2% or whole milk best for a creamier custard
- heavy cream
- white sugar
- vanilla extract
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- salt
Ingredients For Crumble Topping
- flour all-purpose
- brown sugar
- white sugar
- cinnamon ground
- salt
- butter salted, cold and cut into small cubes
Can I Make This Recipe Gluten Free?
I have had several readers tell me they made this recipe with a gluten free bread, and it was delicious! I have not tried it myself, but I bet with the apple it would offset any dryness that gluten free bread often has. When making something for someone with gluten allergies, I always ask specifically about the ingredients I am using as they know their own limits best.
How To Make Baked Apple French Toast Casserole
Prepping The French Toast Breakfast Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with spray cooking oil.
- Cut the loaf of bread into 1-2 inch cubed pieces. Spread bread cubes in the pan.
- Cut the apples into small 1 inch cubes. In a medium bowl add melted butter, brown sugar and cubed apples. Add the apples and the butter mixture together until the apples are fully coated. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the cubed bread in the baking dish.
- In a large bowl, add eggs, milk, heavy cream, white sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt, Whisk together with a whisk until well combined into a thick custard mixture.
- Pour the egg custard mixture over the bread and apples in the baking dish. Gently push down any pieces of bread that aren’t fully coated in the custard mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate the casserole in the egg mixture for at least 30 minutes, or let it sit overnight covered in the refrigerator.
Making The Streusel Crumble Topping
- Just before you are ready to bake, make the crumble topping. In a medium-sized bowl, add flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
- Add the cold cubed butter to the cinnamon sugar mixture in a medium bowl. With the back of a fork or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the cinnamon sugar mixture. The mixture resembles thick crumbs when ready. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the top of the casserole right before baking, then cover the pan with aluminum foil.
Baking The French Toast Casserole
- Bake the casserole for 55-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set. I like to cover with foil and bake to help protect the top from overcooking. Once gooey, warm and the egg custard is fully set, remove the casserole from the oven. Serve and enjoy drizzled with maple syrup or your favorite toppings.
Apple French Toast Variations and Topping Ideas
Top With Whipped Cream – Skip the powdered sugar and add a big dollop of whipped cream on top!
Try Caramel On Top – A drizzle of caramel sauce goes perfect with the sweet cinnamon sugar in this apple French toast casserole,
Top With Chopped Nuts – We like chopped walnuts or pecans on top of this French toast, they add a great amount of crunch! You can bake the nuts into the casserole, or sprinkle them on top just before serving.
Try Adding Raisins – I know not everyone’s a raisin fan, but if you are, try mixing them into the apple filling. It gives that same cozy cinnamon-raisin flavor, and the raisins stay soft and juicy. Sprinkling them on top can leave them a little too dry.
Add Ice Cream For Dessert – Have breakfast as dessert and try a scoop of vanilla or cinnamon ice cream on top of this warm apple French toast casserole. Delicious!
What To Serve With Apple French Toast Casserole
Whether it’s a cozy weekend breakfast, a potluck or a holiday this apple french toast casserole can stand on it’s own with a good drizzle of maple syrup. When I want to round out the meal I’ll make some bacon, chicken sausage or eggs for a quick protein side. For brunch or holidays, we’ll sometimes add a fruit salad or yogurt bar too.
If I’m serving a crowd though like for a holiday, I may make two casseroles since I can prep them all the night before. Try it with the sausage potato breakfast casserole, the easy bacon egg breakfast braid, or breakfast sausage tater tot casserole. The cinnamon roll breakfast casserole is another great pair.
Making a blueberry french toast casserole or a classic brioche french toast casserole (a simialr french toast without apples) also pair really well on a brunch table. For the holidays I may also add some whipped cream to the table!
FAQ: Apple French Toast Casserole
Yes! You can prep the whole casserole the night before, just cover it tightly and refrigerate overnight. The bread soaks up all that cinnamon custard, and it bakes up soft and cozy in the morning. I add the crumble topping right before baking so it stays crisp.
I like using firmer apples like Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Granny Smith for this recipe. They hold their shape and give a nice balance of sweet and tart. Softer apples (like Red Delicious for example) tend to get a little too mushy here.
You can freeze the baked casserole in slices for up to two months. Wrap each piece tightly and store in a freezer-safe container. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warm. I don’t recommend freezing it unbaked, it tends to get soggy once thawed.
The quickest way is to pop a slice in the microwave for 30–60 seconds. You can also reheat the whole pan in the oven at 350°F for about 15–20 minutes. Cover the pan loosely with foil so it doesn’t dry out.
Yes! Several readers have used gluten-free bread and said it turns out delicious. Since gluten-free bread can sometimes be drier, the apple filling helps balance the texture. Just make sure your bread is still sturdy enough to hold the custard.
You can! Pears or thinly sliced peaches work well with the cinnamon-spiced vibe. I also have a blueberry french toast casserole that works great for berries.
Yes, you can cut back the sugar in the custard and/or the crumble topping. Try using just 2 tablespoons of sugar in the custard and skipping the extra sugar in the topping if you prefer it less sweet, you can always serve it with extra maple syrup at the table.
If your bread isn’t stale yet, cube it up and bake it at 350°F for about 10–15 minutes. It helps the custard soak in without making the casserole too mushy.
How Long Will This Apple French Toast Bake Last?
Expect this French toast casserole will last for about 3-4 days when stored in a covered container in the refrigerator. Leftovers can be baked again to warm up right in the same pan. It’s usually easiest to microwave each person’s portion on their plate when enjoying the next day.
More Breakfast Recipes
Easy Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole
Sausage Potato Breakfast Casserole
Cheesy Hashbrown Casserole (In The Slow Cooker!)
Apple French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
For The French Toast Bake
- 1 loaf French bread brioche, challah or other thicker breads also work
- 2 medium apples peeled, cored, and cubed into about 1 inch pieces
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
For The Crumble Topping
- 1/4 cup flour all-purpose
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon ground
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup butter cold and cut into small cubes
Instructions
Making The French Toast Casserole
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with spray cooking oil.
- Cube bread into 1-2 inch pieces. Spread bread cubes in the pan.1 loaf French bread
- Cut the apples into small 1 inch cubes. In a medium bowl add melted butter, brown sugar and cubed apples. Mix together the apples and the butter mixture until the apples are fully coated. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the cubed bread in the baking dish.2 medium apples, 1/4 cup butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar
- In a large mixing bowl, add eggs, milk, heavy cream, white sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. With a whisk mix together until well combined into a custard mixture..4 large eggs, 1 cup milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Pour the egg custard mixture evenly over the bread and apples in the baking dish. Gently push down any pieces of bread that aren't fully coated in the custard mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate the casserole for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
Making The Crumble Topping
- Just before baking, make the crumble topping. In a medium-sized bowl, add flour, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.1/4 cup flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons white sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Add the cold cubed butter to the cinnamon sugar mixture in a medium bowl. With the back of a fork or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the cinnamon sugar mixture. The mixture resembles thick crumbs when ready. Sprinkle the crumble topping over the French toast right before baking, then cover the pan with aluminum foil.1/4 cup butter
Baking The French Toast Casserole
- Bake the casserole for 45-55 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the center is set. Once set, remove the casserole from the oven. Serve and enjoy drizzled with maple syrup or your favorite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Did You Make This?
I would love to see it! Share your thoughts with me in the comments below!
Can I use half and half in place of 2 percent or whole milk in the recipe? I don’t want to have to buy a whole gallon of milk because we only drink fat free milk not 2 percent or whole.
Yes you could use half and half in place of milk in the recipe. If it were me, I would do 1 cup of half and half and 1/2 cup of fat free milk or it may make everything a little too rich. That combo should help give you a little more balance, hope that helps! Let me know how it goes!