Looking for the perfect Christmas morning breakfast? Try this Apple French Toast Casserole for a festive and tasty start to your holiday! Made with sliced apple cinnamon bread, fresh apples, and a creamy, eggy custard mixture, this breakfast bursts with flavor.
And it is a perfect make ahead breakfast casserole! You can either bake it immediately or refrigerate it overnight to bake in the morning while the kids’ open presents. My family loves French Toast, and this recipe gives them all the tasty deliciousness of French toast without requiring me to stand over the stove making it!
It is topped off with lots and lots of sugar-coated cinnamon apples, which makes it a hearty comfort food breakfast casserole. It is a delicious holiday breakfast or special brunch dish. So take advantage of this tasty treat and plan your holiday breakfast spread.
Looking for more breakfast ideas, either for the holidays or anytime? Try my Christmas breakfast casserole, Eggnog French Toast Recipe, Air Fryer Breakfast Potatoes, or Gingerbread Pancakes.
🎄Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole
This baked apple French toast casserole can be assembled the night before and baked in the morning. But the bread doesn’t need to soak overnight, so you can also bake it right away, making it a versatile breakfast idea!
So if you are looking for a casserole to prepare the night before a memorable holiday like Christmas or Thanksgiving, this casserole works well. And if you wake up and decide to make your family breakfast, that works too!
🍎Key Ingredients
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
- Apple Cinnamon Bread – Any crusty bread will work, but the apple cinnamon bread has extra apple bits and cinnamon swirls.
- Eggs
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla
- Apples
- Nutmeg
- Butter
- Salt
🥣How to Make Apple French Toast Casserole
- Slice the Bread – Slice the bread into slices 3/4 to 1/2 an inch thick.
- Prepare the Egg Mixture – In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until it is well combined.
- Dip – Dip each slice of bread into the milk mixture and then arrange them overlapping in a casserole dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with bread. Then pour any extra custard mixture over the top.
- Prepare the Fruit – Peel, core, and slice the apples into slices about 1/4 thick. Then mix the fruit with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Top the Casserole – Spread the coated apples on top of the casserole. Cut the cold butter into small chunks and scatter them over the top of the baking dish.
- Bake – At this point, the casserole is ready to either bake or refrigerate until morning! It needs to bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees F.
🍴Serving Ideas
Serve the casserole topped with powdered sugar and maple syrup. My kids insist on adding some whipped cream to this too. They consider this to be like apple pie for breakfast!
The final dish has eggy and squishy bread on the bottom, topped with slightly crispy apples. It is a perfect Christmas breakfast comfort food and is an excellent holiday breakfast.
💭How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 days. Reheat it by microwaving it for 30-60 seconds.
⭐Tips and Variations
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- This breakfast casserole doesn’t need much added sugar. Apples are sweet, and you will almost certainly serve this with added powdered sugar and maple syrup!
- I have an apple peeler/slicer, which quickly turns my fruit into pretty, uniform slices. I highly recommend this if you bake with apples frequently!
- Use apples that stay firm and keep their shape after baking. I used Honey Crisp, but a popular variety like Granny Smith or Braeburn would work well.
- If you want the apples to be softer and sweeter, you could saute the cinnamon apple mixture in the butter on the stove for 5-10 minutes before spreading them on the casserole. Doing this will caramelize the sugar and make the entire dish more dessert-like.
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Apple French Toast Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
French Toast Casserole
- 6 eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 pound Apple Cinnamon Bread
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Topping
- 3 large apples baking apples like Honey Crisp or Granny Smith
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F if you are baking the casserole immediately.
- Spray a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.
- Add the eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to a mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.6 eggs, 3/4 cup milk, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Slice the loaf of bread into slices 3/4 inch thick.1 pound Apple Cinnamon Bread
- Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, then arrange it in the casserole dish. Overlap the slices of bread, and be sure to cover the entire bottom of the dish. Pour any remaining egg mixture over the bread.
- Peel, core, and slice the apples into 1/4-inch slices. Put them in a bowl and add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Stir to combine. *see notes for alternative3 large apples, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, pinch salt
- Spread the fruit on top of the bread mixture in the casserole dish. Cut the butter into small pieces and scatter it over the top.3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Make-Ahead Instructions: Cover the casserole tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight. Finish the recipe by preheating the oven to 350 degrees F and start with step xx in the morning.
- To bake, cover the casserole with foil and bake, covered for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 25 minutes.
- Serve dusted with powdered sugar, maple syrup, or whipped cream.
Notes
- Use apples that stay firm and keep their shape after baking. I used Honey Crisp apples, but a popular fresh apple like Granny Smith or Braeburn would work well.
- If you want the fruit to be softer and sweeter, saute the cinnamon apple mixture in the butter in a frying pan. Cook for 5-10 minutes before topping the casserole with the fruit. Doing this will caramelize the sugar and make the entire French Toast Bake more dessert-like.
- Any crusty bread will work in this recipe. Choose something like sourdough bread or French bread that you can cut into thick pieces.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
