Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole
This Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole is perfect for a weekend or holiday breakfast or brunch. Simply prep it the night before and bake it the next morning. It feeds a crowd and is absolutely delicious!
This Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole sends a wonderful aroma throughout your house when it’s baking in the oven, luring everyone out of bed and to the kitchen. It gets prepped the night before so all you have to do is pop it in the oven. It’s delicious by itself or with a drizzling of warm syrup. It will disappear within minutes!
This French toast casserole starts with a cinnamon nutmeg custard soaked bread filling and is finished with a crisp cinnamon sugar topping. Want another delicious overnight French toast recipe? Try my Overnight French Toast Casserole that’s covered with a delicious praline pecan topping!
If you want some other great breakfast or brunch recipes, try my Buttermilk Waffles, Sour Cream Buttermilk Pancakes, Cinnamon Biscuits, or Blueberry Pancake recipes.
The custard filling ingredients
- 8 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups half & half or milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Add the eggs to a medium bowl and whisk for a few seconds. Add the half & half or milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
It’s important to use 8 large eggs in this custard filling. Besides making a creamy custard base, they form structure to the custard. You can use all milk in this recipe, but I prefer half & half for a richer flavor.
Assembling the casserole
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 baking dish or spray with non-stick spray.
- Cut a loaf of French bread into large cubes and arrange them in the baking dish.
- Peel and cube 6-7 medium baking apples such as Granny Smith, about 3 cups.
- Scatter the apples over the bread cubes and lightly mix them together with your hands.
- Pour the wet mixture evenly all over the bread and apples, making sure all the bread is wet. Dot the top with the butter. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
- The next morning: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the casserole covered for one hour or until the apples are fork tender. Uncover the casserole.
- Mix together the topping of 1/3 cup half & half or milk, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of sugar and drizzle evenly over the casserole.
- Bake for 5 minutes and remove from the oven. Allow the casserole to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Can this casserole be made the day before?
This casserole is actually prepped the night before. Therefore, all you have to do in the morning is bake it. You could bake it the day before but I don’t recommend it, especially when all you have to do is pop it in the oven the morning of. Then you’re eating it fresh…right from the oven.
Can I freeze this casserole?
Yes, completely prep the casserole, cover with plastic wrap then wrap securely in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bake as directed in the recipe.
Pro tips for making this recipe
- Don’t skimp on the eggs! Use all 8 eggs to create a creamy custardy yet stable filling.
- Make sure to use stale bread. Stale bread will soak up less liquid, preventing the casserole from being soggy. If your bread isn’t stale, allow it to set out for 1 day, or once you’ve cubed it, place it on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven until it’s just lightly toasted.
- This casserole is excellent by itself, but feel free to drizzle it with warm syrup for an even more delicious experience.
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Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast/Brunch
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole is perfect for a weekend or holiday morning breakfast or brunch. Simply prep it the night before and bake it the next morning. Your family will wake up to a wonderful cinnamon and nutmeg aroma and this casserole will disappear in no time.
Ingredients
CASSEROLE
- 1 large loaf French bread, 16 ounces
- 8 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 1/2 cups half & half or milk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 – 7 medium size baking apples such as granny smith (about 3 cups)
- 2 tablespoons butter cut into small pieces
TOPPING
- 1/3 cup half & half or milk
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Instructions
CASSEROLE
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 baking dish or spray with non-stick spray. Cut the bread into large cubes and arrange them in the baking dish.
- Add the eggs to a medium bowl and whisk for a few seconds. Add the half & half or milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- Peel the apples and cut them into small bite size chunks or you can slice them if you prefer. You should have about 3 cups of apples.
- Distribute the apples over the bread crumbs. Using your hands, lightly toss the apples and bread cubes together. Pour the wet mixture evenly all over the bread and apples, making sure all the bread is wet. Dot the top with the butter. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
- THE NEXT MORNING… preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake covered for one hour, or until the apples are fork tender. Remove foil.
TOPPING
- In a small bowl, whisk together the topping ingredients. Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the casserole and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
- Cut into squares and serve by itself, or with a drizzling of warm syrup.
- Refrigerate for up to two days. Reheat in an oven or microwave.