Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole is the perfect breakfast for fall weekends, overnight guests, or holiday brunch. It can be prepared the night before!
There’s nothing like starting the day off with a delicious breakfast and I love it when I can make breakfast for everyone at once. It only takes about 15 minutes to prepare this french toast casserole and then you can sit back and drink a cup of coffee while it bakes.
How To Make
Step One: French Bread
Cut the French bread into slices and then into cubes.
Spread them out in an even layer in a greased 9×13 inch pan.
Step Two: Apples
Peel and dice two apples. Sprinkle the apples over the bread cubes.
NOTES:
If preparing this the night before, cook the diced apples in the microwave, in a small bowl, for 2-3 minutes before adding them to the casserole. This will help prevent the apples from browning.
OR…
If you are planning to bake your french toast casserole right away, but you want to make sure the apples very soft, you can microwave the diced apples for 2-3 minutes before adding them to the casserole. This will soften the apples some and then they can finish softening in the oven.
Step Three: Egg Mixture
Whisk together eggs, half-n-half, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg.
Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and apples in the pan.
If preparing the night before, cover apple cinnamon french toast casserole at this point and place it in the fridge. Continue onto the next steps to prepare the crumb topping but keep it separate until the morning.
Step Five: Topping
Combine flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl.
Cut in cold butter until crumbly.
Sprinkle over the top of the apple cinnamon french toast casserole.
Step Six: Bake
Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes.
Recipe Tips
1. What kind of apples should I use? Choose firm apples that hold up when baked. Try Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Granny Smith, Cortland, Empire, Fuji, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, or Jonathan.
2. What kind of bread should I use? Choose a sturdy bread that won’t turn to mush when it soaks up the egg mixture. I used French bread for this recipe but you could also use Italian bread, brioche, sourdough, ciabatta or even croissants.
3. Is 40-45 minutes enough time to fully cook the apples? If you want to ensure that your apples are soft, you can cook them in the microwave for 2-3 minutes before adding them to the french toast casserole.
4. Can this apple cinnamon french toast casserole be made ahead of time? Yes, but here are a few suggestions. Cook the diced apples slightly in the microwave (see above) before adding them to the casserole to help prevent browning overnight. Prepare the crumb topping but keep it separate from the french toast casserole and add it right before baking.
More Breakfast Recipe
- Pumpkin Caramel Pecan Baked French Toast
- Tater Tot Breakfast Pizza
- Eggnog French Toast Bake
- Breakfast Pizza with Hash Brown Crust
Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 8 cups French bread cubes (slightly less than one loaf)
- 4 eggs
- 1 1/4 cup half-n-half
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 cups peeled diced apples, (about 2 large apples)
Crumb Topping
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup cold butter (cut into small pieces)
Instructions
- Cut the French bread into slices and then into cubes. Spread out in an even layer in a greased 9×13 inch pan.
- Peel and dice two apples. Sprinkle the apples over the bread cubes. (Note: if preparing the night before or if you want softer apples, microwave the diced apples for 2-3 minutes in a small bowl.)
- Whisk together eggs, half-n-half, milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes and apples in the pan. (If preparing the night before, cover apple cinnamon french toast casserole at this point and place it in the fridge.)
- To make the crumb topping, combine flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in cold butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over the top of the apple cinnamon french toast casserole. (When preparing the night before, store the crumb topping in an airtight container in the fridge and add to casserole before baking.)
- Bake at 350˚F for 40-45 minutes.
William says
Are there some ingredients missing in your Apple Cinnamon French Toast…..??Combine flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in cold butter until crumbly…not butter quantity listed.
Tonia says
Thank you for bringing that to my attention. It has been updated.