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Overnight Cinnamon Apple Baked French Toast Casserole is the perfect recipe for holidays or any time you want a fun breakfast without a ton of work. This easy breakfast casserole loaded with fresh apples and a delicious streusel topping!
Overnight French Toast Makes Breakfast Easy
The past few days, I’ve been spending time with some awesome bloggers in San Francisco. I’m home now, but I had a blast with everyone. It was a super relaxed trip. There was a general agenda of some fun things to do to explore the city but no pressure or strict schedule. I finally got to see the Golden Gate Bridge too! The last time I was in San Fran with the hubs, there was so much fog you’d have thought the bridge wasn’t real. This time we had amazing weather every day. And since Dorothy (from Crazy for Crust) grew up there, she was the perfect guide!
To give you an idea of the relaxed nature of the trip, one morning when I walked into the suite at the hotel that acted as our gathering space and “home base”, I asked if there was coffee creamer when I made coffee. The response I got was, “There’s Baileys!” Oh, how I love Lisa (from Wine and Glue)! 🙂 And I did have Baileys. I mean, that’s what vacation – and friends – are for, right? The weekend was full of just the right mix of blogging talk and relaxing with friends.
One of the great things about this french toast casserole is that because it’s so easy to prepare, you can totally enjoy time with your family rather than spend a bunch of time making breakfast. Particularly at the holidays, with so much going on and so much food being prepared, it allows you to get some prep work done ahead so you can spend the morning with your family. That’s how I like it. Not to mention that it’s cinnamon apple, which I love.
How to Make Overnight French Toast Casserole
Preparing this breakfast casserole is quite easy and uses pretty standard ingredients, which I’m into. You’ll want a nice sized loaf of bread, about 1 pound. I personally am a big fan of sourdough bread in all things, so it’s what I use in this casserole. Feel free to use another kind of bread, but I wouldn’t suggest regular sandwich bread. That would be a little soft and wouldn’t bake quick as nicely. Add some chopped apples to the bread and add it to a casserole dish.
The egg and milk mixture that’s poured over the bread is all mixed together in a big bowl. Easy, right? You’ll combine eggs, milk, cream, sugars and some flavorings. I like to use a mix of 2% milk and heavy cream to get some good fat in there and keep this casserole soft and moist. I also love using a mix of regular and brown sugars. The brown sugar adds some nice flavor to compliment the cinnamon and apples. For additional flavor, we’ve got some vanilla and cinnamon.
I like to try to be sure when I pour the mixture over the bread that I get all the bread on top a little wet. It’ll moisten and soak up the liquid overnight, but that’ll help make sure that nothing gets too dry when it bakes later. On top of the casserole is some cinnamon streusel – which is basically like magic when sprinkled over anything.
How Long Does French Toast Casserole Need To Cook?
The casserole should be baked for about 35-40 minutes. It’ll depend a bit on your preference – some people like a little moister center and some like it a little more cooked. One way to test the doneness is to stick a knife in the middle and see how much moisture comes out on it.
I like to serve the french toast casserole with some maple syrup, but powdered sugar and even caramel sauce could make fun additions. You know me – always finding a way to satisfy that sweet tooth. 😉
Your Whole Family Will Love This Easy Breakfast Casserole
This breakfast casserole was a big hit! The cinnamon and apples are such a great flavor for breakfast. The apples soften while baking, but they aren’t soggy. The inside is soft and moist, the top is just crunchy enough. I can’t wait to make it again when the holidays roll around. 🙂
More French Toast Recipes You Might Like:
Pumpkin Bread French Toast
Overnight Baked Banana French Toast Casserole
Overnight Funfetti Cake Batter French Toast Casserole
Overnight Pumpkin Spice Baked French Toast Casserole
Berry French Toast Casserole
Bailey’s Spiked French Toast
Overnight Cinnamon Apple Baked French Toast Casserole
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
Overnight Cinnamon Apple Baked French Toast Casserole is the perfect easy recipe for holidays or any time you want a fun breakfast without a ton of work. It’s loaded with fresh apples and a delicious streusel topping!
Ingredients
CASSEROLE
- 1 lb loaf Sourdough Or French Bread, cut into chunks
- 3 cups (326g) chopped apples (2 large apples)
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups (480ml) milk (whole or 2%)
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup (104g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (36g) light brown sugar, unpacked
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
STREUSEL TOPPING
- 3/4 cup (98g) all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup (169g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp apple pie spice
- 1/2 cup (112g) salted butter, cut into pieces
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
- Combine the bread chunks and chopped apples and lay in an even layer in the bottom of the dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients, minus the streusel, and pour evenly over bread. Cover the casserole and store in the fridge overnight.
- When ready to bake the casserole, preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C).
- Bake the casserole uncovered for about 35-40 minutes.
- While casserole bakes, in another bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the streusel. Add the butter and mash into the dry mixture until it forms a crumbly mixture.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and crumble the streusel over the top of the casserole.
- Continue baking casserole for about 5 minutes, or until the streusel is melted over the top.
- Serve the casserole warm with syrup.
Keywords: apple french toast casserole, french toast casserole, overnight french toast, baked french toast recipe, overnight french toast casserole, french toast casserole recipe, breakfast casserole recipe
Enjoy!
Can I make this on Wednesday afternoon and bake it Friday morning?
Hmm great question. I’ve only ever let it sit overnight before. I’m not sure, but I think it’d probably be ok.
I’m going to make this casserole for Christmas morning and I’m going to try putting pecans on top. Should add a nice touch.
It seems like way too much bread and that ive only used half and the pan is full. Am i doing something wrong?
I don’t know that you’re doing anything wrong. It can feel like a lot of bread. When you pour the egg mixture over it, it’ll condense a bit.
I tore my bread into smaller pieces the second time I made this recipe. That helped immensely!
★★★★★
I made this for a brunch party and it was a huge hit! I’m glad there are leftovers! I used macintosh apples and they had a honey flavor. Mmmm… I would definitely make this again!
Just ran into your blog via pinterest. This looks absolutely fabulous! Did you peel the apples first? What kind of apples did you use?
You could do it either way – with or without peeled apples. I don’t think I peeled them. I used Red Delicious apples, but you could definitely use other varieties.
I made this for Book Club today.. Delicious
French toast bake is a favorite around here! This looks like the perfect addition to a fall weekend brunch!
I never tire of traditional French toast but i love mixing things up. This apple version looks so perfect for these cooler mornings!
It’s on my schedule to make soon for my blog too. ????
Can I use brioche bread? Do you think that would work?
★★★★★
It might be a little too soft. Not sure.
How long should this be in the fridge if you want to bake it on the same day?
I’d try 4-6 hours.
I’m a big Dorothy and Lisa fan too, but I’m not lucky enough to have a girls’ weekend with them. Hope you guys had a total blast!
This looks amazing. I love overnight French toast casseroles. So easy and so much better than standing over the stove and making French toast!