Baked Apple French Toast
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Part French toast, part apple pie, this baked apple French toast is the ultimate holiday brunch dish.
A lovely mash-up of French toast and apple pie, this prep-ahead baked apple french toast has all the makings of a special holiday breakfast casserole—the kind that becomes a beloved family tradition. You can prepare it the night before, let it chill in the fridge overnight, and pop it in the oven when you’re ready to eat. I like to add a splash of bourbon to the custard mixture for extra depth, but feel free to substitute apple cider or more half & half if you prefer. Serve it with a sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar, a drizzle of maple syrup, and crispy bacon on the side.
“This was amazing and worked perfectly as a make-ahead casserole for brunch the next day. I followed the recipe exactly and got rave reviews.”
What You’ll Need To Make Baked Apple French Toast
- Challah: Absorbs the custard mixture well and provides a rich, slightly sweet base. A raisin challah would also work nicely.
- Eggs: Bind the custard mixture and help create a creamy texture.
- Half & Half: Adds richness and creaminess to the custard mixture.
- Maple Syrup: Sweetens the custard mixture and adds a distinctive maple flavor.
- Bourbon: Adds depth and complexity to the dish; it can be replaced with apple cider or more half & half.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the custard mixture with its aromatic richness.
- Butter: Adds richness and helps cook the apples.
- Granny Smith Apples: Provide a tart contrast to the sweet custard and topping.
- Dark Brown Sugar and Maple Syrup: Sweeten the apples and create a caramel-like sauce.
- Cinnamon: Adds warmth and spice to the apple topping.
- Confectioners’ Sugar and/or Maple Syrup: Optional toppings that add extra sweetness and flavor.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin with the custard: in a large bowl, combine the eggs, half & half, maple syrup, bourbon, vanilla, and salt.
Whisk to combine.
Dip each slice of challah into the custard mixture for about 5 seconds, then arrange in an overlapping pattern in the prepared baking dish.
Be sure the entire bottom of the dish is covered with the bread. Pour any remaining custard over the bread. Set aside.
In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
Add the apples, brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon.
Bring to a gentle boil.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are softened and the sugar-syrup is thickened, about 8 minutes.
Spoon the apples and sugar-syrup evenly over the bread, making sure not to leave any of the syrup behind. If not baking immediately, cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Otherwise, proceed with the recipe.
When you’re getting ready to eat, cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes more.
Remove from the oven and, using a fine sieve, dust with the confectioners’ sugar. Serve with maple syrup.
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Baked Apple French Toast
Part French toast, part apple pie, this baked apple French toast is the ultimate holiday brunch dish.
Ingredients
For the French Toast
- One 1-lb challah or raisin challah
- 5 large eggs
- 1½ cups half & half
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons bourbon (optional; replace with apple cider or half-&-half if desired)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Apple Topping
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For Serving
- Confectioners' sugar and/or maple syrup
Instructions
For the French Toast
- Butter a 9 x 13-inch or 3-QT baking dish. Slice the bread into ¾-inch-thick slices.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, half & half, maple syrup, bourbon, vanilla, and salt.
- Dip each slice of challah into the custard mixture for about 5 seconds, then arrange in an overlapping pattern in the prepared baking dish. Be sure the entire bottom of the dish is covered with the bread. Pour any remaining custard over the bread. Set aside.
For the Apple Topping
- In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are softened and the sugar-syrup is thickened, about 8 minutes. Spoon the apples and sugar-syrup evenly over the bread, making sure not to leave any of the syrup behind. If not baking immediately, cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Otherwise, proceed with the recipe.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until puffed and golden, about 20 minutes more. Remove from the oven and, using a fine sieve, dust with the confectioners' sugar. Serve with maple syrup.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (8 servings)
- Calories: 473
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 65 g
- Sugar: 33 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 11 g
- Sodium: 358 mg
- Cholesterol: 177 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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We loved this recipe. We made it the night before and baked it the next morning. All the flavors together…fresh apples, eggy custardy creaminess soaked into the bread made this an amazing breakfast. Definitely making again.
I have made this recipe many times and it is always requested for family brunch gatherings. It is moist without being soggy. The apples really add lovely flavor and it is so easy to make the night before, then bake in the morning.
Another winner from Jen!
I made this Baked Apple French Toast twice over this past Christmas season. It was so good. I omitted the bourbon but will try it next time. Mine looked exactly like the picture (which almost NEVER happens for me) 🙂 I loved that I could make it the day before and just pop it in the oven the next morning. It was a delicious restaurant quality brunch item that was really easy to make. Thank you for your amazing recipes.
This recipe changed how I make French toast forever! The Jim Beam Vanilla Bourbon infuses the French Toast with a unique flavour that will have your breakfast guests talking about your French toast for a long time. First time I served this my friends were clamouring for the recipe.
I had to bake it a little longer to ensure it wasn’t too moist. I assume the type of bread I used made the difference.
Hi. I make this french toast regularly & our family & friends love it. It is super easy prep the day before & popped in the oven in the morning for an amazingly delicious brunch/breakfast.
I have substituted the apples for blueberries, preparing the way the recipe calls for, & it is a huge hit.
We make a ton of Once Upon a Chef recipes & they never disappoint! Please keep them coming!
Outstanding – this was an amazingly decadent dessert. Made Challah the day before (using Jenn’s recipe!), added some raisins to it, and then cut it into pieces to dry overnight. Served this for dessert after a decadent meal, and it was still devoured! Highly recommend!!!
This was a delicious holiday treat. I used Orowheat potato bread (this might be a West Coast brand), evaporated milk for half-and-half and brandy for bourbon, as that’s what we had on hand. I also dialed back the sweetener a little as I knew we would not be able to resist putting maple syrup on it. In my opinion it turned out great using a fluffy, not-too-sweet white bread rather than challah, so I wanted to let others know that this might be an option. Thank you so much for a very straightforward and tasty recipe.
Thank you for this recipe! It was a HIT for breakfast this Christmas morning! I added a little more Bourbon. FANTASTIC!
Hi Jenn I dont have half and half but have heavy cream or whole milk, would either of these work? Thanks so much!
Hi Melissa, Mix equal parts whole milk and heavy cream and you’ll basically have half and half. Hope that helps! 🙂
Awesome! Thank you so much! Just finished putting it together and my kids are super excited to have it for breakfast!
Hi Jen – love all your recipes and this one too is perfection. Am making it again but my daughter doesn’t like apples. (I know, weird). I was wondering if you think I can make it as written but eliminate the apples from the topping? Thanks so much!
Sure, Kristin – I think it’d work. Enjoy!