Name: Apple French Toast Casserole Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 5 macintosh apples ( peeled and very thinly sliced); 16 pieces sandwich bread; 2 cups milk; 3 large eggs; ½ cup brown sugar; 1 teaspoon vanilla; 1 teaspoon cinnamon; 2 apples (peel and sliced); ¼ cup water; 1 cup sugar

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This Apple French Toast Casserole Recipe is a delicious breakfast for the whole family. It's the perfect way to make an amazing meal that everyone will look forward to. You can make it the next before with an easy overnight option. Juicy apples paired with warm spices create the best hot breakfast.

You gotta love apple season. Loading up the casserole dish with fresh apples and other simple ingredients literally creates the perfect recipe. Not only does it have great flavor, but this fluffy baked French toast casserole is an easy recipe that anyone can do.

It's a great choice for holiday mornings or any time of year. (This would be perfect for Christmas morning.) One of the great things about making this simple casserole is that you can use old bread and apples to create something this delicious. Besides that flavor, that just might be my favorite thing about making it.

Be sure to check out my Smoked Breakfast Casserole for another delicious treat to start the day. Or serve this alongside this Chorizo Casserole Recipe for a complete brunch spread.

Ingredients

Macintosh apples - These types of apples have a great flavor and are perfect for baking since they soften easily.

Sandwich bread - You can use any type of bread that you have on hand. The best bread for this is one your family enjoys. You can use challah bread, sliced bread, or even a gluten-free bread.

Milk - Helps to thin out the mixture.

Eggs - Acts as the binding agent for the ingredients.

Brown sugar - Adds sweetness to the dish.

Vanilla extract - I like to use pure vanilla extract for flavor.

Ground cinnamon - This adds a nice warmth to the dish.

Water - Needed to make the homemade syrup.

Sugar - For sweetness in the syrup.

How to make Apple Cinnamon French Toast Casserole

Step One: Grease a 9X13 casserole dish. Preheat the oven to 350.

Step Two: Lay the apple slices on the bottom of the dish.

Step Three: Top the slices of apple with a layer of bread cubes. Do this until all the apples and bread are layered.

Step Four: Put the rest of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Step Five: Pour the mixture over the top of the apples and bread. Press the bread down, if needed, to help it absorb the liquid.

Step Six: Bake the casserole until no longer jiggly.

Expert Tip: At this point, you can also put the casserole mixture in the fridge overnight and bake the next morning.

Step Seven: When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step Eight: Bake the casserole for 20-25 minutes. If you do put it into the fridge overnight, you’ll need to bake it for 35-40 minutes. Bake until the middle is no longer jiggly and the edges are golden brown.

Step Nine: To make the apple syrup, add the apples and water to a saucepan. Cook for 15 minutes over medium heat to soften the apples. You can add a cinnamon stick to the pot too for a cinnamon apple syrup if you would like.

Step Ten: Mash the cooked apples with a potato masher. This helps to release their flavor.

Step Eleven: Add the sugar and cook until the sugar melts.

Step Twelve: Strain through a mesh sieve.

Expert Tip: Serve the apple pieces in a small bowl on the side like a compote.

Step Thirteen: Serve warm with the casserole. Store leftover syrup in an airtight container like a mason jar.

Variations

Use a different syrup - You can opt to use pure maple syrup instead of making your own. That would taste great to use with this overnight French toast casserole. You could also use caramel sauce.

Use your favorite bread - While this recipe calls for sandwich bread, you can easily use a loaf of bread of any type. You can use stale bread as well that needs to get used. Once you add it to the baking dish, it will soften.

Use a different topping - If you dont' want a syrup, you can opt to sprinkle a little bit of powdered sugar on top of the bread and apples. The single layer of sweetness will be perfect on top of the casserole.

Common Questions

What are the best apples for this casserole recipe?

While I like to use Macintosh apples, Gala apples are a great choice as well. You can use whatever type of apples you want or even opt for a canned apple pie filling if you're running low on time. During apple season, pick and choose various types and see what you like best! Some are going to be sweeter than others, while you might find a few that are quite tart.

Just be aware that anything canned will have a much higher sugar content to it. It will be delicious, but much higher in calories and sugar.

Can I use apple pie spice?

If you don't want to use other types of spices that it calls for on the recipe card, just use apple pie spice. It's a simple way to get a great flavor without the stress.

Can I use chopped apples?

You can. I like the texture of apple slices, but if you want to chop up the apples instead of slicing them, go for it. I think that either way, it will make the best French toast casserole dish ever.

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