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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
- 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 and Additional Ingredients
- 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
- Additional toppings such as maple syrup, powdered sugar, whipped cream or caramel sauce, optional
Instructions
- Grease a 9×13 inch casserole dish.
- Then chop the bread into bite-sized chunks with a serrated knife and place the chunks in a large bowl.
- Chop the apples into small chunks. (The skin can be peeled off or left on according to personal preference.) Add the apples to the bowl with the bread and stir gently to combine.
- Lay the bread chunks and chopped apples in an even layer in the bottom of the dish.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sugars, cinnamon and vanilla. Pour evenly over bread, making sure the top is saturated.
- 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 the casserole bakes, combine the dry ingredients for the streusel in a small bowl. Add the butter and mash it into the dry mixture until it becomes crumbly.
- Remove the casserole from the oven and sprinkle the streusel over the top of the casserole.
- Bake casserole for about 5 more minutes, or until the streusel is melted and crisp.
- Allow the casserole to cool slightly. Serve warm with syrup or other desired toppings.
- Store in the fridge. Tastes best when eaten within 4 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 457
- Sugar: 30.4 g
- Sodium: 405.4 mg
- Fat: 17.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 60.8 g
- Protein: 14.7 g
- Cholesterol: 161.7 mg
Filed Under:
Enjoy!
So I’m not sure what happened, I even cooked it a little longer than it said to and it just did not cook for me! I tried a different French toast casserole a few years ago and the same thing happened.
I am excited to try this recipe for Easter brunch tomorrow. How long can the casserole stay in the refrigerator overnight. I don’t want to make it too early but I want to make sure it is okay to make 16 hours ahead of time. Thank you and Happy Easter 🐥🐣🐰🌷
That should be fine. I usually make it right before I go to bed but I wouldn’t expect it to be a problem if it was a little bit longer.
This recipe is so good! The only thing our family didn’t like was that is was a bit mushy in the middle. Next time I’ll make it in a bigger dish or high sided cookie sheet (if it will fit in my fridge, lol.
Will this keep in the fridge well after baking? And does it reheat well?
I store these types of casseroles in the fridge all the time and reheat slices in the microwave without any problem.
What’s the best type of apples to use?
Granny Smith, honey crisp would both be good.
Hello Lindsay, happy holidays. I plan on making this for Christmas morning and I actually have cinnamon apple cider in the fridge. Do you think it would be okay if I subbed out about say I cup milk for apple cider ? To not overload on the cinnamon I can leave it in the mixture.
I’m honestly not sure about that. Milk has fat that contributes to the texture of the recipe. I’m not really sure how it would turn out with the cider.
I actually did this today with apple cider syrup that I bottled last fall. Next time you make this and want to use apple cider, just pour the cider into a sauce pan and boil it down to 1/7th its original volume. Then you have apple cider syrup. The flavor is very concentrated, but the small amount of liquid won’t mess with the recipe. If you boil down one cup, you’ll end up with 2-3 tablespoons of liquify syrup. You do not want it to be thick and sticky. It will still be like juice. Watch it closely. It adds a yummy apple punch to pancakes, caramel, muffins, donuts, cake, etc.
What is the best type of apple to use for this French toast casserole
Whichever apple you prefer should be fine. Honeycrisp, Gala, Granny smith – those should all be good.
I left all the sugar out of the french toast base and make the streusel as written. It was still plenty sweet enough. Thanks for the yummy recipe.
How long can it sit before baking?
Your site makes my mouth water. Everything looks amazing. You are such a gourmet chef! I personally am trying to cut back a lot on sugar. As I’m getting older and it’s more difficult to lose weight. I don’t know if you’ll ever expand into lower card/less sugar recipes but it would be a great idea. You have a beautiful family and I love that you follow the Lord.
Can this recipe be halved ? How long would it need to cook ?
Have you ever used cinnamon raisin bread ?
Yes, just not totally sure of bake time. I haven’t tried cinnamon raisin bread in this but in something similar and personally didn’t love it. It was more dense. You could try it though.
This is fantastic! I made several dishes for brunch and actually forgot the apples, haha but it was delicious. I did use sourdough bread and it was perfect, not soggy at all. I plan to make it again for Easter with the apples but will probably use half the topping to cut some sweetness. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe, it’s sure to be a Christmas tradition 🤗
I made this recipe for Christmas brunch. Prep time was 15m tops with a 1/2 loaf of French bread. The recipe was easy to follow and AMAZING!! I made the streusel while it was baking to save time Xmas Eve. I added extra cinnamon just because my family can’t get enough. It made the house smell awesome and it’s a definite keeper. Thank you for the recipe. Delish!!
Everyone enjoyed this for our Christmas morning breakfast. I used 2 1/2 cups of half and half because that was all I had on hand. I also cooked it for 45 minutes before putting the topping on it. It was delicious! I plan to make this a tradition for every Christmas morning.
Wanting to make this for Christmas brunch in two days. I’m loving the apples in it but others in the fam aren’t. Can I add apples to only half of it and leave the other half without or would it bake unevenly?
I would think it’d be fine.
The recipe is good in theory but needs a lot of changes. The recipe calls for too much liquid. I had to cook it significantly longer than indicated and it was still not cooked through. There’s too much cinnamon and flour in the streusel. And it could use a pinch of salt to cut the sweetness.
OK. I commented on another recipe today with different comments. Yet, I LOVE this recipe. I can’t say how much I love this recipe!! When you add the maple syrup it becomes a great dessert! Thank you for this recipe because it puts all the other overnight french toast recipes I’ve had in the past to shame.
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this one.