Apple French Toast Casserole
A quick overnight Apple French Toast Casserole that you can assemble ahead of time and bake for breakfast or brunch. Top it off with my simple streusel and sour cream icing. Trust me, you won’t even need the maple syrup!
Servings: 12 servings
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium apples (peeled, cored, sliced)
- 6 tablespoons salted butter divided
- granulated sugar*
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon divided
- 1 day old French bread, diced*
- 2 cups milk*
- 1/2 cup heavy cream*
- 6 large eggs
- 4 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- APPLES: heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and allow it to melt. When melted, add 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon to the skillet. Stir to combine. Toss the apples in the butter mixture. Stir as needed and let the apples cook for 5 minutes or until softened. Remove; let cool.
- CASSEROLE: Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Place the diced bread in the pan and layer on the cooked apples; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar (1/2 cup if serving with maple syrup or 1 cup if serving on it's own with sour cream icing) milk, cream, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour the prepared custard over the bread and apples.
- STREUSEL: combine the light brown sugar, remaining 4 tablespoons of butter (diced), all-purpose flour, and remaining 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Using your fingertips, mix together until the butter breaks down into smaller pieces. Sprinkle over prepared casserole. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours and preferably overnight.
- BAKE: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350ºF. Bake the casserole for 45-55 minutes or until the casserole is no longer jiggly. You may need to tent the casserole with a piece of foil if it starts browning too quickly.
Notes
- butter: just use a pinch of salt wherever the butter is called for if you've got unsalted
- sugar: If you're serving this casserole with my sour cream icing, use 1 cup of sugar for the casserole portion. If you're serving this with maple syrup, use 1/2 cup granulated sugar. You'll also need 2 tablespoons of sugar for the apples.
- french bread: you can also use brioche or challah bread
- milk + heavy cream substitutes: for a dairy-free option, replace the milk with almond, soy, coconut or cashew milk. Substitute coconut cream for the heavy cream
- sour cream icing: whisk together 1 tablespoon of sour cream, 1/3 cup of powdered sugar, and 1-2 tablespoons of milk. Drizzle on the casserole and enjoy!
