There are few things I love more than this Apple French Toast Casserole! A dish that is made the day before, soaks up all that custard filling in the fridge overnight, gets popped into the oven in the morning, and you have breakfast in under an hour. Plus prepping this recipe only takes about 30 minutes! Stuffed with fluffy brioche, crisp apples, and a crunchy oat streusel, this sweet breakfast casserole is about to be your new favorite as well!
This Overnight Apple French Toast Casserole is the fall brunch dish of my dreams! Buttery, custardy french toast layered on the bottom, topped with cinnamon sugar glazed apples, and finished with a crunchy oat streusel. Truly the best flavors combined into one hearty breakfast.
Making this dish the day before results in a perfect custard french toast layer, which gets soaked up by the bread overnight as it sits in the fridge. My classic Overnight Brioche French Toast Casserole is a crowd favorite and I thought to myself, why not add some flavor by topping it was some caramelized apples!
If apple isn't your go-to flavor for french toast, you should try my Pumpkin French Toast Casserole! It has all the same similar warm fall spices but tastes like pumpkin!
why this recipe is amazing
- It's perfect to serve at any gathering. Make it the day before, bake it before your guests come over and have the best dish waiting to be served to everyone! I love taking it to parties as well, I usually bake it and bring it with while it's still warm.
- It only uses simple ingredients you can find at your local grocery store! Nothing crazy or too hard to get.
- Aside from cooking the apples, the prep part of this dish isn't too labor intensive. Whip this up easily and put away overnight for the next morning.
- No having to worry about flipping french toast all morning and making individual pieces! Although if you do love making classic french toast, my Brioche French Toast is perfect for a smaller crowd!
ingredients
- brioche bread
- eggs- eggs are the main ingredients in the custard layer of this dish, along side the cream and milk! This is what the bread soaks up overnight and it gives you that perfect french toast layer.
- milk
- heavy cream
- butter- I typically use unsalted butter when baking, but salted butter works if that is all you have on hand!
- oats- Make sure to use old fashioned or rolled oats (they are the same). This gives us that crunchy oat texture on top in our streusel!
- brown sugar
- apples- I used all granny smith apples for my casserole, but you can use a variety of different apples that will work great- some of my favorites are Gala, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady's, or Braeburn. Anything crispy and sweet that you would also use in an Apple Crisp or Apple Pie!
- cinnamon
- maple syrup- I used maple syrup as the sweetener for the french toast portion of this recipe, it adds great flavor! I also love to drizzle syrup on top of this casserole when serving.
- vanilla extract
- salt
a note on bread
Brioche is the star of the show here because of it's buttery and flaky texture, plus it's thick so it can soak up all of the custard you mix it with to make the casserole. You can typically find a loaf in the bakery section of your local grocery store.
Any thick and hearty bread works great in this recipe, so if you can't find brioche easily, you could also use challah, texas toast, or french bread. Really anything that is thick and has structure to it (sorry, white or wheat bread just won't do). If you have sourdough on hand, you could always whip up some Sourdough French Toast!
how to make
Step 1: Cut your brioche bread into 1-inch cubes and spread into a greased 9x13 baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy whipping cream, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until fully combined. Pour this over top of the bread evenly and gently toss. Set aside.
Step 2: 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 syrup is thickened, about 10 minutes. Spoon the apples evenly over the bread. Cover with foil and place in the fridge overnight.
Step 3: Make the streusel topping by cutting the cold butter into the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt with a pastry cutter until you get pea-sized pieces of butter. Cover & place in the fridge overnight.
Step 4: In the morning, preheat your oven to 350° F. Crumble the streusel evenly over the top of the casserole and place in the oven for about 45-55 minutes, or until the casserole is baked through in the middle and golden on top. Serve with maple syrup & whipped cream! SO easy, enjoy!
Can I assemble and bake right away?
If you are in a rush, you can assemble and bake this right away. Just know the longer it sits the more time the bread has to soak in the egg custard mixture! The texture will be a bit different but overall the flavors will still be great.
Serving Suggestions
When I'm serving french toast casseroles, which is typically in a group setting with family or friends, I love to also whip up a savory dish on the side. Something like my Cottage Cheese Egg Bake or this Butternut Squash Quiche would go so great on the side!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Heat it up in the microwave for 30-60 seconds or until warm.
To freeze this french toast casserole, let it cool completely and wrap it tightly in foil or cut it into slices and place it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Allow it to defrost overnight in the fridge when ready to eat and heat up in the oven or in the microwave.
Want to try more breakfast casserole recipes?
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📖 Recipe
30-Minute Prep Overnight Apple French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
french toast:
- 1 loaf brioche bread
- 6 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
apple topping:
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 large Granny Smith apples peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoon light brown sugar packed
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
streusel topping:
- ¼ cup butter cold and cubed
- ¼ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Cut your brioche bread into 1-inch cubes and spread into a greased 9x13 baking dish.1 loaf brioche bread
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy whipping cream, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until fully combined. Pour this over top of the bread evenly and gently toss. Set aside.6 large eggs, 1 ¼ cup heavy whipping cream, ½ cup whole milk, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch of salt
- In a large sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the apples, brown sugar, maple syrup, and cinnamon.¼ cup butter, 3 large Granny Smith apples, 2 tablespoon light brown sugar, 2 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Cook, stirring frequently, until the apples are softened and the syrup is thickened, about 10 minutes. Spoon the apples evenly over the bread. Cover with foil and place in the fridge overnight.
- Make the streusel topping by cutting the cold butter into the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and salt with a pastry cutter or fork, until you get pea-sized pieces of butter. Cover & place in the fridge overnight.¼ cup butter, ¼ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup old-fashioned oats, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In the morning, preheat your oven to 350° F. Crumble the streusel evenly over the top of the casserole and place in the oven for about 45-55 minutes, or until the casserole is baked through in the middle and golden on top. Serve with maple syrup & whipped cream.
Notes
Nutrition
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