Baked Caramel Apple French Toast

Every bite of this Caramel Apple French Toast Bake will have you enjoying the tastes of Fall at breakfast. The combination of baked French toast, apples, custard mixture, caramel sauce, with a cinnamon streusel topping means lazy weekend mornings around the table will never be the same!

Sometimes you just need something really yummy for breakfast.

Ok, maybe there’s more than just sometimes.
Breakfast is a favorite meal at our house and at least once a week we have it for dinner.
And if we go to a restaurant that serves breakfast all day, you can bet your sweet bippy that that’s what I’m having!

This easy French toast casserole is a great make ahead breakfast, and is perfect to serve overnight guests when you don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen cooking.

Every year I serve a breakfast casserole for Christmas morning breakfast because it’s easiest for me to put everything into the casserole dish and prepare it ahead of time so we can enjoy family time while it’s baking in the oven.

This decadent French toast along with the others make for a great brunch recipe.

What Do I need for this Caramel Apple French Toast Casserole?

• Challah bread, French, or Italian Bread
• Apples
• Eggs
• Milk
• Heavy Cream
• Sugar
• Vanilla Extract
• Lemon juice
• Caramel Sundae Topping
• Cinnamon
• nutmeg
• All-Purpose Flour
• Light Brown Sugar
• Salt
• Butter

How do I make this overnight French toast?

1. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, sugar, and nutmeg for the cinnamon sugar mixture.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the diced apples with the lemon juice. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the apples and toss to coat.
3. Place the bread cubes and apples in a large mixing bowl and lightly toss. Pour into a 9 X 13-inch baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla.
5. Carefully pour the mixture of eggs and milk over the bread and apples.
6. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator to sit overnight.
7. In a medium bowl, make the streusel topping by combining the flour, brown sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter (this is the one I really like!), cut the butter into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal. Place the mixture into a plastic bag, seal, and refrigerate overnight.
8. The next morning, heat oven to 350°F. Uncover the French toast, and drizzle 1/3 cup of caramel syrup over the the pan. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over it.
9. Bake for 45-55 minutes depending on desired outcome. 45 minutes will result in a softer and soggier French Toast and about the latter will be firmer.
10. Drizzle the top of French toast with more caramel sauce when serving, if desired, and / or maple syrup.

What kind of bread should I use for a breakfast casserole?

I mostly use a loaf of Italian Bread or French Bread when I make my overnight French toasts, but you can also use Challah.
Whatever type you use, you just want to make sure that you have about 10-12 cups of bread cubes.

Purchase the bread at least a day in advance so that the bread has a chance to harden a bit. Using day old bread will soak up more of the egg and milk mixture.

What apples are best for this Apple French Toast recipe?

I prefer to use Braeburn, but any apple that is best for baking can be used. They are:

• Jonagold
• Braeburn
• Honeycrisp
• Pink Lady
• Granny Smith Apples

Recipe Tip

I recommend putting a large cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil under the pan as it bakes. The bread expands as it bakes and the filling may drip out of the pan, so having something underneath will make clean up that much easier.

French Toast Recipes –

This isn’t the only baked French Toast here on 365 Days of Baking and More. I’ve got quite a few that are delicious all year long.
Since we’re talking Fall and caramel apples, this Pumpkin Spice Baked French Toast is perfect for this time of year, too.

Got a lot of fresh berries on hand? This Almond Berry French Toast Casserole is not only colorful, it’s delicious.
If blueberries are your favorite, then you’ll definitely want to give this Baked Blueberry Cream Cheese French Toast a go. Bursting with fresh blueberries, this recipe is a keeper all year long.

It might not have all the fixin’s the other French toasts above have, but this Baked Cinnamon French Toast, is one I’d eat all day, every day.So good and super easy, this recipe is perfect for holiday mornings or when you’ll have a busy day ahead and don’t want to spend a lot of time on making breakfast.

If you have a fondue pot, you’ll want to make this French Toast Fondue. It’s more of an experience and allows for great conversation while cooking your egg dipped bread cubes, and then dipping them in the maple butter.

Combine your love of strawberries and coffee in this Strawberry Stuffed Mocha French Toast. Stuffed French toast makes me swoon every time!

Breakfast Recipes

Looking for other menu ideas to serve for that first meal of the morning?

We absolutely LOVE these Loaded Huevos Rancheros. There is so much flavor in each and every bite, and it’s a dish that will leave you comfortable full and very happy.

Want muffins? I’ve got those, too!
These Apple Streusel Muffins are one of my favorites. Chocolate Banana Muffins, Strawberry Cream Muffins, and Lemon Zucchini Muffins are also good ones to put on the breakfast table.

These Raspberry Cream Cheese Scones are a reader favorite and these Cinnamon Sugar Palmiers are an easy breakfast treat that the whole family will enjoy.

This easy recipe makes a delicious breakfast and is a great way to use your favorite apples.