This is one of my absolute favorite french toast bake recipes. If you’ve never tried baked french toast, you’re in for a treat. It’s much simpler to make than french toast and perfect for serving a crowd over the holidays.
This Rustic Apple French Toast Bake is perfect for a cozy family breakfast but also a delicious addition to brunch celebrations! It’s made ahead (and then popped in the oven to cook) making it easy to serve at a party. I love recipes that allow me to prep the day before!
I’m thrilled to share this recipe because it comes from the book “A Farmgirl’s Table” by Jessica Robinson, a fellow author from my publisher Gibbs-Smith! The recipes are simple to make and definitely tap into my love for Southern favorites.
This Rustic Apple French Toast Bake reminds me of an apple crumble on top and french toast on the bottom. It’s full of cinnamon apple flavor, and you feel a bit like you’re enjoying a decadent dessert for breakfast! My kind of breakfast. This is an ideal addition to baby showers, brunch parties, holiday celebrations, etc. It’s definitely going to be a year-round favorite at my house.
The Perfect French Toast Bake
You know how I love to put twists on recipes so I’m already thinking of trying this out in a peach version. Doesn’t that sound delicious? I spent many of my childhood summers picking peaches with my grandparents in Belton, SC where peaches were aplenty. Oooh… a peach/blackberry combination would be delish too! So many possibilities.
This french toast bake recipe calls for maple sugar which after a bit of googling, I discovered was tricky to make and since I imagine most of us don’t have this on hand (I don’t), I opted for turbinado sugar instead. This is easily found in the sugar section by brown sugar. It worked really well!
Apple French Toast Bake
An easy baked french toast full of apple flavor, perfect for serving to a crowd!
Ingredients
FRENCH TOAST BASE
- 1 day-old baguette
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 9 large eggs
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
APPLE TOPPING
- 5-6 large baking apples such as Macoun or Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup plus more for drizzling
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
STRUESEL TOPPING
- 1/4 cup 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated maple sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
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Prepare a 9x13-inch ceramic baking dish by spraying with cooking spray or brushing with softened butter.
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FRENCH TOAST: Cut the baguette into 1-inch-thick slices and transfer them to the baking dish. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, cream, and eggs. Whisk in the maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Pour the egg mixture over the bread.
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APPLE TOPPING: Place the apple slices in a medium bowl and toss with the lemon juice, maple syrup, cinnamon, and butter. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the bread. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
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STREUSEL TOPPING: Place all the ingredients in a bowl and combine well with your hands. Cover with plastic wrap or transfer to a ziplock bag and set aside.
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When ready to cook, sprinkle on the streusel topping, and then place the baking dish in the oven and set the temperature to 375 degrees F. (Do not preheat the oven, or you may crack the dish.) Bake for 65-70 minutes, until the apples are soft and the eggs are set. The casserole is done when a butter knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
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Remove from oven, scoop into serving bowls, dust with powdered sugar, and drizzle with additional maple syrup.
Recipe Notes
I swapped turbinado sugar for the maple sugar!
Grab Jessica’s book if you’re looking for some delicious recipes or a lovely gift! I’m already eyeing a few more treats to bake up for my family. And I know this baked french toast is a new favorite that I’ll be making all the time. I have a friend who just had a newborn baby, and I can’t wait to bake up one to take to her!
If you try this baked french toast, please let me know in the comments. I can’t wait to hear what you think!
Here are a few more breakfast/brunch ideas if you’re on the hunt!
Look so great!
Rebecca
xx