This Apple Pie French Toast Casserole is an easy, make-ahead breakfast recipe that captures the flavors of fall. Filled with slices of french bread, sweet apple pie filling, and topped with a crispy brown sugar streusel, this baked dish is perfect to bring to any brunch!
There’s nothing better than the smell of breakfast wafting from the kitchen on a lazy morning.
And it seems to be even better on those cool, fall days. Am I right?
While we don’t exactly have our cool, fall weather yet here in Chicago, I’ve been baking up a storm with apples. After all, apple (and pumpkin!) season is my favorite! And if I haven’t mentioned it yet, fall is my favorite season for oh-so many reasons. The weather, the leaves, the crisp mornings, the pumpkin spice lattes…I could go on and on.
But instead, let’s focus on my latest fall breakfast…a warm and comforting apple french toast casserole. It sounds like it was made for fall, doesn’t it?
What Makes This Apple Pie French Toast Casserole So Great
- You can make this casserole the night before, then take it out and bake it the next morning!
- The bread comes out warm, moist, and full of fall flavors, while the top is crunchy and sweet – a perfect breakfast combo!
- Like most of my recipes, this dish couldn’t get any easier to prepare.
This Apple Pie French Toast Casserole is an easy, make-ahead breakfast that captures the flavors of fall. The name says it all, friends. Apple pie enveloped between warm slices of thick french toast. And the streusel. Warm, crispy, and filled with brown sugar and apple flavors. What could be better?
If you’ve been hanging around here long enough, then you know that I’m a big fan of french toast bakes (remember this Caramel Eggnog version and that Banana Caramel dish?). It’s the perfect breakfast to prep the night before and then just pop in the oven the next morning.
Cooking Tips
- Cut the bread into slices, rather than in cubes. This saves on time and ensures that everyone gets thick, hearty slices.
- Don’t put the french toast casserole straight from the fridge to the oven! The bread won’t cook evenly and your dish might crack due to the sudden change in temperature!
- If you don’t have apple pie spice, mix together 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice. Use 2/3 of the spice blend for the casserole and 1/3 of the spice blend for the streusel topping.
Variations
- To make this really decadent, use brioche bread instead of french bread!
- For a bit of an extra crunch, add 1/4 cup of finely chopped nuts to the streusel topping! Pecans or walnuts would go well with this dish.
- To get even more fall fruits in this dish, replace 1/3 of the apple pie topping with chopped pear, then prepare as directed.
This Apple Pie French Toast Casserole is also the perfect breakfast for those hungry house guests, kids, or even husbands. The warm, wonderful smell will have everyone begging for breakfast to be ready. Trust me!
How To Make This Baked French Toast Casserole
- Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place bread slices in an even layer on the bottom of the baking dish (I place the slices on an angle and ended up with two rows). Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, heavy whipping cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and apple pie spice. Set aside.
- Spoon apple pie mixture evenly over bread slices and put in between some slices.
- Pour egg mixture over the bread, making sure to cover each piece with the mixture.
- Lightly press down on the bread to ensure each piece is saturated, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Take the casserole out of the refrigerator and let it sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- While the french toast casserole is coming to room temperature, prepare the topping. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, apple pie spice, and melted butter. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Spread the topping evenly over the top of the french toast casserole then bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the bread is firm and no more liquid remains.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately. Enjoy!
So if you’re on the hunt for that perfect fall breakfast, this Apple Pie French Toast Casserole is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters!
Looking for more french toast recipes? I’ve got you covered!
- Cinnamon Banana Croissant French Toast
- Pumpkin French Toast Cups with Cinnamon Streusel
- Blueberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast
- Peanut Butter and Banana French Toast
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Apple Pie French Toast Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 loaf french bread cut into slices
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups milk any kind (I used 2%)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple pie spice
- 1 can (20 ounce) apple pie filling roughly chopped
Topping
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon apple pie spice
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Place bread slices in an even layer on bottom of baking dish. I placed the slices on an angle and ended up with two rows. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy whipping cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and apple pie spice. Set aside.
- Spoon chopped apple pie mixture evenly over bread slices and push in between some slices. Pour egg mixture over bread, making sure to cover each piece with the mixture. Lightly press down on bread to ensure that each piece is saturated.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375F. Take the dish out of the refrigerator and let sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- While french toast is coming to room temperature, prepare topping. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, apple pie spice, and melted butter. Mix until fully incorporated.
- Spread evenly over top of french toast. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until bread is firm and no more liquid remains.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Nutrition
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