Cinnamon French Toast Bake with Apples

Cinnamon French toast bake is full of flavor. This delicious French toast bake made with Granny Smith apples and French bread and can be made ahead of time.

Apple lovers, where you at? This apple French toast bake is going to make your morning so much better. Just like apple cinnamon rolls and cinnamon apple monkey bread, this recipe is made from scratch and is super easy and simple.

Easy French toast bake recipe

We all love French toast. That slice of bread that's perfectly brown and crispy on the outside yet creamy on the inside is nothing less than pure deliciousness. This French toast bake made with cinnamon and apple is a popular breakfast item at our home alongside apple pie crepes.

You can also call this ooey gooey flavorful breakfast many things: apple pie bread pudding, apple cinnamon breakfast casserole or apple pie French toast. but whatever you call it, it's going to taste amazing. So, trust me when I say if you're going to make this, it's better to make it for the weekend, with a light blanket and a good book at hand, because that's how weekend mornings should be spent.

Why this apple French toast bake recipe woks

This is a delicious breakfast recipe works for a few reasons:

1. You can make it ahead of time. This recipe calls for 8 hours of refrigeration so you can make it the night before and simply put it in the oven in the morning so everyone wakes up to the beautiful aroma of cinnamon and apple.
2. It's best to make it with a day old bread therefore you can use leftover bread slices.
3. You can make it in individual cups too which would be perfect for brunch parties.

Ingredients to make French toast bake recipe

Here is the list of ingredients you need to make this delicious breakfast:

• Bread: I prefer French or Italian bread for this apple French toast casserole. I usually use day old stale bread because it absorbs eggs and milk much better compared to fresh bread. 
• Eggs
• Cinnamon
• Vanilla extract
• Granulated sugar
• Milk: Any kind of milk would work in this recipe. I usually use 1% milk but I have tried it with almond milk and it works just fine. 
• Apples: Granny Smith is my favorite because of its subtle tart flavor that matches well with cinnamon. However, you can use any kind of apple for this recipe. 

How to make cinnamon French toast bake

Start by slicing the bread and placing them standing next to each other in an oven safe baking dish. In a bowl, mix eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and milk using a whisk until all the ingredients are well incorporated. 

Pour this egg and milk mixture over the bread slices. In anther bowl, mix apple slices, sugar and cinnamon. Place the apple slices between bread slices. Cover the dish with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight. 

When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F and take the French toast bake out of the fridge, uncover and let it come to room temperature. Once the oven is hot, place the dish on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. 

Topping suggestions for apple cinnamon French toast bake

You can top this French toast bake with different topping, here are some of my favorites:

• Walnuts
• Pecans
• Chocolate chips 
• Raisins
• Coconut flakes
• Almond butter
• Peanut butter

Can I freeze French toast casserole?

Yes. It's best to freeze French toast casserole after baking. Once it's cool and at room temperature, tightly cover it with plastic wrap and freeze it. To serve, let it thaw in the fridge over night and heat it in the oven at 350°F for about 25 minutes. 

Looking for more delicious breakfast and brunch recipes?

• Baked French Toast with Berry Compote
• Churro Waffles
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Waffles
• Pumpkin Pecan Bread Pudding
• Challah bread pudding

Notes and tips to make this apple pie French toast:

• Use any kind of bread you prefer. My favorites are challah, brioche and French bread.
• Before baking, let the apple cinnamon French toast stay in the fridge for 8 hours. This will help the bread slices to absorb the milk and egg mixture.
• My favorite apples to use for this recipe is granny smith because of a little bit of tartness flavor. Any kind of apple would perfectly work for this recipe.
• You can serve this apple cinnamon French toast bake with maple syrup.
• Store the leftovers in an airtight container and heat before serving.