This baked apple cider French toast combines a number of the fall season’s favourite flavors: apples, cinnamon, pecans, and apple cider. Dip slices of crusty bread in a cider-infused custard, after which high with spiced apples cooked in a brown sugar sauce. Serve this scrumptious dish with maple syrup or salted caramel for an additional flavorful begin to a crisp autumn morning.
One reader, Angela, commented: “I like fall apples and apple cider, and this recipe sounded nice. It didn’t disappoint! I made it for a household dinner as dessert—like bread pudding with a beautiful fall twist—and it was each bit as scrumptious as I may have imagined… I’ll completely be making this once more. Rather a lot! ★★★★★“
The autumn baking season is right here, and yearly, I like diving proper in with recent apples and cinnamon. Have you ever tried my recent apple cake or apple cinnamon rolls but?
In the present day I’m sharing fairly the indulgent breakfast… or ought to I simply name it “dessert masquerading as breakfast”? It’s the apple model of my pumpkin French toast casserole, and positively a particular deal with if you happen to’re entertaining visitors, or if you happen to simply went apple selecting. Decide up some apple cider whilst you’re on the farm market!
Right here’s Why You’ll Love It:
- Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, similar to apple pie
- Loaded with further brown sugared-apples
- Prep it the evening earlier than and bake it within the morning
- Simpler to organize than common French toast… no particular person slices to cook dinner!
- Satisfies these candy fall taste cravings and feeds a crowd
- A beautiful approach to make use of recent apple cider… have you ever tried my apple cider sangria but?
Let’s leap proper in.
Greatest Bread to Use for Baked Apple Cider French Toast
Tip #1: Begin with a high quality loaf. Bread is the primary ingredient in any baked French toast casserole, so don’t skimp right here. Flimsy sliced sandwich bread received’t do the casserole any favors as a result of it’s unable to absorb extra moisture from the custard—your complete dish will style flat, soggy, and moist. And it positively wouldn’t stand as much as the apple topping! I like to recommend utilizing sturdy, flavorful bread equivalent to challah, French bread, sourdough, brioche, do-it-yourself artisan bread, and even this do-it-yourself cinnamon swirl bread. Challah is my #1 advice and you may often discover it within the bakery part of the grocery retailer.
Tip #2: Let it get stale. When you may have the standard bread you want, let it sit out for a number of hours to turn into stale. As with breakfast casserole, French toast is greatest when the bread is considerably stale. Reduce the loaf into thick slices, then let it sit out uncovered for a number of hours. The much less moisture within the bread, the extra apple cider custard it might take in!
Tip #3: Do this shortcut: If you happen to don’t have time to let the bread sit out and get stale, you possibly can frivolously toast the slices within the oven at 300°F for about 10 minutes. I do that rather a lot… so forgetful!
Whereas I like this baked apple cider French toast with thick bread slices lined up vertically within the baking dish, you possibly can slice the bread into cubes if you happen to’d favor, like we do for this cream cheese French toast casserole.
Right here’s Every part Else You Want:
After you may have your barely stale slices of high quality bread, whisk collectively the egg custard.
- Eggs: You want 6 giant eggs.
- Apple Cider: Apple cider is recent, unfiltered, unpasteurized apple juice, and it’s deeply flavorful. Don’t mistake this ingredient for alcoholic, carbonated cider, or for apple cider vinegar—that isn’t a mistake you need to make! When you’ve got further apple cider, make apple cider rooster subsequent!
- Milk: I exploit complete milk on this recipe, however you need to use lower-fat or nondairy milk if essential. Half-and-half or heavy cream would make for a richer, creamier custard, however I discover it makes the apple French toast casserole too heavy.
- Brown Sugar: With its larger molasses content material, brown sugar is the only option for sweetening this apple cider French toast.
- Orange Zest: Slightly trace of citrus brightens up all of the deep apple spice flavors on this French toast casserole. I examined the recipe with and with out orange zest, and style testers agreed that the trace of recent citrus actually introduced out the recent apple cider taste.
- Vanilla Extract, Spices, & Salt: The flavour-enhancers no apple baked good ought to be with out. (By the best way, if you happen to love apple cinnamon goodness, and also you’re up for a baking undertaking, attempt my apple cinnamon babka someday!)
Now flip your consideration to the apples; the remaining elements you see above are used subsequent.
Briefly Prepare dinner the Apples
Peel and slice 4 medium-size apples utilizing a peeler (that’s an affiliate hyperlink to the one I exploit and love!), similar to we do for apple cobbler. Undecided which apples are greatest? See my Greatest Apples for Baking web page. I often use 2 tart Granny Smith apples and a couple of candy Honeycrisp or Pink Woman apples right here.
A fast activate the range bathes the spiced apple slices in a wealthy, buttery apple cider sauce that caramelizes the apples as they cook dinner. Prepare dinner for about 8 minutes, till the apples are crisp-tender, and the sauce has barely thickened (and smells unbelievable). Take the skillet off warmth, and stir within the pecans.
Warning: At this level, it’s possible you’ll neglect all in regards to the French toast you have been making and need to simply eat the apples with a spoon. Attempt to keep centered. I do know it’s onerous!!
Dip the slices of bread within the egg custard. I often do that earlier than I cook dinner the apples.
And prepare in a greased casserole dish.
Spoon the apple/pecan combination over the soaked bread slices. I wish to press a number of the apple slices down in between the bread slices. Pour the remaining brown sugar sauce over high of every part.
Attempt a crumb topping: This might even be wonderful with the crumb topping from this pumpkin French toast casserole. Be happy so as to add it if you wish to degree up your baked French toast sport!
At this level, you possibly can cowl the apple cider French toast and refrigerate it in a single day, or for a minimum of 3 hours so the bread can soak and the flavors can infuse. After that, it’s time to bake:
You may, however you’ll lose some taste. Apple cider is recent, unfiltered, and sometimes unpasteurized, so it’s extra just like the uncooked, purer model of juiced apples. Apple juice has had the pulp and sediment filtered out, and is pasteurized to increase its shelf life. If you happen to can’t discover recent apple cider, you can also make do-it-yourself apple cider in a sluggish cooker.
In the case of baking with apples, it’s greatest to make use of apples with a agency, crisp texture, so that they don’t bake down into mush. I like varieties like Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Fuji, Pink Woman, Braeburn, and Jazz apples. Avoid softer, mealier apple varieties like McIntosh and Crimson Scrumptious. If the apple has a crisp, juicy crunch if you chunk into it, that’s seemingly an excellent one for baking!
Serving Apple Cider French Toast
Drizzle the highest of the nice and cozy baked apple cider French toast (both the entire thing, or particular person servings) with maple syrup or salted caramel earlier than serving, and/or sprinkle with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar. For a aspect dish, it is a fantastic French toast casserole to serve with recent fruit and one thing you possibly can cook dinner on the range like bacon or sausage.
Baked Apple Cider French Toast
Prep Time: 4 hours (contains bread sitting out)
Prepare dinner Time: 50 minutes
Whole Time: 8 hours (or longer if beginning evening earlier than)
Yield: serves 12
Class: Breakfast
Methodology: Baking
Delicacies: American
Description
Begin this baked apple cider French toast casserole forward of time so you possibly can get up and bake a deliciously spiced fall breakfast or brunch! Remember to use apple cider, the nonalcoholic beverage, and never apple cider vinegar.
Directions
- Slice the bread into 1-inch-wide slices. Let the sliced bread sit out uncovered for a number of hours or as much as 1 day. (If you happen to don’t have sufficient time, see recipe Word beneath for a shortcut.)
- Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish (or any 3.5–4-quart baking dish), or spray with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl ideally with a pour spout, whisk the eggs, apple cider, milk, brown sugar, orange zest, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt collectively till mixed. Put aside.
- Dip every slice of bread within the egg custard combination, soaking either side. Place within the ready baking dish, lining the slices up subsequent to one another. Pour any remaining custard excessive. Put aside.
- Prepare dinner the apples: Soften the butter in a big skillet over medium warmth. Add the apples, apple cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Prepare dinner for 8 minutes, stirring sometimes, till apples have barely softened. Take away from warmth and stir within the pecans.
- Spoon the apple combination excessive of the bread slices, and pour any remaining sauce from the skillet excessive of every part.
- Cowl the casserole tightly and place within the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours and as much as 1 day. This offers the bread an opportunity to absorb the custard and is a key step on this recipe.
- Take away casserole from the fridge and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Bake casserole uncovered for 20 minutes, after which cowl with aluminum foil and bake for an extra 25–35 minutes or till middle seems set and is not runny. The whole time this casserole takes is 45–55 minutes.
- Take away from the oven and funky for five minutes earlier than serving. Casserole deflates barely because it cools. Be happy to sift a dusting of confectioners’ sugar on high, and/or drizzle maple syrup or salted caramel sauce on complete casserole or on particular person servings.
- Cowl leftovers tightly and retailer within the fridge for as much as 2–3 days.
Notes
- Make Forward & Freezing Directions: You may put together the French toast casserole via step 6 as much as 1 day upfront earlier than baking. Cowl tightly and refrigerate till you’re able to bake it. Take away the casserole from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature whereas your oven preheats. You may freeze leftover baked and cooled casserole for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge in a single day, then reheat to your liking within the microwave, or cowl and bake in a 300°F (149°C) oven till heat all through, a minimum of 20 minutes.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Vegetable Peeler | 9×13-inch Baking Dish (or any 3.5–4-quart baking dish equivalent to this one) | Glass Mixing Bowl or Bowl with Pour Spout | Whisk | Sieve
- Bread: Crusty, considerably stale bread is greatest for French toast casseroles. If you happen to’re in a rush and don’t have time to let the bread sit out as instructed in step 1, lay the bread slices on baking sheets in a single layer and bake in a 300°F (149°C) oven for 10 minutes.
- Apple Cider: Ensure you’re utilizing apple cider the (nonalcoholic, non-carbonated) drink, not apple cider vinegar. You should use apple juice as an alternative if cider if you happen to should, however you’ll lose some taste. Discover ways to make a do-it-yourself apple cider beverage in a sluggish cooker.
- Milk: Entire milk is greatest as a result of it produces a wealthy casserole that isn’t too heavy. You should use lower-fat or nondairy milks in a pinch. Half-and-half works, too. I discovered heavy cream too heavy and wealthy for this casserole.
- Nut Free: You may pass over the pecans if desired.
