Delicious Overnight Apple French Toast Casserole: Your Perfect Make-Ahead Breakfast or Brunch

Imagine waking up to the irresistible aroma of warm cinnamon apples and sweet French toast, without having to lift a finger in the morning. This quick overnight Apple French Toast Casserole offers exactly that – a delightful dish you can effortlessly assemble the night before and simply bake for an unforgettable breakfast or brunch. Enhanced with a crunchy streusel topping and a luscious sour cream icing, this casserole is so incredibly flavorful, you might just find yourself skipping the maple syrup entirely!

Overnight Apple French Toast Casserole with Streusel Topping

Take a moment to truly savor the thought of this incredible creation. We’re talking about a generous casserole dish brimming with tender apple French toast bake, crowned with a satisfyingly crunchy streusel, featuring sweet and fragrant cinnamon-spiced apples, and finished with a bright, tangy sour cream icing. If only this page had a scratch-and-sniff feature, you’d be enveloped in the most intoxicating scents currently wafting through my kitchen – they’re truly beyond words!

This remarkable Apple French Toast Casserole is the latest jewel in our collection of beloved French toast recipes. A few years ago, we introduced a Pumpkin French Toast Casserole that quickly captured hearts, ours included. The collective adoration for make-ahead, overnight French toast bakes truly unites us all. And while pumpkin is a Thanksgiving staple, this festive apple version becomes the perfect centerpiece for your Christmas morning feast or any special holiday brunch. It offers a wonderful alternative when you’ve had your fill of pumpkin and crave something new yet equally comforting and delicious.

For this recipe, we’ve thoughtfully swapped out the pumpkin puree for an abundance of juicy, slightly tart apples, creating a flavor profile that’s both familiar and wonderfully fresh. And to elevate it further, a generous drizzle of homemade sour cream icing was added – a decision truly guided by pure culinary intuition. What results is more than just a breakfast item; it’s a delightful excuse to indulge in the warm, comforting flavors of apple pie first thing in the morning, artfully disguised as a decadent French toast casserole.

Close-up of Apple French Toast Casserole with rich streusel topping

Essential Ingredients for Your Apple French Toast Casserole

Crafting the perfect apple French toast casserole begins with selecting high-quality ingredients. Each component plays a crucial role in building the layers of flavor and texture that make this dish truly special. Here’s what you’ll need:

Apples: The star of our show! For optimal flavor and texture, use a mix of firm, slightly tart cooking apples. Varieties like Fuji, Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, and Granny Smith are excellent choices as they hold their shape well during baking and offer a delightful balance of sweetness and acidity. Braeburn also works beautifully. Feel free to experiment with your favorite apple combination.
Salted Butter: This recipe calls for salted butter, which adds a crucial depth of flavor, especially when sautéing the apples. The salt helps to enhance the natural sweetness of the apples and caramelize them beautifully alongside the sugar. If you only have unsalted butter, simply add a tiny pinch of salt when you’re cooking the apples.
Granulated Sugar: Essential for sweetening both the apples and the custard base. The granulated sugar contributes to the luscious caramelization of the apples and ensures the French toast casserole has that irresistible dessert-like sweetness. Adjust the amount based on your preference and whether you plan to add maple syrup later.
Ground Cinnamon: This warm spice is a perfect partner to apples, infusing them with an aromatic scent and a comforting, classic flavor. We’ll use it in both the sautéed apples and the custard mixture for an all-encompassing apple pie essence.
Bread: The foundation of any great French toast. Day-old or slightly stale bread is absolutely key here, as it absorbs the rich custard better without becoming soggy. You can use sturdy sandwich bread, rustic French bread, hearty sourdough, or even a soft country white bread. Brioche or challah bread are also fantastic choices for an extra rich and tender texture.
Milk: Forms part of the creamy custard base. Whole milk offers the richest flavor, but you can use 2% or even a dairy-free alternative like almond, soy, or cashew milk if preferred.
Heavy Cream: Elevates the custard to a truly luxurious level, providing unparalleled richness and a silky texture. For a dairy-free option, full-fat coconut cream can be an excellent substitute, adding a hint of tropical richness.
Large Eggs: The binding agent that transforms our milk and cream into a thick, delectable custard. Eggs are fundamental for achieving that classic French toast consistency.
Vanilla Extract: A splash of pure vanilla extract complements the apples and cinnamon beautifully, adding a layer of warmth and sweetness to the overall flavor profile.
Ground Nutmeg: A subtle touch of nutmeg enhances the spiced apple flavor, adding complexity and a traditional “pie spice” note to the casserole.
Light Brown Sugar: This is used exclusively for the streusel topping. Its moist texture and molasses notes create a wonderfully chewy and sweet crumb topping that caramelizes as it bakes.
All-Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for our crunchy streusel topping, binding the butter and sugar together to create that irresistible crumbly texture.

Ingredients for Apple French Toast Casserole laid out

How to Craft This Irresistible Holiday Breakfast Casserole: Step-by-Step Guide

Preparing this stunning apple French toast casserole is simpler than you might think, especially with its make-ahead design. Follow these steps for a perfect holiday breakfast or brunch:

Begin by Sautéing the Apples. This crucial first step really sets our casserole apart. Heat a large, sturdy skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of salted butter and allow it to melt completely until shimmering. Stir in 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Once combined, add your peeled, cored, and sliced apples to the skillet. Toss the apples thoroughly in this buttery, spiced sugar mixture. The combination of salt from the butter and the sugar will create an incredibly delicious caramel sauce that coats the apples, softening them slightly and enhancing their natural sweetness. Continue to stir as needed and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until the apples are tender-crisp. Remove them from the heat and let them cool completely to room temperature. This prevents the apples from making the bread soggy when assembled.
Prepare the Casserole Base. Lightly spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with a non-stick cooking spray to ensure easy removal. Arrange the diced day-old bread evenly in the prepared pan, forming a solid base. Next, layer the cooled, sautéed apples over the bread. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the remaining granulated sugar (use 1/2 cup if you plan to serve with maple syrup, or a full 1 cup if enjoying the casserole with just the sour cream icing), milk, heavy cream, large eggs, vanilla extract, ground nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon until well combined and smooth. Carefully pour this rich, aromatic custard mixture evenly over the bread and apples, ensuring all pieces of bread are well saturated.
Assemble the Streusel Topping and Chill. In a small bowl, combine the light brown sugar, the remaining 4 tablespoons of cold, diced salted butter, all-purpose flour, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, work the ingredients together until the butter breaks down into small, pea-sized crumbs. This creates that wonderfully crunchy streusel. Evenly sprinkle this crumb topping over the prepared casserole. Once assembled, cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 3-4 hours, though preferably overnight. This extended chill time allows the bread to fully soak up the custard, resulting in an incredibly moist and flavorful French toast.
Baking Instructions for a Golden Finish. When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack positioned in the center. Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and uncover. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until the casserole is golden brown on top and no longer jiggly in the center. A knife inserted into the center should come out clean. If you notice the topping browning too quickly before the casserole is cooked through, loosely tent the dish with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent over-browning. Allow the casserole to rest for a few minutes before serving to let the flavors settle.

Sliced Apple French Toast Casserole ready to serve

Expert Tips for an Even Better Baked French Toast Casserole:

Achieving French toast casserole perfection is within reach with a few simple tricks. These tips will help you elevate your dish from good to absolutely phenomenal:

Embrace Stale Bread. This is perhaps the most critical tip for any French toast casserole! Using bread that is at least a day, if not two, old is essential. Stale bread cubes are dry and porous, making them ideal for soaking up every drop of that delicious custard mixture. This prevents the dreaded “jiggly center” or dry, unabsorbed crumbs, ensuring a uniformly moist and flavorful casserole. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of bread; while sourdough bread adds a wonderful tangy note, country white bread, brioche, or challah also work beautifully to achieve varied textures and flavors.
Experiment with Apple Varieties. While we suggest a few excellent apple choices, don’t limit yourself. Different apple varieties offer distinct flavor profiles and textures. Combining sweet apples like Fuji or Honeycrisp with tart ones like Granny Smith creates a complex and balanced flavor. You can also use heirlooms for unique notes. The key is to select firm apples that won’t turn to mush during baking.
Always Sauté the Apples. We know it’s an extra step, but trust us, it’s a game-changer. When you take the time to sauté apple slices in a little butter and sugar, sprinkled with a pinch of cinnamon, something truly magical occurs. The apples soften slightly, developing a rich, golden hue and a subtle caramelization that intensifies their flavor. This process ensures they meld perfectly into the bread pudding, becoming an integral part of the dish rather than just an add-in. It creates an almost apple pie filling consistency within the French toast.
Maximize the “Make-Ahead” Aspect. This casserole is designed for convenience and, remarkably, tastes even better when prepared in advance. The overnight refrigeration period allows the bread ample time to fully absorb the rich custard, intensifying the flavors and ensuring an incredibly moist and tender result. This means you can assemble it the night before a special occasion, then simply pop it in the oven in the morning. Your guests will be none the wiser that you didn’t slave away at dawn, enjoying a stress-free, delicious breakfast.
Mind Your Sugar Levels. Our recipe, with the streusel and sour cream icing, tends to lean towards a sweeter, almost dessert-like experience. If you prefer a less sweet breakfast or plan on drenching your serving in maple syrup, we highly recommend cutting back on the granulated sugar in the casserole to 1/2 a cup. In this scenario, you might also consider skipping the sour cream icing entirely to let the natural flavors shine and avoid an overly sweet dish.
Consider Individual Portions. For a charming presentation or if you’re serving a smaller crowd, this recipe can easily be adapted into individual portions. You can bake the French toast in 12 cupcake-sized cups, which will also reduce the baking time. Find detailed instructions on how to create these delightful French Toast Cups with Coconut Almond Streusel here for a fun, personalized serving option.
Explore Dairy-Free Alternatives. For those with dietary restrictions or preferences, this casserole is easily adaptable to be dairy-free. Simply replace cow’s milk with an unsweetened plant-based milk like almond, soy, cashew, or coconut milk. For the heavy cream, full-fat coconut cream is an excellent substitute that still provides that luxurious richness. When it comes to the tangy icing, swap out traditional sour cream for a dairy-free coconut milk yogurt to maintain a similar consistency and tang.

Close-up of Apple French Toast Casserole with sour cream icing

If you’re a fan of this delightful casserole, you’ll also adore these similar recipes:

Salted Caramel Banana Nut French Toast Casserole
Blueberry Cheesecake French Toast Casserole
Caramelized Onion Spinach Savory French Toast (Strata)
Pumpkin French Toast Casserole
Veggie-Loaded Breakfast Casserole (try adding sausage or ground chicken for a heartier meal!)

Yield: 12 servings

Apple French Toast Casserole

Prep Time
4 hours 15 minutes

Cook Time
45 minutes

Total Time
5 hours

This effortless overnight Apple French Toast Casserole is designed for convenience, allowing you to assemble it well in advance and simply bake it fresh for breakfast or brunch. Adorned with a delightful streusel topping and finished with our signature tangy sour cream icing, this dish promises a symphony of flavors and textures so rich and satisfying, you won’t even need the maple syrup. It’s the ultimate make-ahead solution for a memorable morning meal.

Apple French Toast Casserole topped with streusel and icing

Ingredients

4 medium apples, (peeled, cored, sliced)
6 tablespoons salted butter, divided
granulated sugar* (see notes for quantity)
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 (day old) French bread, diced* (or brioche/challah)
2 cups milk* (dairy or plant-based)
1/2 cup heavy cream* (dairy or coconut cream)
6 large eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

APPLES: Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and allow it to melt. Once melted, stir in 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Add the sliced apples and toss to coat. Stir occasionally and cook for 5-7 minutes, until apples are softened but still slightly firm. Remove from heat and let them cool completely.
CASSEROLE BASE: Spray a 9×13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Arrange the diced bread in the pan, then layer the cooled apples on top. In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining granulated sugar (1/2 cup if serving with maple syrup, or 1 cup for serving with sour cream icing), milk, heavy cream, eggs, vanilla, nutmeg, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Pour this custard mixture evenly over the bread and apples.
STREUSEL: In a small bowl, combine the light brown sugar, the remaining 4 tablespoons of diced butter, all-purpose flour, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Use your fingertips to mix until the butter breaks down into small, crumbly pieces. Sprinkle this streusel topping evenly over the casserole. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to meld and the bread to fully absorb the custard.
BAKE: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF (175°C). Uncover the casserole and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until golden brown and the center is no longer jiggly. If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely tent the casserole with a piece of foil. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Butter: If using unsalted butter, simply add a tiny pinch of salt (about 1/8 teaspoon) wherever butter is called for to enhance flavors.
Sugar: Your sugar choice depends on your serving preference. If you plan to serve this casserole with my delicious sour cream icing (recipe below), use a full 1 cup of granulated sugar for the casserole custard base. If you prefer to serve it with maple syrup, reduce the granulated sugar in the casserole to 1/2 cup. Remember you’ll also need 2 tablespoons of sugar for sautéing the apples.
French Bread: While French bread is excellent, feel free to substitute with brioche or challah bread for an even richer, more tender texture. Ensure the bread is at least a day old for best absorption.
Milk + Heavy Cream Substitutes (Dairy-Free): For a dairy-free option, replace dairy milk with an equal amount of almond, soy, coconut, or cashew milk. For the heavy cream, full-fat canned coconut cream is a fantastic substitute, providing a similar rich texture.
Sour Cream Icing: To make the tangy sour cream icing, simply whisk together 1 tablespoon of sour cream, 1/3 cup of powdered sugar, and 1-2 tablespoons of milk (or plant-based milk for dairy-free). Add milk gradually until you reach your desired drizzly consistency. Drizzle generously over the warm casserole and enjoy!

Have you made this recipe?

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Overnight Apple French Toast Bake