Baked Apple French Toast Casserole combines the classic flavors of French toast with the comforting sweetness of baked apples, Boiled Cider, raisins, and cinnamon, creating a hearty brunch experience.
There’s something truly special about waking up to the aroma of freshly baked apple French toast casserole wafting through the kitchen.
French toast, also known as “pain perdu” or “lost bread” in French, has been a beloved breakfast staple for centuries. Its origins can be traced back to ancient times when people sought creative ways to repurpose stale bread. By soaking slices of bread in a mixture of eggs and milk and then frying them until golden brown, cooks discovered a simple yet satisfying way to breathe new life into leftover bread. Over time, French toast evolved into the beloved dish we know today, cherished for its versatility and timeless appeal.
Boiled Cider Adds Flavor
Boiled cider, popular in Colonial New England, this “apple molasses” adds a touch of sweetness and complexity. Made by simmering apple cider until it reduces to a thick and syrupy consistency, boiled cider intensifies the natural flavor of apples, infusing dishes with a rich and fruity essence. Its deep caramel notes and tangy undertones elevate the flavor profile of Baked Apple French Toast Casserole.
Boiled cider is very easy to make. Most of the time, it’s just bubbling away on your stove top, with the occasional stir. Your house will smell like apples for about six hours. One gallon of unprocessed cider makes about 8 ounces of boiled cider. We like it on Cider-Glazed Brussels Sprouts and to use instead of syrup for pancakes and waffles. Boiled cider also makes a wonderful gift. Atlas Obscura’s Gastro Obscura has an excellent piece about Boiled Cider, now only made by a handful of Vermont producers, including King Arthur Flour.
What Kind of Bread?
Baked Apple French Toast Casserole is a great way to use up bread. I happened to have an extra loaf of whole wheat bread that I wanted to use up. Wheat bread has a little nuttiness in its flavor that’s perfect for this. If you have seeded whole-grain bread, even better. Sourdough would be an excellent choice, as would any egg or potato bread. Rye and pumpernickel, as good as they are, might be a bit too sour for this application.
The trick to making good French toast is to use stale bread. Stale bread absorbs liquid. If your bread isn’t stale or is too moist to absorb liquids, dry it out. Put it on a rack over a sheet pan in your oven at 300 for 20 minutes. Putting the bread on a rack means that all sides will dry out and that your casserole will not turn out soggy.
A Treat for Brunch
This casserole can be the star of your brunch since it can feed quite a lot of people. If you serve it alongside bacon, fruit, eggs, and potatoes, it could easily feed 12 and up to 24 people. This is an easy recipe to make and would be perfect for a Mother’s Day brunch with Mimosas.
It comes together quickly and does not require overnight soaking. Don’t worry about having to remember to assemble it the night before; just assemble it an hour before you need it.
Baked Apple French Toast Casserole Recipe
Email Me the Recipe
Baked Apple French Toast Casserole
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 12 slices Whole wheat bread
~~ — Filling — ~~
- 1 Apple, sliced
- ½ cup Raisins
- ¼ cup *Boiled Cider
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
~~ — Custard — ~~
- 6 Eggs
- 4 cups Milk
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
~~ — Topping — ~~
- ¼ cup Brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon Salt, flakey
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
- 2 tablespoon *Boiled Cider
Instructions
- Mise en place
- If your bread is not stale and dried out, put the slices on a rack in a half-sheet pan and bake them at 300 °F (149 °C) for 20 minutes or until they are noticeably dried out and begin to brown. Let them cool before assembling the casserole.
- Put 6 slices of bread in the bottom of a 9 x 12 casserole.
Filling
- Put apple slices on each slice of bread.
- Top the apple slices with raisins.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon on top.
- Drizzle the boiled cider on top.
Custard
- Mix the eggs, milk and cinnamon together. Pour half of the mixture over the filling.
- Top with the remaining slices of bread. Pour the remaining mixture of the bread,
Topping
- Sprinkle the bread with brown sugar and cinnamon. Pour melted butter on top then sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for at 350 °F (177 °C) for 1 hour or until the apples are soft. Let the casserole sit for about 10 minutes before serving.
This was lovely. We had it a big gathering for 4th of July and I made this for breakfast. It was delicious and the boiled cider brought back some wonderful memories.
This was wonderful for breakfast. I’m going to make it for Mother’s day breakfast.
I happened to have a bottle of boiled cider leftover from Christmas and used it for this recipe. It was delightful. Thank you!