Baked Overnight Apple French Toast Casserole is easy, full of apples or your favorite fruit, nuts, raisins and the best baked breakfast or brunch recipe! This dish never disappoints, you really have to try it!
Overnight French Toast Casserole
I just love preparing breakfast or brunch the night before so all I have to do is basically pop this casserole into the oven when I am getting ready to serve it. French toast is the perfect dish to start the day off with!
It is true I generally prefer to use apples, pecans and raisins but have used so many different ingredients over the years, too many to count.
The reality is that with this recipe every pie filling will work and work beautifully, include your favorite nuts or not and decide if raisins are required and then you are good to start!
Overnight Apple French Toast Casserole
When making your overnight french toast bake it is possible to use fresh apples. They require a bit more work but are worth it if you don't want to use canned pie filling.
All you need is some apples, water, butter, cinnamon, sugar and cornstarch and you're good to go. For the complete instructions check this recipe from Spend With Pennies out, she is terrific.
I love apples and all things apple related and I must say that her recipe is absolutely delicious. I've used it many times, always with positive results.
Ingredients in Overnight Apple French Toast
- loaf of bread
- your favorite pie filling
- eggs
- milk
- vanilla
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
Topping
- pecans
- butter
- brown sugar
- corn syrup
- raisins
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
Options for Serving
- fresh fruit
- syrup
- whipped cream
How to make Overnight French Toast
Slice bread into 1 inch thick slices.
Prepare a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray.
Place slices in your prepared pan. Cut slices in half where necessary so that there is one full layer of bread covering the bottom of the pan. Make sure to overlap the pieces to ensure proper coverage and a proper end result.
Open your can of pie filling and spread it across the top of the bread layer as evenly as possible. Sprinkle with raisins if desired.
Top pie filling with remaining bread. Again, cut slices in half to create a bread layer that overlaps the bottom.
I love to open the second can of pie filling and spread it on top of the bread to create a second apple layer. Ken prefers not to. I leave the decision up to you.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Pour over bread and apples.
Adjust bread and egg mixture to try and make sure bread is coated as best you can.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
In the meantime place brown sugar and butter in a small bowl.
Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in pecans, raisins and corn syrup.
Spread out all over top of French toast.
Bake until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Serve with maple syrup, whipped cream or fresh fruit.
Overnight French Toast Bake
I try to always prepare this french toast the night before I am going to need it but I have gotten up really early, made it, and left it in the fridge for about 4 hours before baking.
The results were still terrific but I still think, leaving it in the fridge overnight is just a bit better. The egg is better able to soak into the bread. No one notices a difference except me.
Perhaps I am just overly critical. Actually there is nothing perhaps about it! I tend to over analyze all food!
Baked French Toast Casserole
Whether you leave the overnight apple french toast casserole in the fridge overnight or wake up early and prepare it, you must take it out of the fridge about ½ hour before you're ready to bake it. This allows for the french toast to come to room temperature and bake evenly.
It's important to bake the french toast casserole uncovered so that the topping has a chance to caramelize. Trust me, the results will be worth it. It makes the topping just out of this world.
The caramel combines with the nuts on top to make a thick, ooey gooey mess of goodness. So good that my husband says that he wishes he could eat only that. And he's not the only one!
If you're looking for a healthier option, try looking at this list of healthy French toast recipes. There may not be something with the oozingly good caramel but I assure you that there are many mouthwatering recipes to be found in that link.
French Toast Bake Recipe
We use any kind of bread to make this Overnight Apple French Toast and so can you! I prefer using a square loaf of bread because it is easier to slice and fit inside the pan! A cinnamon raisin bread works beautifully too. I just can't always get it unsliced!
Any kind of bread will do but here's a list of kinds that you can try if you like:
- White Bread
- Whole Wheat Bread
- Rye Bread
- Sour Dough Bread
- Multigrain Bread
- Cinnamon Raisin Bread
- Egg Bread aka Challah Bread
The last two breads I mentioned are great at adding a nice sweet taste to your french toast bake. The egg bread is quite tasty and the raisin bread makes this dish just out of this world!
A point that I need to stress more is that your bread needs to be as square as possible. This ensures that the slices will fit properly in the pan.
You also want to make sure that you overlap the slices of bread so that it's like a kind of puzzle. When you overlap you make sure that the bread doesn't just come out of the pan when you serve it. You want to have slices of different sizes and be able to show off your hard work.
Baked French Toast Recipe
When ready to serve this overnight french toast bake recipe you have quite a few options. We usually serve a slice of this wonderful french toast covered in maple syrup. Sometimes we switch it up and every bite is still absolutely amazing!
You can also serve it with whipped cream, jams, honey, and raspberry to name a few options.
On the side, I like to serve a nice fresh fruit salad. Ken, however, prefers to whip up some bacon and sausage to serve with it. I always thought that was kind of strange but now I'm used to it.
For brunch, you can even a little side salad topped with whatever fruit you've used in your meal. The possibilities are endless...you can create to your heart's content!
Overnight French Toast Bake
Overnight apple french toast casserole is not only tasty but a versatile recipe. Besides being able to customize it, you can serve it for different occasions or meals.
I like to make this for breakfast or brunch at home with the family but it's great for when company comes over. I simply ask what flavor they're in the mood for and I prepare it the night before.
I've brought this french toast to functions and brunch potlucks. I even brought it to Patrick's school once when they were having a pajama day.
Baked French Toast Casserole Recipe
When it comes to adding a second can of pie filling all over the top layer of bread I love doing that sometimes. My husband doesn't if he is making breakfast. I just do when I feel like it.
I figure the more fruit the better and the extra pie filling tastes great under the pecan or pecan raisin layer!
Whether you do one layer or two is really your preference. I recommend making it the way the recipe calls for the first time you bake it and then experiment from there.
I'd love to hear about what you create and what you prefer.
French Toast Bake
I have used a bunch of different pie fillings. Here is a list of popular and not so common canned fillings:
- Apple
- Cherry
- Blueberry
- Raspberry
- Strawberry Rhubarb
- Peach
- Pear
- Raisin
- Apricot
- Lemon
- Key Lime
The lemon and key lime flavors don't get used as much as they are a bit tart and change the dynamics of the french toast bake. It all depends on what you top the french toast with and what you serve it with.
My favorite is the apple as it was my grandmother's favorite too. I miss her and I know it sounds silly but I feel a little bit closer to her when I eat apples. My husband is so sweet and thinks it's a perfectly normal thing.
Baked French Toast Casserole
Now I know I love my overnight french toast casserole recipe tons but my family has different preferences. They love the different ways I can make it with all the fillings and toppings. It's nice to switch it up for them and I do.
When my son Patrick was young, he and his friends would come over before I'd make the baked french toast and we'd have a kind of selection party.
I'd place all the fillings and toppings I had on hand on the table and let them pick what they wanted for brunch the next day. Sometimes they'd even combine a couple of different fillings together.
Have you ever tried a blueberry cherry french toast topped with chopped walnuts and coconut? It's amazing, some would even say mind blowing! Have some fun, take a chance and you never know, you may create the next new craze!
What To Serve With Overnight Apple French Toast
Now, this French toast has a topping already but that doesn't mean that you can't add another...right? In my books, there's no such thing as too many toppings. So check out this list of things that you can add on top and create to your heart's desire!
A great French toast deserves an equally amazing side dish to go with it. You want something that will highlight it's awesome qualities and will make others sing your praises when they try it.
Overnight Apple French Toast Video
Other French Toast Casserole Recipes
As I have mentioned before, we are huge french toast fans in this house and I have included links below to some of our other favorites.
Hopefully you have a moment to take a peek at those recipes as well, especially the The Best Overnight Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast! Actually, they all are so amazing and definitely worth a try!
Overnight Apple French Toast
Ready to get cooking? Remember that you can print this recipe if you would like.
Overnight Apple French Toast
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 loaf bread, french, cinnamon raisin, or egg (challah), 1thick slices -
- 1 can (21 oz) apple pie or any other fruit filling - or 2
- 8 large eggs
- 2 cups milk -
- 1 tblsp vanilla extract -
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- maple syrup as needed
- Topping
- 1 cup butter, cold, cubed
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 - 1 ½ cups pecans, coarsely chopped - (optional)
- 2 tblsp corn syrup -
- ½ cup raisins - or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg, ground
Instructions
- Slice bread into 1 inch thick slices. Set aside.
- Prepare a 13x9 inch pan with cooking spray.
- Place slices in your prepared pan. Cut slices in half where necessary so that there is one full layer of bread covering the bottom of the pan.
- Open your can of pie filling and spread it across the top of the bread layer as evenly as possible. Sprinkle with raisins if desired.
- Top pie filling with remaining bread. Again, cut slices in half to create a bread layer that overlaps the bottom.
- I love to open the second can of pie filling and spread it on top of the bread to create a second apple layer if you so desire.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Pour over bread and apples.
- Adjust bread and egg mixture to try and make sure bread is coated as best you can.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The Next Day
- Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- In the meantime place brown sugar and butter in a small bowl.
- Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
- Stir in pecans, raisins and corn syrup.
- Spread out all over top of French toast.
- Bake, uncovered for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
- Serve with maple syrup, whipped cream, fresh fruit or any of our favorite sides to serve with french toast.
Notes
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