I’ve recently fallen in love with baked french toast. It is such an easy weeknight dinner and all, but one member of my family loves it, as in eating 3 helpings, love it. With it being apple season and all, I decided to make a caramel apple version. It’s fantastic. You and your family are going to love this Caramel Apple Baked French Toast. If you love caramel and apples, you will also love this Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip.
Not only is this a great and easy weeknight dinner, but it’s also perfect to serve at a brunch, baby shower, or wedding shower.
I like to make it “healthier” and more filling by using whole wheat bread. It still tastes awesome, but if you want to stay true to the “French” toast part of the recipe, use French bread.
Pancakes & Waffles You’ll Love
- German Pancakes
- Banana Chocolate Chip Pancakes
- Overnight Oatmeal Pumpkin Pancakes
- Homemade Whole Wheat Waffles
- Easy Gingerbread Waffles
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Waffles
Depending on what your family likes or how far you need the french toast bake to stretch, you can serve it with a side of fruit, a side of Crustless Quiche, or some heat-and-serve sausage links.
Or, if you prefer, you can totally get away with this being the only thing on the menu. The protein and fiber from the whole wheat bread combined with the protein from the milk and eggs and the apple pieces can pass this off as a balanced meal.
When it comes out of the oven, serve it warm with some delicious caramel syrup. The recipe is included, or you can try my Brown Sugar Buttermilk Syrup, which is also amazing.
how to make caramel apple baked french toast
- Spray a 9×13 pan with cooking spray.
- Break loaf of bread into bite-size pieces and put them into the greased 9×13 pan. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until mixture is well combined.
- Pour combined mixture over broken bread pieces.
- Next, cut the apple into small, bitesize pieces and sprinkle it evenly over the bread-egg mixture.
- Make the topping in a small bowl by combining 1/2 cup flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp of cinnamon, a dash of salt, and 1/2 cup of butter cut into pieces. Using your hand, pinch and squish ingredients until it becomes a nice crumble mixture.
- Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the apples.
- Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes.
- While it cooks, make the caramel syrup. (See recipe card.)
- When it comes out of the oven, serve warm with the caramel syrup.
- Enjoy!
It looks so pretty and tastes so amazing. The caramel syrup really takes this delicious dish over the top. I promise you will not be disappointed. Caramel Apple French Toast is the perfect make-ahead recipe for your Christmas morning.
Tips for making Caramel Apple Baked French Toast
- I use whole wheat bread for this recipe, but you can use whatever you want. French bread would be keeping a little more true to “French Toast,” but I find the healthier bread still tastes just as good.
- I prefer to use a Red Delicious or a Granny Smith Apple in this recipe.
- After you have sprinkled streusel crumble on top of the bread-egg mixture, you can choose to bake it immediately or let it sit for an hour, or a few hours, or even overnight. If you plan to let it sit overnight, I suggest adding the apple and streusel right before baking. You can make the streusel ahead of time, but to keep the apple pieces from turning brown, I would dice the apple right before baking it.
- If you like French Toast a little more well done, bake it the full hour. This is the way I prefer it.
Cook’s tools:
- 1 loaf of bread
- 8 eggs
- 2½ cups milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 1 large apple
- Topping:
- ½ cup flour
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup cold butter, cut into slices
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- dash of salt
- Syrup:
- ½ cup buttermilk or heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup butter
- 1 tbsp corn syrup
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla
- Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.
- Break loaf of bread into bite-size pieces and put them in the greased 9x13 pan. Set aside.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until mixture is well combined. Pour combined mixture over broken bread pieces.
- Next, cut the apple into small, bitesize pieces and sprinkle it evenly over the bread-egg mixture.
- Make the topping in a small bowl by combining ½ cup flour, ½ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp of cinnamon, a dash of salt, and ½ cup of butter cut into pieces. Using your hand, pinch and squish ingredients until it becomes a nice crumble mixture. Sprinkle the crumble mixture over the apples.
- Bake at 350 for 45-60 minutes. If you like your French toast a little soft like bread pudding, bake for 45 minutes. If you like it a little more well done, bake it the full hour.
- While it bakes, make the caramel syrup in a medium-size saucepan by combining ½ cup buttermilk or heavy cream, 1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup butter, 1 tbsp corn syrup, and ½ tsp baking soda. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer, stirring fairly constantly for 5-7 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken to a syrup-like consistency. (The syrup will be foamy while you are cooking it. That is why you need to put it in a medium-size (2 qt) saucepan, so it won't go over the edge.)
- When it comes out of the oven, serve warm with the caramel syrup.
- Enjoy!
Delicious Apple Recipes
#augustgiveaway
My kids loved it so much!
Yay! That makes me so happy Sommer! My kids love it too, if you haven’t tried it, try the Best Baked Oatmeal recipe for your kids. I’m always surprised how much my kids like that one too and it’s a great one to prep at night and put in in the morning.
Im salivating like pavlovs dog! mmm! This would be good to save for thanksgiving week snackage! #augustgiveaway
So so good, you will love it no matter when you decide to make it!
can you make the streusel ahead of time also and leave that in its own bowl?
Yes, just cover it tightly so it doesn’t dry out.