Baked Apple Cider French Toast

This baked apple cider French toast combines a few 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 really 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 stunning fall twist—and it was each bit as scrumptious as I might have imagined… I’ll completely be making this once more. So much! ★★★★★“

The autumn baking season is right here, and yearly, I really like diving proper in with recent apples and cinnamon. Have you ever tried my recent apple cake or apple cinnamon rolls but?

At this time 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 definitely a particular deal with should you’re entertaining visitors, or should you simply went apple selecting. Decide up some apple cider when you’re on the farm market!

Right here’s Why You’ll Love It:

• Spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, identical to apple pie
• Loaded with additional brown sugared-apples
• Prep it the evening earlier than and bake it within the morning
• Simpler to arrange than common French toast… no particular person slices to cook dinner!
• Satisfies these candy fall taste cravings and feeds a crowd
• A beautiful method to make use of recent apple cider… have you ever tried my apple cider sangria but?

Let’s soar 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 take in extra moisture from the custard—your entire dish will style flat, soggy, and moist. And it undoubtedly wouldn’t stand as much as the apple topping! I like to recommend utilizing sturdy, flavorful bread resembling challah, French bread, sourdough, brioche, do-it-yourself artisan bread, and even this do-it-yourself cinnamon swirl bread. Challah is my #1 suggestion and you’ll normally discover it within the bakery part of the grocery retailer.

Tip #2: Let it get stale. When you’ve the standard bread you want, let it sit out for a couple of hours to change into stale. As with breakfast casserole, French toast is finest when the bread is considerably stale. Lower the loaf into thick slices, then let it sit out uncovered for a couple of hours. The much less moisture within the bread, the extra apple cider custard it could actually take in!

Tip #3: Do this shortcut: Should you don’t have time to let the bread sit out and get stale, you may evenly toast the slices within the oven at 300°F for about 10 minutes. I do that rather a lot… so forgetful!

Whereas I really like this baked apple cider French toast with thick bread slices lined up vertically within the baking dish, you may slice the bread into cubes should you’d want, like we do for this cream cheese French toast casserole.

Right here’s Every part Else You Want:

After you’ve your barely stale slices of high quality bread, whisk collectively the egg custard.

1. Eggs: You want 6 massive eggs.
2. 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 wish to make! When you’ve got additional apple cider, make apple cider rooster subsequent!
3. Milk: I take advantage of complete milk on this recipe, however you should utilize lower-fat or nondairy milk if needed. 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.
4. Brown Sugar: With its larger molasses content material, brown sugar is your best option for sweetening this apple cider French toast.
5. Orange Zest: A bit of 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 apple cider taste.
6. Vanilla Extract, Spices, & Salt: The flavour-enhancers no apple baked good must be with out. (By the best way, should you love apple cinnamon goodness, and also you’re up for a baking challenge, strive my apple cinnamon babka someday!)

Now flip your consideration to the apples; the remaining elements you see above are used subsequent.

Briefly Cook dinner the Apples

Peel and slice 4 medium-size apples utilizing a peeler (that’s an affiliate hyperlink to the one I take advantage of and love!), identical to we do for apple cobbler. Unsure which apples are finest? See my Greatest Apples for Baking web page. I normally use 2 tart Granny Smith apples and a pair of candy Honeycrisp or Pink Girl 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. Cook 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 wish to simply eat the apples with a spoon. Attempt to keep centered. I do know it’s arduous!!

Dip the slices of bread within the egg custard. I normally 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 prefer to press a few of the apple slices down in between the bread slices. Pour the remaining brown sugar sauce excessive of all the things.

Strive a crumb topping: This is able to even be wonderful with the crumb topping from this pumpkin French toast casserole. Be happy so as to add it if you wish to stage up your baked French toast recreation!

At this level, you may cowl the apple cider French toast and refrigerate it in a single day, or for at the very least 3 hours so the bread can soak and the flavors can infuse. After that, it’s time to bake:

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 facet dish, it is a great French toast casserole to serve with recent fruit and one thing you may cook dinner on the range like bacon or sausage.

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Baked Apple Cider French Toast

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  Writer: Sally
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  Prep Time: 4 hours (consists of bread sitting out)
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  Cook dinner Time: 50 minutes
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  Whole Time: 8 hours (or longer if beginning evening earlier than)
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  Yield: serves 12
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  Class: Breakfast
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  Technique: Baking
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  Delicacies: American

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Description

Begin this baked apple cider French toast casserole forward of time so you may get up and bake a deliciously spiced fall breakfast or brunch! Make sure to use apple cider, the nonalcoholic beverage, and never apple cider vinegar.

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Directions

1. Slice the bread into 1-inch-wide slices. Let the sliced bread sit out uncovered for a couple of hours or as much as 1 day. (Should you don’t have sufficient time, see recipe Observe beneath for a shortcut.)
2. Grease a 9×13-inch (or any 3.5–4-quart) baking dish, or spray with nonstick spray. The pictured crimson pan is that this one, however both a metallic or glass pan works simply as properly.
3. 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. 
4. Dip every slice of bread within the egg custard combination, soaking each side. Place within the ready baking dish, lining the slices up subsequent to one another. Pour any remaining custard excessive. Put aside.
5. Cook 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. Cook dinner for 8 minutes, stirring often, till apples have barely softened. Take away from warmth and stir within the pecans.
6. Spoon the apple combination excessive of the bread slices, and pour any remaining sauce from the skillet excessive of all the things.
7. Cowl the casserole tightly and place within the fridge for at the very least 3 hours and as much as 1 day. This provides the bread an opportunity to take in the custard and is a key step on this recipe.
8. Take away casserole from the fridge and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
9. Bake casserole uncovered for 20 minutes, after which cowl with aluminum foil and bake for a further 25–35 minutes or till middle seems set and is now not runny. The overall time this casserole takes is 45–55 minutes.
10. 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.
11. Cowl leftovers tightly and retailer within the fridge for as much as 2–3 days.

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Notes

1. Make Forward & Freezing Directions: You possibly can put together the French toast casserole by way of 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 possibly can 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, at the very least 20 minutes.
2. Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Vegetable Peeler | 9×13-inch Baking Dish (or any 3.5–4-quart baking dish resembling this one) | Glass Mixing Bowl or Bowl with Pour Spout| Whisk | Sieve
3. Bread: Crusty, considerably stale bread is finest for French toast casseroles. Should you’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.
4. Apple Cider: Ensure you’re utilizing apple cider the (nonalcoholic, non-carbonated) drink, not apple cider vinegar. You should utilize apple juice as a substitute if cider should you should, however you’ll lose some taste. Learn to make a do-it-yourself apple cider beverage in a gradual cooker.
5. Milk: Complete milk is finest as a result of it produces a wealthy casserole that isn’t too heavy. You should utilize lower-fat or nondairy milks in a pinch. Half-and-half works, too. I discovered heavy cream too heavy and wealthy for this casserole.
6. Nut Free: You possibly can omit the pecans if desired.