Overnight Apple French Toast Casserole

Overnight Apple French Toast Casserole

This recipe is a GREAT way to use all of those apple-picking apples! A perfect Thanksgiving morning breakfast for the family, elegantly chai-spiced, sweet and tart, and easy to prep the night before and bake! It’s also easy to bake, then simply reheat later if you want to have it ready even faster!

I use masala chai spice instead of cinnamon to really give it that flavor of chai latte autumn goodness! If you can’t find a good masala chai spice, though, you can substitute with pumpkin spice for a similar, yummy fall flavor.

I made this French toast for my Autumn lady’s brunch, and this was such a hit! I served it with creamy pumpkin polenta, a charming, crustless butternut squash quiche, crispy sweet potato hash, and a gorgeous apple kale salad. I had to get rid of all those apples somehow! This brunch menu really did the trick.

The Simple Process

First, we’ll peel and dice apples, and mix them with sugar and spices.

Next, we’ll slice brioche, mix the spiced custard, pour it over the apples and bread, and let it sit overnight.

Then, we’ll bake the French toast.

Finally, we’ll make a streusel topping, sprinkle it over the French toast, bake for a few minutes more, and serve.

Ingredient Notes

brioche – You can substitute with a challah or even a French baguette, but brioche and challah are best.

whole milk – Don’t substitute with low-fat milk. You want a nice, creamy custard for that toast.

heavy cream – Also called “double cream” in Europe. Don’t substitute with half-and-half.

apples – I used a mix of Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples for this recipe, but you can use any apples you like!

chai masala – I used Spicewalla’s chai masala spice for this French Toast. It’s my favorite chai spice of all! If you have trouble getting ahold of a good masala chai spice, you can substitute with pumpkin spice.

vanilla extract – Use a nice quality, real vanilla extract like Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract. A quality vanilla really makes this French toast shine!

How to Make This French Toast – Step-by-Step

1. Peel and dice 4 large apples (I used mixed Granny Smith and Red Delicious). Place diced apples in a mixing bowl.

2. Toss apples with 1 tsp. chai masala spice and 1 tbsp. white granulated sugar.

3. Slice 15 oz. brioche into small pieces. In an 11″ x 8″ baking dish, add sliced brioche and spiced apples, making sure there are apples in between the bread slices and sprinkled on top.

4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together 4 eggs, 1 cup whole milk, ⅔ cup heavy cream, 2 tsp. chai masala spice, ⅓ cup white granulated sugar, ¼ tsp. sea salt, and 2 tsp. real vanilla extract.

5. Pour mixture evenly over the bread and apples, give it a small sprinkle of chai spice or cinnamon, cover with cellophane and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, preheat oven to 350 F. (175 C.). Bake French toast for 35 minutes. 

6. While it bakes, create streusel topping. Mix ½ cup flour, ½ cup packed brown sugar, 2 oz. soft salted butter and 1 tsp. cinnamon in a bowl until combined. It can help to use your hands.

7. After 35 minutes, remove French toast (don’t turn off heat) and crumble streusel topping on top. Place French toast back in the oven for 10 minutes.

8. Remove French toast, sprinkle with 1 tsp. powdered sugar and drizzle with maple syrup (optional), and serve.

Special Note

This is a very moist French Toast. If you want it to be less moist, use only ½ cup milk and ½ cup heavy cream.