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Baked Cinnamon Apple Butter French Toast. Fall mornings are made for this cozy French toast. Thick slices of brioche (or challah) are generously stuffed with apple butter, dipped in a rich, cinnamon-spiced custard, and baked with honeycrisp apples until golden and caramelized. Finish with a swirl of salted maple cream, and every bite is warm, sweet, and absolutely delicious.
As I was writing this recipe, all I could think was, wow – this might be the best French toast I’ve ever made. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner, but I’m so excited it’s finally here.
I’ll be baking this on repeat straight into December. Honestly, it rivals my homemade cinnamon rolls — and at the moment, I couldn’t tell you which I love more!
This whole idea came about because I was bored with the usual cookies, brownies, and bars. I wanted something apple-focused that I hadn’t shared before. French toast came to mind instantly, and when I ran it by my mom (the queen of French toast), she said I had to make it. Secretly, I think she just wanted a reason to have French toast for lunch, and I can’t really blame her.
This recipe is so good it’s already going on my family’s Thanksgiving breakfast menu. My mom and my cousin Abby will be so excited!
These are the Details
Ingredients
The French Toast
- brioche or challah – even better if you can find a pumpkin or cinnamon brioche
- apple butter – definitely try my homemade
- eggs
- whole milk
- vanilla extract
- salted butter
- honeycrisp apples
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
The Salted Maple Cream
- maple syrup
- cinnamon
- bourbon – or vanilla
- heavy cream
- sea salt
The Tools
Just a pretty baking dish, mixing bowl, and sauce pot. You can use a stand mixer or electric mixer to whip the cream.
Steps
Step 1: Stuff the bread
Cut thick slices of bread. I’m using brioche, but if you can find a cinnamon bread, pumpkin brioche, or even an apple bread, those would be so yummy! Any bread will work, but I do love soft brioche or challah.
Slice each slice of bread in half, but don’t cut all the way through. Spread apple butter inside each slice, then set the stuffed bread in the prepared baking dish.
Step 2: Make the eggy batter
Whisk together the eggs, milk, cooled browned butter, and vanilla until smooth.
Dip each piece of stuffed bread into the batter, letting it soak for about 1 minute. Arrange the slices side by side in the baking dish.
Step 3: Toss the apples
Thinly slice the apples — I love using Honeycrisp and always leave the skin on.
Toss the slices with brown sugar and cinnamon, then tuck them between each slice of bread. Pour any remaining batter over the whole dish.
Step 4: Chill the French toast
Pop the dish into the fridge to let everything soak for at least 10 minutes, or up to overnight if you want to prep ahead.
Step 5: Bake
Pull the dish from the fridge and bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the bread is set.
Step 6: Make the maple cream
In a small pot, warm the maple syrup with cinnamon. Simmer until steamy and fragrant, then remove from the heat and stir in a splash of bourbon or vanilla.
Whip the cream with 2 tablespoons of the infused maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt.
To serve
Dollop the maple cream over the warm French toast, then drizzle with the remaining syrup.
It’s a true fall delight! Light some candles and you’ll have the coziest autumn morning.
Looking for apple recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Haunted Pumpkin Patch Margarita
Cinnamon Crunch Apple Butter Soft Pretzel Knots
Salted Maple Apple Tarte Tatin with Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds
Cinnamon Spiced Apple Fritters with Vanilla Coffee Glaze
Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cider Doughnut Holes
Easy Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake
Glazed Honeycrisp Apple Fritter Cake
Lastly, if you make this Baked Cinnamon Apple Butter French Toast, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Baked Cinnamon Apple Butter French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf challah bread, sliced into 1 1/2 inch thick slices
- 1 cup apple butter
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted and browned
- 2 honeycrisp apples, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Maple Whipped Cream
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 tablespoons bourbon, (or 1 tablespoon vanilla)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- sea salt
Instructions
- 1. Butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.2. Slice each piece of bread in half, cutting almost all the way through, but leaving a 1/4 inch at the bottom. Spread the inside of the bread with apple butter (see photo above).3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, cooled butter, and salt. Submerge each piece of bread into the egg mix, allowing the bread to sit for at least a minute to soak up the eggs. Arrange the bread in the baking dish. 4. Toss the apples with brown sugar and cinnamon. Stuff the apples in between each piece of bread. Pour the remaining egg mix over the dish. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight.5. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375° F. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 20-25 minutes, until golden. 6. Top with maple cream and cinnamon syrup. Enjoy!
Cinnamon Syrup and Maple Cream
- 1. In a pot combine the maple and cinnamon. Simmer/boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the bourbon or vanilla. 2. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream and 1-2 tablespoons cinnamon syrup + sea salt until soft peaks form.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
I made this Thanksgiving morning and it was delicious. I followed the recipe exactly and wasn’t sure if I was doing it right but it turned out great. I will definitely make it again.
Hey Tanya,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was a winner! Happy Holidays!
I love that you can put this dish together the night before. It was perfect for Thanksgiving breakfast.
Hey Terah,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad it was a winner! Happy Holidays!
Really good. I made it for Thanksgiving breakfast. We did skip the maple cream at the end and just drizzled real maple syrup instead (just to not have it AS sweet). EVERYONE agreed that this is a keeper (which is a huge win with my family). Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much, Cara! Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed by your family! Happy Thanksgiving!
I just made this for a work potluck and it came out beautifully! I was able to find store bought organic no sugar added apple butter that saved me time. I forgot to assemble the night before and let it set in the fridge; however I was able to throw it together in the morning and bake it up. The house smelled glorious. Using a mandolin slicer made my apples fancy and evenly cooked. I didn’t have time in the morning to make the whipped cream and spiced syrup, so I just brought plain maple syrup for my coworkers, and they still really enjoyed it. I actually think it’s sweet enough without extra maple syrup. My loaf of challah seemed small so I opted not to pour remaining egg/milk mixture on top. Instead I used it to make simple French toast for my little one. I will be making this again for Sunday Friendsgiving brunch! Thank you for another beautiful, impressive yet simple recipe!
Hey Adela,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear this turned out nicely for you!
Can I omit the apples and the apple butter? Is there anything that can replace the apple butter that I can just buy at the store?
Hi Nikki,
I would suggest a different recipe:) Here are some you might enjoy:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/cinnamon-sugar-french-toast/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/baked-cinnamon-crunch-french-toast/
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/baked-butter-pecan-french-toast/
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Can this be adapted to vegan? Our family has food allergies. TIA
Hi Patrice,
I’m so sorry, I have never tried using vegan ingredients with this recipe, so I can’t say what the results would be.
Please let me know if I can help in any other way!
It came out great! I used 2 loaves of vanilla brioche, let it sit overnight in the fridge and also baked covered for 30 minutes and 25 uncovered.
Hi Renee,
Awesome! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your comment, I’m so glad it was a hit! Happy Halloween!🎃
This was outstanding. I’m definitely making it again. But first I’ll probably make the pumpkin sugar cookies! Ty Teighan!
Hi Angela,
Wonderful! So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it!
I made this with Challah bread and it was absolutely perfect. Crispy and soft all at the same time.
Hey Jana,
Happy Sunday!🎃 Thanks for giving this recipe a whirl, so glad it turned out nicely for you!
Could I make this work as a dessert? Like more like a bread pudding?
Hey Em,
Sure, I don’t see why not! Let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it!
I love the mix of flavors in this one! So I made this with a half apple side and another that was like an espresso cinnamon french toast side because my husband isn’t a fan of apple but he loves your espresso brownies. The apple side was really good and followed the recipe, the espresso side i had substituted the apple butter with an espresso, maple syrup cinnamon mix and it was also really good too!
Hi Dayana,
Happy Friday! I really appreciate you making this recipe and reporting back. Thrilled it turned out well!
This came out exactly as pictured. I saw it on instagram and couldn’t stop dreaming about it. It was a hit! Highly recommend soaking each piece and letting it sit in the fridge for a bit. Thank you!
Thanks so much, Karina! Love to hear this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a lot for making it!
Made this this morning for Canadian thanksgiving brunch and it was excellent! I followed some of the comments and only poured half of the extra egg mixture on top, let it sit overnight, then baked for 30 mins covered and 25 minutes uncovered. I also only used 1/4 cup brown sugar on the apples so it wasn’t so sweet. It wasn’t soggy at all! The extra salt in the whipped cream also cut some of the sweetness. It was a huge hit with everyone in our house!
Hey Kelsey,
Happy Sunday!🎃 Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and your comment, so glad to hear it was a winner!
What could you substitute the apple butter for?
Hi Matthew,
I would just omit it if you don’t want to use it. Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it!
Letting the bread sit in the egg mixture for a full minute yields complete mush and it’s no longer like a french toast. In your video you scramble the eggs with the hot butter. I think this recipe needs some more work.
Thanks for sharing your feedback, AJ. Sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Have a nice weekend!
Yeah this recipe turned out so poorly. Followed precisely and its nothing like a french toast related casserole. Save yourself the trouble and find a recipe from somewhere else.