Apple breakfast bake with cinnamon, vanilla, and caramel drizzle, can be served as a delicious breakfast casserole or with ice cream as an apple pie dessert. Easily made ahead the day before and put in the fridge overnight, this apple breakfast bake makes the mornings SO easy by eliminating the prep time.
Combine with blueberry french toast casserole and sausage hashbrown breakfast casserole for a delicious and amazing breakfast potluck that leaves no stomach hungry!
Truly a WOW caramel apple French toast casserole bake that your family will love.
Why you will love this Sweet Breakfast Casserole
The great thing is that this breakfast bake isn’t as sweet as it seems. The caramel sauce (optional) does add a bit of extra sweetness, but more so it’s a complimentary flavor than a “too sweet” option.
And while I didn’t put it as part of the recipe, these delicious candied pecans would be a fantastic topper for some crunch, especially around a holiday.
While I wouldn’t call apple breakfast bake a healthy breakfast it IS a delicious breakfast and a wonderful apple recipe.
Ingredients
This baked apple breakfast is very similar to any French toast casserole bake. It starts with a base of bread, like Italian, and adds a cinnamon flavored egg wash and a fruit topping. I personally use Italian bread, even if the most common terminology is “French toast”.
- Italian bread, day old or fresh is fine
- eggs
- milk – you can also use a heavy cream like heavy whipping cream.
- white sugar
- ground cinnamon
- vanilla extract
- apple pie filling
- caramel sauce topping for serving (can find in the ice cream aisle). Other options would be maple syrup or powdered sugar.
Expert Tips & Recipe Variations
Italian bread has more “bread” to the center and is easier to cut, while still being delicious. I find that French bread is actually way too small, but you are welcome to give it a shot! You could also try apple cinnamon raisin bread or challah in this recipe.
While you could use fresh apples and do it all the long way (try my cinnamon skillet apples here), keep your “French toast” casserole as simple as possible by using canned apple pie filling as I do in crockpot apple dump cake.
If a richer taste is preferred, substitute the milk for heavy whipping cream.
Many people love the taste of apples and sausage. You can easily add COOKED breakfast sausage crumbles onto breakfast casserole prior to the apple pie filling for a layer of meat.
How to make Apple French Toast Casserole
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. Cut bread into 1″ pieces and place into prepared baking dish. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, add eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla into a mixing bowl and whisk milk mixture/cinnamon mixture well.
- Slowly pour eggs over the bread in the casserole dish, evenly coating bread as best as possible.
- Spread canned apple pie filling on the top.
- Bake casserole in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes of baking or until center, when inserted with a knife, comes out clean (to show eggs are fully cooked).
- Remove casserole from oven and let set for a few minutes.
- OPTIONAL: Serve topped with caramel sauce, pecans and a little extra cinnamon.
Apple Pie Breakfast Casserole Toppings
- Caramel Sauce
- Pecan Crumble
- Cinnamon Sugar
- Creamy Vanilla Frosting
Caramel sauce topping is a fantastic topping for any French toast casserole and works great for serving You can find caramel sauce in the ice cream aisle.
Other options that complement this all in one breakfast casserole would be maple syrup (like pancake syrup) or powdered sugar.
FAQ’s
I believe this would freeze fine after it’s baked. It would be similar to freezing a pie.
Absolutely! Follow the same directions and try other pie fillings like Cherry, Strawberry, or Mixed Berry for more sweet recipes in the morning!
Follow the directions up until the apple pie filling. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight.
Related Recipes
- Cowboy Breakfast Casserole
- Tater Tot Breakfast Casserole
- Cheesy Amish Breakfast Casserole
- Cracker Barrel Copycat Breakfast Casserole
- Spinach Mushroom Breakfast Casserole
- Biscuits and Gravy Casserole
- Overnight Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Casserole
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Apple Breakfast Bake with Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 16 oz. Italian Bread - day old or fresh is fine
- 6 eggs
- 1.5 cups milk
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 20 oz. apple pie filling cans
- caramel sauce - optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Grease a 9×13 oven safe baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cut bread into 1" pieces and place them into a baking pan. Set aside.
- Crack and add eggs, milk, granulated white sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla into a separate mixing bowl and whisk ingredients well.
- Slowly pour egg and milk mixture over bread, evenly coating bread as best as possible around the baking dish.
- Open can of apple pie filling. Spread apple pie filling on the top of the bread in a thick layer.
- Bake breakfast casserole for 45-60 minutes or until center, when inserted with a knife, comes out clean (to show eggs are fully cooked).
- Remove apple breakfast bake from the oven and let set for 5 minutes. This is an important step or the bake will still be a little loose from heat.
- Serve french toast casserole topped with caramel sauce, powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar or maple syrup.
Cindy says
Can you use fresh apples??
Trisha Haas says
hi Cindy! You could use fresh apples. Your best bet would be to peel and cut up 3-4 large apples into thin slices (or even chunks). Add 2-3 tablespoons butter, about 1/3rd cup granulated white sugar, 2 tablespoons water, some cinnamon and the apples to a saucepan. Heat on medium heat until the apples start to soften. Then that creates a pie filling that can be used in this recipe with similar results.