Apple French Toast Bake – A Make Ahead Breakfast

This Apple French Toast Bake with cranberries is a perfect way to feed a crowd. Make it right away, a day ahead or freeze, whichever you choose it’s perfect for breakfast or brunch, especially when company’s coming.

apple french toast breakfast with whipped cream
Apples and cranberries with chai like spices are so delicious in this make-ahead breakfast bake.

Other Breakfast Casseroles to try: Cheese & Sausage Strata, Rhubarb Bread Pudding Serve with: Whipped Cream and Oven Baked Bacon

How to Avoid Soggy Baked French Toast

No one wants goopy French toast! Here are key tips to prevent soggy French toast bake.

Choose Your Bread Carefully:

French toast bakes are all about the bread and egg/milk mixture (custard). To avoid sogginess you need the bread to soak up the custard and not end up with too much extra liquid in the pan. That’s why most French toast bake recipes call for dry or dense bread such as brioche, challah, sourdough or French bread. These varieties hold up well to soaking without becoming overly mushy.

apple cranberry French toast bake on serving spoon
Delicious French Toast bake using everyday sandwich bread – YES! It’s possible!

How to Use Soft, Fresh Sliced Bread for French Toast:

Fresh bread, white bread, thin sliced bread or light rye bread will soak up liquid very easily and become soggy right away. It requires a little more prep and care:

  • Dry out the bread – leave out overnight so it gets a hard outer crust
  • Dry the bread in an oven by placing on a wire cooling rack placed on a baking sheet. Bake at 300°F (150°C) for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway. The bread should be dry on both sides but not brown.
  • Cut bigger pieces and keep the crust on (always use the crust for French Toast for great texture)
  • Replace 1/2 cup milk in the custard with 1 extra egg
  • Bake a little longer to firm up the custard

Properly Soak the Bread:

To strike the right balance between a moist interior and a crisp exterior, it’s crucial to master the soaking process. Whisk together your egg and milk mixture, ensuring a homogeneous blend. Gently dip each slice into the mixture, allowing it to absorb the liquid without becoming overly saturated. Aim for a quick, even dip—prolonged soaking can lead to a soggier outcome.

Follow the Golden Ratio: Bread, Eggs, and Milk:

Achieving the perfect texture hinges on getting the ratios just right. For a classic French toast bake, a general guideline is to use about 1 cup of milk and 4-5 large eggs for every 8 slices of bread. This balance ensures that the mixture is rich enough to create a custardy texture without overwhelming the bread.

Baking Time and Temperature:

Preheat your oven to around 350°F (180°C). Bake your French toast until it’s golden brown and slightly crisp on the edges. A baking time of 25-30 minutes is typically sufficient, but keep an eye on it towards the end to prevent overcooking.

Troubleshooting- What if Your Breakfast Bake is Soggy:

If your French toast bake turns out a bit too soggy, don’t worry—you can salvage it!

First, let it cool for a few minutes outside the oven. This will help it firm up a bit. Maybe that’s all it needs?

If it needs more, return it to the oven. You can put the whole dish back in the oven. Cover with foil and bake an extra 5-10 minutes at a lower temperature, around 300°F (150°C).

Or, bake individual servings. Portion out individual portion sizes and place on oven proof pan. Bake 5-10 minutes at a lower temperature, around 300°F (150°C).

Remember, practice makes perfect, so don’t be afraid to adjust the variables based on your preferences and your specific bread choice.

How To Tell When Your French Toast Bake is Done

Did you know that overcooking can lead to weeping, that’s when water separates from the cooked custard – nobody wants that! Nor do we want underdone, goopiness. Here’s the best way to tell when your breakfast bake is done:

  • the outer edges and top are a lovely golden brown (cover with foil if getting too dark)
  • there is no liquid pooling anywhere
  • the center doesn’t jiggle when you gently shuffle the pan from side to side
  • a knife inserted in the center comes out clean
  • the internal temperature is 160°F (71°C) (according to Extension Services at University of Nebraska)
finished apple french toast bake
A thermometer is a foolproof way to ensure your breakfast bake is perfect!

How to Make Smaller Portions of French Toast Bake

If you love the sound of this recipe but it’s just too big, here are a couple of options. Watch the YouTube Video for details.

  1. Cut the recipe in half and prepare it in an 8×8 or 9×9 inch pan. Watch the cooking time, as it may take 10 minutes less than the larger pan.
  2. Bake the full recipe, cool and freeze extras in your preferred portion sizes so you can easily take out only the amount you need. See below for freezing instructions.
  3. Prepare the full recipe, but only bake half. Freeze the remainder of the raw ingredients in a large freezer grade bag. When you’re ready to make the next batch, thaw the bag (placed in a container) in the fridge overnight, pour into a baking pan and bake as instructed in recipe (maybe 5-10 min less).

How to Freeze French Toast Bake

We love eating cold leftover pieces the next day, but you can freeze this Apple French Toast bake. You can freeze it raw or cooked.  Here’s how:

Freezing Cooked French Toast Bake:

This is the ideal method when you have leftovers that you can’t finish in 3-4 days.

  • Cool completely. This is important to prevent any ice crystal build up.
  • Wrap in individual serving sizes (ideal for quick thawing and reheating) or in one large batch.
  • Wrap well in air tight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • To use, thaw in fridge overnight.
  • To reheat, use the microwave for 1-3 minutes, rotating every 30 seconds. Or reheat in the oven at 350°F, cover with foil and bake for 20-30 minutes until heated through.

Freezing Raw French Toast Bake:

This method is ideal if you want to prepare the dish ahead of time – I mean weeks before you’re planning to serve it.

Important Note: Freezing and thawing create extra moisture, so if you plan to freeze it – this would be an ideal time to use dense, dry bread like brioche or sourdough. Just a little extra insurance to prevent sogginess.

  • Prepare full recipe in pan. Cover top with plastic wrap, placing the wrap directly on the food and up the sides of the pan.
  • Add another layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil over the pan and seal well.
  • Label, including cooking instructions. (Thaw in fridge overnight, bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes, check at 40 minutes, cover if needed).
  • OR prepare full recipe in large bowl. Transfer into heavy duty freezer bags. When ready to use, thaw in fridge, transfer to baking pan and bake.
  • Keep in freezer for up to 2 months.
apple cranberry French toast bake with whipped cream on fork
Serve with whipped cream, syrup and a side of fruit salad and/or bacon!

Recipe for Apple Cranberry French Toast Bake

apple french toast bake with whipped cream
Print Recipe
4.67 from 9 votes

Apple Cranberry French Toast Bake

A great make-ahead breakfast featuring apples and cranberry with chai spices. So much easier than standing at the stove flipping French toast or pancakes. Don't have cardamom or ginger, no problem, it's still super tasty with just cinnamon.
Prep : 15 minutes
Cook : 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • 2 apples diced (peeling optional)
  • 1/2 cup cranberries, chopped fresh/frozen/dried
  • 10 cups cubed dry bread*
  • 8 eggs
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1/2 cup cream**
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Brown Sugar Topping (optional

  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

  • Grease a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking dish.
  • In large bowl, toss apples with cranberries and bread.
  • In separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cream, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom ginger and vanilla. Pour over bread and stir ensuring all pieces are soaked.
  • Transfer to baking dish. Cover and let rest one hour or overnight in refrigerator.
  • Remove from fridge and bring to room temperature (30 min). Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
  • Just before baking, prepare topping by mixing brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over top soaked bread.
  • Bake for 30–40 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cover with aluminum foil if becoming too brown.
  • Let stand for 10 minutes to set before serving. Serve with whipped cream and syrup.

Video

Notes

Prepare the night before so it’s ready to bake in the morning.
Swap the fruit – try pears or rhubarb. Use dried cranberries, raisins or apricots for a sweeter taste.
*Bread- Ideal is a dense, dry bread like French bread, brioche or sourdough. If you only have sandwich bread or some other fresh, soft bread – dry it out first. Place on cooling rack on top of baking sheet and dry out at 300F/150C for 12-15 minutes (flip halfway). Use 1/2 cup less milk and add 1 more egg.
** Cream – If you don’t have cream – use 1/4 cup milk plus 3 Tbsp melted butter.
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Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Calories: 872kcal | Carbohydrates: 138g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 21g | Sodium: 1259mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 31g | Iron: 10mg
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apples, bread salad, breakfast, cranberries, French Toast, make ahead

Do you enjoy fancy breakfasts or is it all a bit too much too early in the day? If someone were to make you breakfast, what would you wish for?

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Select, store and serve seasonal food for everyday cooking with Getty. Getty is a food educator and Professional Home Economistwho loves sharing tips and recipes following the seasons from her Canadian kitchenSign up to get seasonal tips and recipes delivered to your inbox. Learn more about Getty or check out her books and pdf guides.

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