Apple French Toast Bake
This apple French toast bake pairs croissants and a sweetly spiced apple pie filling for a cozy and incredibly delicious breakfast. The trio of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg add warmth while pecans add a nutty crunch.
Each bite is a decadent blend of buttery and flaky layers, infused with the sweet, warming flavors of apple pie. While this apple pie French toast is delicious as-is, a drizzle of maple syrup enhances the sweetness and brings it all together.
Hey there, and welcome back, friends.
You are in for a sweet fall breakfast treat!
Whoever invented making French toast out of croissants is a genius! I absolutely love making french toast this way and so does my family.
You get the best of both worlds: A flaky tender croissant and delicious French toast flavor. There’s nothing better than to enjoy a croissant French toast for breakfast on a slow Sunday morning.
To make this croissant bake extra indulgent for Fall, I included slices of Granny Smith apples with lots of apple pie seasoning. Every bite is bursting with apple flavor.
I always precook my apple pie filling for recipes like this so that the apples are infused with flavor and perfectly tender. It’s a little bit of extra work but it is worth it.
For a little texture, because buttery flaky croissants aren’t enough, I added chopped pecans. If pecans are not your favorite, walnuts would work too.
To top this apple-baked French toast off, make sure to drizzle real maple syrup all over it. It’s okay to enjoy it plain or to use pancake syrup but maple syrup is perfect for Fall.
Ingredients
- unsalted butter
- a few Granny Smith Apples
- pecans
- brown sugar & granulated sugar
- warm spices like ground cinnamon, ginger, & nutmeg
- a few large/standard croissants (small croissants can be used too)
- a few large eggs
- half and half
- vanilla extract
- salt
- maple syrup for serving, optional
How to Make Apple French Toast Bake
Make the apple pie filling first. Heat a large skillet or pan over medium heat, then add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the apples and pecans. Cook for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until the apples have just started to soften.
Add the brown sugar and spices and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until the apples are tender and the juices have reduced and thickened. Set the apples aside to cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Preheat the oven. Grease a baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Using a serrated knife, cut all of the croissants in half and set them aside.
Whisk together the eggs in a large bowl until fully scrambled. Then, add the half and half, vanilla extract, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
Dip both sides of each croissant half into the egg mixture, allowing any excess to drip off. Then, layer the croissant halves into the prepared baking dish along with the cooked apples. You should have enough of the apple pie filling to place a spoonful of apples between each croissant half.
Once all of your croissants have been added to your baking dish, pour any of the remaining egg mixture over the top of the croissants.
If you have any leftover apples, spoon them over the top of the croissants.
Cover the baking dish with foil and bake it in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake it until the top is golden brown.
Serve warm with maple syrup if desired.
How to Store
Leftover croissant French toast with apples can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Gently reheat leftovers in the microwave or the oven.
More Fall Breakfast Recipes
You could serve these Fall recipes with the French toast recipe or on their own.
- Salted Caramel Apple Cinnamon Rolls
- Apple Crepes
- Baked Pumpkin Donuts
- Apple Cinnamon Waffles
- Apple Caramel Dutch Baby Pancake
What do you think of this amazing croissant French toast with apples recipe? What would you serve with a slice of this? Let me know in the comment section below.
If you share across social media, make sure to tag #aclassictwist, so I can see your beautiful creation come to life!
Happy Fall baking, friends!
Apple French Toast Bake Recipe
Apple Pie French Toast Bake
This apple French toast bake pairs croissants and a sweetly spiced apple pie filling for a cozy and incredibly delicious breakfast. The trio of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg add warmth while pecans add a nutty crunch.
Ingredients
For the apple pie filling:
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 medium Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch slices
- ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the French toast:
- 6 large/standard croissants (or 10-12 small/mini sized croissants)
- 6 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups half and half
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Maple syrup for serving, optional
Instructions
- Make the apple pie filling first.
- Heat a large skillet or pan over medium heat, then add the butter. Once the butter is melted, add the apples and pecans. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly, until the apples have just started to soften. Add the brown sugar and spices and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring every minute or so, until the apples are tender and the juices have reduced and thickened, about 8-10 minutes. Set the apples aside to cool while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with butter or cooking spray. Using a serrated knife, cut all of the croissants in half and set them aside.
- Whisk together the eggs in a large bowl until fully scrambled. Then, add the half and half, vanilla extract, sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to combine.
- Dip both sides of each croissant half into the egg mixture, allowing any excess to drip off. Then, layer the croissant halves into the prepared baking dish along with the cooked apples. You should have enough of the apple pie filling to place a spoonful of apples between each croissant half. Once all of your croissants have been added to your baking dish, pour any of the remaining egg mixture over the top of the croissants. If you have any leftover apples, spoon them over the top of the croissants.
- Cover the baking dish with foil and bake it in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake it for 15 to 20 minutes until the top is golden brown. Serve warm with maple syrup if
desired.
Notes
- Any firm and tart apple variety like Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Braeburn work best in this recipe. You want to avoid softer varieties that break down when cooked.
- The apple pie filling can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and kept in the refrigerator until needed for the recipe.
- You can also make the entire French toast and keep it covered in the refrigerator overnight before baking it the next morning.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Gently reheat leftovers in the microwave or the oven.
- You can substitute pecans for walnuts.
- Croissants that are at least a day old will work best as they will absorb the egg mixture more easily. However, new croissants will still yield delicious French toast!
- To ensure maximum apple pie flavor, use fresh spices! Spices that are less than 6 months old will have the best flavor.
- You can use milk in place of the half and half. I recommend using whole milk for similar results.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 470Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 365mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 3gSugar: 41gProtein: 9g