This Baked Apple French Toast Casserole combines tender French bread, cozy apple pie filling, and warm cinnamon spices and is topped with caramelized pecans for the ultimate fall brunch recipe. It’s an easy make-ahead breakfast everyone will love!
Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter or cooking spray.
Arrange the French bread slices in the baking dish, slightly overlapping them to create a single layer.
Spread the apple pie filling evenly over the bread slices. Then top with the remaining bread slices.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined.
Pour the egg mixture over the bread and apple filling, ensuring all bread pieces are evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a medium bowl, combine the cold cubed butter, brown sugar, chopped pecans (if using), corn syrup, raisins (if using), cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until crumbly.
Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the soaked bread.
Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the casserole is set in the center.
Let it cool for 10 minutes before serving. Drizzle with maple syrup if desired.
Notes
Soak the casserole for at least 4 hours for best results.
Ensure all bread pieces are evenly coated with the egg mixture. You can use a spoon to collect the custard from the side of the casserole dish and top any dry spots.
For a crunchy top, broil for 1-2 minutes at the end of baking time
Allow the casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving . This will ensure that it sets properly.