Cinnamon Apple Morning Bake
Apple cinnamon French toast bake gets a cozy twist in this Cinnamon Apple Morning Bake made with buttery brown sugar apples, soft brioche, cream cheese, and a warmly spiced maple custard. Make it the night before for an effortless morning breakfast, or let it soak briefly and bake it the same day. It's perfect for fall weekends, holiday mornings, or feeding a crowd.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Apples
French Toast Bake
Pecan Cinnamon Topping
For Serving
How to Make Apple Cinnamon French Toast Bake
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Cook the cinnamon apples
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add the diced apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt.
Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples begin to soften but still hold their shape. Don't cook them completely since they'll continue cooking in the oven.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
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Assemble the morning bake
Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Spread half of the brioche cubes evenly in the bottom of the dish.
Scatter half of the cream cheese cubes and half of the cinnamon apples over the brioche.
Add the remaining brioche, followed by the remaining cream cheese and apples.
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Make the maple cinnamon custard
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt until thoroughly combined.
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Pour over the brioche
Slowly pour the custard evenly over the bread.
Gently press the brioche into the custard with the back of a spoon or spatula to help the bread absorb the liquid.
At this point, choose either the same-morning or overnight method.
Same-Morning Option
Cover the assembled Cinnamon Apple Morning Bake and refrigerate for 30–45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Combine the chopped pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole just before baking.
Bake uncovered for 45–50 minutes, or until the top is golden and the center is set.
If the top starts becoming too brown before the center is finished, loosely cover the baking dish with foil.
Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup.
Overnight Option
Assemble the casserole through the custard step.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for 8–12 hours.
The next morning, remove the baking dish from the refrigerator while the oven preheats to 350°F.
Combine the pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the top.
Bake uncovered for 45–55 minutes, or until the center is set and the top is golden brown.
If the top begins browning too quickly, loosely cover it with foil for the remainder of the baking time.
Allow the casserole to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup.
Note
Use slightly stale brioche if possible. Day-old bread absorbs the custard especially well without becoming overly soft.
Choose apples that hold their shape. Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, Pink Lady, and Braeburn are all good choices. I particularly like using 2 Honeycrisp + 1 Granny Smith for a combination of sweet and tart flavors.
Don't fully cook the apples. They only need to soften slightly in the skillet because they'll continue cooking in the oven.
Cut the cream cheese fairly small. Small cubes create creamy pockets throughout the casserole instead of a few large chunks.
Don't skip the soaking time. For the same-morning version, give the brioche at least 30 minutes to absorb the custard.
Check the center. The center should look set rather than wet when the casserole is finished. Add another 5 minutes of baking time if necessary.
Let it rest before serving. Ten minutes gives the custard time to settle and makes the casserole easier to serve.
Fruit Variations
One thing I like about this recipe is that the basic morning bake can easily change with the seasons.
Apple Cranberry
Use 2 apples + 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries. Add an extra tablespoon of brown sugar to the fruit mixture to balance the tart cranberries.
Cinnamon Pear
Replace the apples with 3 firm pears and prepare them using the same skillet method. Keep the cinnamon, nutmeg, maple, and pecans.
Blueberry
Replace the apple mixture with 2 cups blueberries.
There's no need to cook the berries first. Layer them directly with the brioche and cream cheese.
For this version, skip the nutmeg and add 1 teaspoon lemon zest to the custard.
Peach
Replace the apples with approximately 3 cups peeled, diced peaches.
Skip the nutmeg for a lighter flavor and layer the peaches into the casserole.
Mixed Berry
Use approximately 2 1/2 cups mixed berries, such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries.
There's no need to cook the berries before assembling the casserole.
More Cozy Breakfast Recipes
If you love this apple cinnamon French toast bake, try our Pumpkin Crumb Cake Muffins for another cozy fall breakfast, or browse all of our Breakfast Recipes for more easy morning favorites.
How to Make It Gluten-Free
Replace the brioche with approximately 16 ounces gluten-free brioche-style bread or soft gluten-free white bread.
Check the maple syrup, vanilla, spices, cream cheese, and other packaged ingredients for gluten-containing additives or cross-contact as needed.
Gluten-free bread can absorb custard differently, so begin checking the casserole toward the earlier end of the baking range.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftover apple cinnamon French toast bake covered in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
Reheat individual servings in the microwave, or cover several servings and warm them in a 325°F oven until heated through.
