Don’t fall for just any old breakfast dish! Cider French Toast Bake is an apple-season favorite you can whip up any time of year that all your family and guests will long for. Crusty French bread is soaked for hours in an apple cider-infused sauce, topped with cinnamon-brown sugar apples, and baked until golden-brown for your sweet breakfast or brunch treat. Don’t wait for the first apple to fall from the tree, this Cider French Toast is a welcomed part of your day, any day! It just has so much apple-eal!
Ingredients
For the French toast:
- 1 (12-14-ounce) loaf French bread, can substitute sourdough bread or challah
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup apple cider, nonalcoholic, not carbonated
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh orange zest
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- cinnamon, to taste
- salt, to taste
For the cinnamon apples:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 4 cups apples, such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch slices
- 1/4 cup apple cider drink, nonalcoholic, not carbonated
- 1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup pecan halves
Optional, for serving:
- confectioners’ sugar, to taste
- maple syrup, to taste
- salted caramel sauce, optional, to taste, store-bought or homemade
Directions
Step 1 –Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Step 2 –Line an 18×26-inch baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 3 –On a cutting board with a serrated knife, slice the bread into 1-inch-thick slices.
Step 4 –Transfer the bread slices to the prepared baking sheet, spreading them out in a single layer.
Step 5 –Bake the bread slices until crusty, about 10 minutes.
Step 6 –Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Step 7 –In a medium bowl with a pour spout, add the eggs, 1 cup of the apple cider, the milk, 1/2 cup of the brown sugar, the orange zest, the vanilla extract, the cinnamon, and the salt, and whisk to combine. Set it aside.
Step 8 –Dip the crusty bread slices into the egg mixture, taking care to soak both sides.
Step 9 –Transfer the soaked bread slices to the prepared baking dish, lining the slices next to each other.
Step 10 –Evenly pour any of the remaining egg mixture over the top of the bread slices. Set it aside.
Step 11 –In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter.
Step 12 –Add the apples, the remaining apple cider, the remaining brown sugar, the remaining 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, the allspice, the nutmeg, and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of the salt to the melted butter and cook, while stirring occasionally, until the apples have slightly softened, about 8 minutes.
Step 13 –Transfer the apple mixture from the stovetop to a wire rack.
Step 14 –Add the pecans to the apple mixture and stir to combine.
Step 15 –Evenly spoon all of the apple mixture and the juices over the top of the soaked bread slices.
Step 16 –Tightly cover the bake and transfer it to the refrigerator to marinate and soak up the egg mixture for at least 3 hours and up to 24 hours. Do not skip this step.
Step 17 –Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Step 18 –Uncover the bake and bake, about 20 minutes.
Step 19 –Cover the bake with aluminum foil and bake again until the center appears set and is no longer runny, about 25-35 minutes.
Step 20 –Transfer the bake from the oven to a wire rack and let it cool for 5 minutes. The bake will deflate slightly during cooling.
Step 21 –Serve the bake topped with the confectioners’ sugar, the maple syrup, and the salted caramel sauce.
