This is a twist on the classic French toast breakfast treat! Overnight French Toast Bake is made with fresh apples and Brioche bread cubes that are soaked in a creamy egg custard. Hands down, this will be the best brunch entrée on the table!

casserole of baked french toast and apples, dusted with confectioner's sugar

I love the rich flavors of this make-ahead, overnight casserole. This is a perfect crowd-pleaser for a party brunch, Sunday morning special breakfast or on any day, for any meal, at any time.

Did you Know?

French toast is not an invention of France! It has been enjoyed for eons in many parts of he world. One of the earliest versions of this classic breakfast recipe dates back to the Roman Empire.

The French do have their own version that they call “Pain Perdu”, meaning lost bread. Lost bread is bread that has gone stale and intended for the birds or thrown away. The cook made it useful by dipping it in an egg-milk mixture and fried it in butter.

What Goes Into This Overnight French Toast Casserole?

To make this amazing overnight casserole here’s what you will need:

Skillet with spoon, apples brown sugar mixture

Apples
Lemon
Butter
Brown sugar
Bread
Eggs
Cream cheese
Milk
Cream
Salt
Vanilla

You probably have all these items in your pantry and refrigerator and can get busy putting it all together for tomorrow’s breakfast!

How to make this breakfast Casserole:

One of the major advantages of this recipe is that you can prepare it in advance the night before, refrigerate it and bake it the next morning. That overnight rest gives the Brioche bread a chance to really soak up the eggy liquid resulting in a delicious custard-like treat after baking.

Serving of French Toast casserole being lifted from baking dish

Here’s how to put it all together, be sure to scroll to the recipe card for detailed instructions:

Peel, core, and slice the apples. Cut the bread slices into cubes
Cook the apples.
Make the custard mixture with the eggs, cream cheese, milk, cream, salt and vanilla.
Add the ingredients to a casserole dish.
Refrigerate overnight.
When you are ready to bake the casserole, remove it from the fridge and transfer it to a preheated 325°F oven.
Bake.
Serve! Sprinkle the top surface with confectioners’ sugar for extra deliciousness.

Tips for success with this recipe.

Toss the apples in lemon juice. It will prevent the apples from turning brown while you get the rest of the ingredients ready.
Cook the apples in the sugar/cinnamon mixture until they are soft and the mixture is thick and syrupy. It should take about 5 to 7 minutes.
Use a blender or food processor to get the egg/milk/cream cheese mixture really well blended. If you don’t have one of these appliances then you can use a whisk and some elbow grease.
When you blend the cream cheese into the egg mixture, add a couple of chunks at a time and blend until it is smooth.
Grease the casserole dish before adding the ingredients.
When you add the ingredients to the casserole dish, alternate them so you have plenty of apples blended throughout the whole thing.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap before you refrigerate it overnight.

Baked French toast casserole with syrup, coffee and strawberries in bckground — This is a great brunch idea!

Topping Ideas to Serve With This Overnight French Toast Bake:

Butter is a must! It is delicious with our homemade Preserved Lemon Butter. Maple syrup is the typical topping for French toast but a Blueberry- Lemon Syrup would be fantastic! I love my pancakes and waffles topped with this Chunky Applesauce. It would be delicious teamed up with the French toast casserole.

You will hit a home run with this easy recipe and will have requests to make it again. Enjoy!

SOME OTHER RECIPES WE ARE SURE YOU WILL LOVE:

Goat Cheese Quiche with Sweet Potato Crust: The non-traditional crust of sweet potato slices makes this goat cheese quiche gluten-free. Bright, colorful garden veggies of kale, leek, red bell pepper and more sweet potato slices are combined with a savory, custard-like filling.
Overnight Sourdough Pancakes: Sourdough pancakes made with a portion of your sourdough starter that you would otherwise discard. These pancakes are light and fluffy with just a hint of sweetness. This is one of the most delicious ways to use your extra sourdough starter.
Breakfast Potato Skillet with Bacon and Mushrooms: Skillet potatoes with crispy bacon bits, mushrooms, assorted veggies and a poached egg. This is a breakfast for a lazy weekday or a Sunday brunch

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Overnight French Toast Bake

Overnight French Toast Bake is a simple dish with a lot of WOW! Bite-size apple cubes lightly glazed in brown sugar are layered over Brioche bread cubes. A mixture of eggs, cream cheese, milk and cream soaks into the bread cubes creating a creamy custard-like texture.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 1 10

Total Time: 1 40

Servings: Servings

Calories: 567kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

3 large apples
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice divided
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
16- ounce loaf Brioche bread cubed
10 large eggs
8 ounces cream cheese cut into chunks
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Grease a 9x13x2-inch ovenproof casserole dish (or coat with non-stick oil spray) and reserve.

For the Apples:

Peel and core the apples then cut them into 1/2-inch pieces. Place the apple cubes into a bowl and toss with half of the lemon juice.
In a skillet set over medium heat, add the butter and when it has melted stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Add the chopped apples and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is syrupy. Cook for 5 minutes until the apples are just beginning to soften. Remove from the heat and let cool.

For the Custard:

Break the eggs into the food processor or blender and process until blended. With the motor running add chunks of the cream cheese and process until smooth. Add the milk, cream salt and vanilla. Process until well combined.

To Assemble the Casserole:

Add half of the bread cubes to the bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Spoon 1/2 of the apple mixture over the bread cubes. Pour 1/2 of the egg/cheese mixture over the top.
Add another layer with the remaining bread cubes and spoon the remaining apple mixture over the bread cubes. Pour the remaining egg mixture over the top and gently press down on the mixture to lightly cover the top with the liquid.
Cover the dish with foil and refrigerate overnight.

Bake the Casserole:

When ready to bake the casserole:

Remove the casserole from the refrigerator and let stand while the oven heats.
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Transfer the dish to the oven and bake, covered with foil, for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes or until golden brown and the center is firm.
Sift the confectioners’ sugar over the top of the casserole and serve immediately.

Notes

Choose any variety of apples, if using tart apples like Granny Smith or Pippin add a couple additional tablespoons of brown sugar to the skillet.
I used regular full-fat cream cheese, the reduced variety can be substituted
Serve with butter, maple syrup or hot applesauce and a dollop of sweetened sour cream.