About
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 18x26-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 9x13-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.
