Baked Apple Pecan French Toast is the ultimate family breakfast, just perfect to feed a crowd. Both soft and crunchy, it features some thick challah bread slices, baked apples with a splash of whiskey, and an irresistible pecan-sugar mixture. Enjoy as is, or with some whipped cream!
When it comes to family breakfast or brunch, I can’t decide between pancakes and French toasts. Both are soft, sweet, and make a perfect treat on a cozy weekend morning. Now if you’re looking for something that feeds a crowd, and yet takes minimum effort to make – and can even be prepared ahead of time – this baked French toast is for you!
I used challah bread to make this French toast extra soft and tender, added cooked apples in butter, and some sugary pecans for a crunchy bite. Believe me, each bite is a feast! So yummy and decadent, no one can resist!
What is baked French toast?
Regular French toast consists in soaking slices of white bread or brioche in a milk and egg custard, and then fry them with butter on both sides in a skillet. The baked French toast version suggests that you place the soaked slices of bread in a baking dish, and then bake in the oven rather than frying each slice individually on the stovetop. It’s an effortless version of the classic French toast recipe as you bake them all at the same time.
What goes into apple pecan French toast?
- Challah bread. You could also go for brioche or white bread. If possible, it’s best to use day-old bread since it soaks up the custard flavors more easily without becoming mushy.
- Pecans. I recommend using chopped pecans, that are usually less expensive than halves. You can always use a few halves to decorate on top. You could also replace pecans with walnuts, but I find that pecans have sweeter, stronger notes.
- Apples. You need just two apples to make this recipe. Any kind will do, but apple varieties that are good for baking are preferred as they will hold their shape better while cooking.
- Eggs. This is a key ingredient to make French toast. They bring richness and flavors.
- Milk. Another key ingredient for a French toast recipe. You can use lactose-free milk or any vegetable milk of choice (almond, oat, etc.).
- Spices. Cinnamon is used together with a pinch of nutmeg, both pairing perfectly with the apples. I also used a splash of vanilla extract in the recipe.
- Brown sugar + maple syrup. You need them to prepare the pecan mixture, and bring some slightly caramelized notes.
- Butter. It’s used to soften the apples while cooking, and also to make the pecan mixture.
- Whiskey. You need just a splash of Whiskey to cook the apples. You can replace with other brandy, or skip it for an alcohol-free version.
How to make baked French toast?
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- Start with making the brown sugar-maple mix, and spread half of the mixture at the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle some pecans on top.
- Cook the apples in a skillet with butter and sugar until very soft. Add the Whiskey and cook until the alcohol is evaporated.
- Now make the milk-egg custard for the French toast.
- Assemble the dish. Soak each slice of challah bread into this custard, then arrange slices in the dish. Add the apples, top with the remaining maple-sugar mixture with pecans, and bake!
Recipe variations
You can replace the apples with pears or banana slices, and proceed the exact same way to cook them. Plus, both pears and bananas pair very well with chocolate, so you might as well add a few chocolate chips/chocolate chunks to your French toast before it goes to the oven!
Also, pecans are not the only nuts you can use. Consider making this recipe with walnuts for a cheaper version (pecans are very expensive), or for a crunchier bite use chopped hazelnuts or almonds.
FAQ
Can I skip the alcohol? Sure, for a kid-friendly version you can cook the apples in butter without the whiskey. Instead, simply add a splash of vanilla extract and follow the rest of the recipe as instructed.
How can I replace the pecans? If for some reasons you don’t want the pecans or any nuts, replace with a sugar-cinnamon crumble topping and bake, keeping an eye on the oven to ensure the top is not browning. If so, cover with foil and bake until French toast is done.
Can I make the recipe on the stovetop? This requires a few adjustments to the recipe, but yes you can make this French toast in a skillet, soaking each slice in the egg-milk mixture and then cook it on both sides with butter. Serve each slice with the pecan mixture and the cooked apples. Delicious!
Can I make baked French toast ahead of time? Yes, you can prep the recipe up to to adding the custard mixture over the bread, then store, covered, in the refrigerator overnight. Keep the pecan mixture and the cooked apples in separate containers, then on the D-day assemble the last parts of the recipe and bake! Leftover French toast stores pretty well, too. Simply reheat in the microwave or oven.
How do I know that my French toast is baked through? Look for a texture that is still soft in the center of each piece of challah bread. The egg-milk custard must be absorbed by the bread.
More breakfast recipes you’ll love:
- Easy Fluffy American Pancakes
- Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
- Easy Fluffy Banana Pancakes
- Buttermilk Chocolate Chip Scones
- Scrambled Egg Croissant Breakfast Sandwich
- Baked French Toast with Blueberry Compote
- Easy Chocolate Brioche Buns
Baked Apple Pecan French Toast
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 45 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Baked Apple Pecan French Toast is the ultimate family breakfast, just perfect to feed a crowd. Both soft and crunchy, it features some thick challah bread slices, baked apples with a splash of whiskey, and an irresistible pecan-sugar mixture.
Ingredients
For the pecan mixture:
- ½ cup (90g) light or dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup
- 6 Tablespoons (90g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 ½ cups (190g) pecans, chopped
For the apples:
- 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and cut into thick slices
- 4 Tablespoons (60g) unsalted butter
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60 ml) Whiskey or other liquor of choice
For the French toast:
- 8 large eggs, beaten
- 2 ½ cups (60 cl) milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- A pinch of salt
- 1 loaf challah bread*, sliced into thick slices
- Whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking dish with butter.
- Start with mixing brown sugar, maple syrup and melted butter in a bowl. Pour half of the mixture at the bottom of the dish and sprinkle with half the pecans. Set aside.
- Melt butter in a large skillet placed over medium heat and cook the apples until tender, about 5-8 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add sugar and Whiskey, and continue cooking until alcohol is evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt.
- Soak each slice of challah bread into the egg-milk custard, allowing the bread to sit at least a minute to soak up the eggs, then arrange the bread in the baking dish, and pour the remaining egg mix over the bread slices.
- Arrange the apple slices in the dish in a way that they overlap with the challah bread slices.
- Add the remaining pecans to the remaining brown sugar-maple mix from step 2, and spread over the dish.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until the French toast is golden and crisp. Let cool slightly, and serve with a side of whipped cream.
Notes
* You can replace challah bread with brioche or French bread.
Make ahead instructions. Prepare the French toast up to step 5 (including step 5), then cover the dish and store in the refrigerator overnight. Apples can be stored in a separate container in the refrigerator, and the pecan mix can be stored, covered, at room temperature. The following day, assemble the French toast dish from steps 6 to step 7, then bake.
Recipe inspired and adapted from Half Baked Harvest.
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Baked Apple Pecan French Toast, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
