It’s almost that time of year again when everyone wants something different. The kids are off school and your off work for a few extra days, so you just want to make the most of your time together. You want to try out new recipes and find variations of your holiday meals.
French toast is a popular option for breakfast. It’s delicious, full of protein from the eggs, and easy for all to eat. Apple French toasts offer that bit of fruit and a sweeter taste naturally and healthily. But after a while the same recipe repeatedly gets boring. You want to find something that’s fresh and exciting; something that the kids will look forward to again.
This holiday week why not try one of these seven variations. There’s one for each day of the week if you’re wanting to do something special throughout the week. If not, you’ve got a few ideas for other days of the year.
Apple and Maple French Toast
Don’t just opt for apples for your French toast. You can also add a natural sweetness to maple syrup. Look out for pure maple syrup to make sure you get a healthier option for your waistline and your physical health. You’ll get delicious caramelized apples to top your French toast, which you can make on their own for pancakes and more!
Ingredients:
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup of milk
- 1/2tsp vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon, to taste
- 6 slices of bread
- 2tbsp butter
- 3 apples, sliced and peeled
- 2tbsp water
- ½ cup of maple syrup
Method:
- Whisk the eggs with the milk, vanilla, and cinnamon in a baking dish
- Add a slice of bread and coat fully on both sides, repeating with all the rest of the slices
- Meanwhile, melt a tbsp of butter in a skillet and add the apples, caramelizing
- Add the water and cook for 4 minutes to soften the apples
- Add the maple syrup and a little cinnamon, simmering for a minute for all the flavors to combine
- Melt the rest of the butter and fry the bread until golden on both sides
- Place the bread on a plate and top with the caramelized apples
You can serve this with a little extra butter or some cool whip if you’d like. Opt for more maple syrup if you have sugar fans in the house.
Apple and Cinnamon French Toast
Instead of maple syrup, you can always add more vanilla and cinnamon to your apple French toast. This does call for brown sugar. You want this rather than white for the taste difference to work with the cinnamon and apples.
Ingredients:
- 2 apples, sliced and peeled
- ¾ cup of brown sugar
- 4tbsp butter
- 1/2tsp vanilla extract, divided
- 1tsp ground cinnamon, divided
- 6 slices of bread
- 2 eggs, beaten lightly
- ½ cup of milk
- 1/3 cup of flour
Method:
- Place the apples with the sugar and butter in a saucepan and cook until the butter melts and sugar dissolves
- Add half the vanilla and cinnamon and simmer for 6-8 minutes
- Remove from the heat and set aside to cool and thicken
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the milk and rest of vanilla and cinnamon
- Add the flour and whisk until smooth
- Submerge a slice of bread, coating both sides in the egg mixture
- Add the bread to a skillet, cooking for 1-2 minutes over a medium heat and then turning over to cook for another 1-2 minutes
- Repeat with the rest of the bread and plate
- Serve with the apple and cinnamon mixture over the top
You can sprinkle some powdered sugar over the top if you want. Alternatively, service with a little extra cinnamon or some nutmeg to complete the holiday feelings.
Apple and Cinnamon French Toast Casserole
Don’t just make the apple and cinnamon French toast above. It’s time to do something completely different and make a casserole for your family. This will take a bit longer than other recipes, but it’s worth it for something new and exciting. You can also assemble everything ahead of time and bake within 24 hours, meaning you can do the prep work the night before.
Ingredients for the casserole:
- 4tbsp butter, melted
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups of half-and-half
- ¾ cup of apple butter
- 1 1/2tsp ground cinnamon, divided
- 1tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4tsp nutmeg
- 1/4tsp salt
- 1lb brioche bread halved lengthways and then chopped into 1in-thick slices
- 2 Pink Lady apples, cubed
- 2tbsp sugar
- Ingredients for the cinnamon topping:
- ½ cup of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup of sugar
- 1tsp ground cinnamon
- 4tbsp butter, cubed and chilled
Method for the casserole:
- Grease a baking dish with some of the butter
- Place the rest of the butter with the eggs, apple butter, half-and-half, 1/2tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and salt in a bowl, whisking everything to combine
- Dip the bread slices in the egg mixture a slice at a time and arrange in four rows in the dish, overlapping each slice; alternating the direction of overlaps with each layer
- Combine the apple, sugar and rest of the cinnamon together in a bowl
- Place the apple cubes around and between the bread slices, covering as much space as possible
- Pour the egg mixture over the top and spread evenly
Method for the topping:
- Whisk the flour, cinnamon, and sugar together in a bowl
- Add the butter cubes and blend together until crumbly with your fingertips
- Sprinkle over the top of your casserole
If you’re going to make this the night before, wrap with cling film and place in the fridge until you’re ready to bake. Otherwise, you can move onto the next steps right away.
Method for baking:
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Place the casserole in the oven, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes
Serve with some warmed maple syrup or some cool whip on the side. This is best served on warmed plates to help keep the heat in the casserole.
You don’t need to eat the whole casserole in one sitting. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to five days in the fridge.
The bread will taste better when dried. Place it on a baking sheet uncovered for two hours at room temperature. You can also place in the oven at 275F for 10 minutes, just to dry out the moisture.
Apple French Toast Casserole
If the previous casserole is something that you enjoyed, you’ll want to try out this option too! It’s extremely easy to make and another that you can prepare ahead of time and then bake in the morning. You can also store leftovers to eat later.
Ingredients:
- 4tbsp butter
- 3 apples, peeled and sliced
- ¾ cup of brown sugar
- 2tbsp water
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 8 slices of Italian bread, sliced into 1in-thick slices
- 4 eggs
- 1 ¼ cups of milk
- 2tsp vanilla extract
Method:
- Melt the butter in a skillet and then add the apples, cooking for 5 minutes
- Add the sugar, cinnamon, and water and cook for another 10 minutes to tenderize the apples
- Place the mixture in a baking dish and cover the apple slices with the bread slices, trimming the bread if necessary
- In a bowl, beat the eggs until foamy and then add the milk and vanilla, beating to combine
- Pour over the top of the bread and cover with cling film, placing in the fridge overnight
- Preheat the oven to 375 and take the dish out of the fridge
- Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 35 minutes
- Allow to sit for 10 minutes and serve on warmed plates
Try to carefully flip your casserole, so you serve with the apple slices on the top. You can then top with a little extra cinnamon or some nutmeg for a holiday taste.
Apple Stuffed French Toast
Sometimes you want to do more than just top your French toast with apples. How about stuffing the bread instead? This is a great option for those days when it’s cold and you want to feel warm from the inside. You can also make a banana variation of this if you really want to do something completely different and use up those ripe bananas.
Ingredients:
- 4 slices of bread
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 apple, cored, peeled, and sliced
- 1tsp ground cinnamon
- 4 parts of butter
Method:
- Melt two pats of butter in a pan and then fry the apples until they soften and brown
- Remove the apples from the heat and put to one side
- Coat the bread slices in the eggs and place on the pan
- Top the bread with the apple slices and then add another egg covered slice of bread over the top, cooking as a sandwich
- Cook until the bread is golden brown and then flip to brown the other side
Serve the sandwich the way the kids like, whether in squares or triangles. Don’t forget some powdered sugar and maple syrup for drizzling over the top. A dollop of cool whip is also a favorite for many.
Granny Smith Apple French Toast Casserole
Granny Smith apples have a little extra bite to them, making them popular for baking. This casserole recipe is perfect for the juice, delicious green apples. You can also use them when they’re starting to lose some of their crispiness.
Ingredients:
- 4 eggs, beaten
- ½ cup of half-and-half
- ½ cup of milk
- 1tbsp sugar
- 1tbsp vanilla extract
- 8oz French bread, chopped into cubes
- ¼ cup of butter
- 3 Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and diced
- ¼ cup of brown sugar
- 1tsp cinnamon
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a baking dish
- In a bowl, beat the eggs with the half-and-half, milk, vanilla extract, and white sugar
- Add the bread cubes, coating fully and allow to soak for 10+ minutes
- In a skillet, melt the butter
- In a separate bowl, combine the apples and brown sugar and then add to the melted butter until the sugar is moistened
- Add the cinnamon and cook for 5-7 minutes
- Pour the apples into the bread mixture and combine fully
- Pour into the baking dish and bake for 35-45 minutes
This is another casserole that you can make the night before. Cover the dish before the cooking time and place in the fridge overnight. Make sure you allow it to reach room temperature for best cooking results. You can also store the casserole leftovers for up to five days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Apple and Nutmeg Topped French Toast
Finally, it’s time for a very simple recipe. This will take 45 minutes to prepare, but it’s delicious and well worth waiting for. It will soon become a family favorite for the holiday season.
Ingredients for the apple topping:
- 3 cooking apples, peeled and sliced
- 1 ½ cup of water, divided
- 1 cup of sugar, a little extra to taste if you’d like
- 1/4tsp nutmeg
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 3tbsp cornstarch
- 1tbsp lemon juice
- Ingredients for the French toast:
- 8 slices of bread
- 7 eggs
- 1tsp cinnamon
- 1/4tsp nutmeg
Method:
- In a saucepan, mix the apples, nutmeg, and cinnamon with a cup of the water and cover, bringing to the boil
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes to tenderize the apples
- Whisk the cornstarch and sugar in a bowl and then add the rest of the water and lemon juice, mixing until smooth
- Add the cornstarch mixture to the apples and cook for a minute, until thickened
- Preheat a skillet
- In a bowl, beat the eggs with the nutmeg and cinnamon and then dip the bread slices into the mixture
- Fry the bread until golden on both sides and hot
- Serve the bread on plates with the apple and nutmeg mixture over the top
Make the Most of Apple French Toast Variations
You don’t just have to go with the usual apple French toast if you don’t want to. There are so many ways you can make your favorite meals. Some of them will take a few extra hours, but you can do many of the dishes the night before and just cook in the morning. Your kids will love trying something new and feel like they’re being treated to their favorite dishes. You’ll also love having the warmth of French toast on a holiday morning.
