Last weekend a couple of good things happened around here. One of my closest friends and her fiancé cruised into town for a (too short) visit. Fall arrived and while it brought cooler temperatures, Fall didn’t mess with the beautiful blue, sunny skies we have been experiencing since June {I know, I know – stop talking about the weather already… I’m working on it}.
Combine those two things and you have a celebration! A celebration that obviously needed to include a hearty, homemade and healthy brunch with Fall flavors.
If you are a newer reader, let me give you the lowdown of these Overnight Baked French Toasts. Ready?
They are easy as hell! Bottom line – when you have guests or a morning crowd to feed, things can get crazy, especially if you have a nearly 3-year old throwing train, demanding toast cut into triangles and hexagons and dumping water on himself to get a rise out of you.
You mix everything up, pour it into a casserole dish, shove it in the fridge and forget about it.
Until the next morning, that is, when you have that crowd to feed. Then you just bake and serve.
Breakfast for 12. Done and still in my pajamas.
NOTES:
- Why Date Sugar? I have been wanting to experiment with it and thought this would be the perfect dish. It is not refined, considered a healthy sugar alternative, is a whole food that is ground up, completely natural and really low on Points Plus. Plus, it has an amazing flavor. If you can’t get Date Sugar, my next choice would be Coconut Palm Sugar.
- Challah is the bread to use. If you can find a Jewish bakery, grab one from there, cut it up into cubes as soon as you get home and throw it in the freezer. Defrost the bag the day you are going to prepare the mixture. This is what I do so that I don’t have to run around like a crazy person the day I am making this. If you don’t live near a good Jewish bakery, Whole Foods usually sells Challah and even Trader Joe’s. You are cutting it up into cubes so don’t drive yourself completely insane about it.
- I used 1 cup of Vanilla Hemp Milk in this recipe because Hemp milk is very thick and creamy and gives this French Toast a great consistency. I have had readers tell me that cows milk, almond milk and even rice milk work just fine!
- There are so many varieties of Stevia you can buy; liquid, powder, for bakers, individual packets, extract. I mostly keep the individual packets and the liquid extract in the pantry but right now I only have the packets in my house so I used 2 individual packets for this recipe. If you have never used Stevia, this is a great opportunity to try it. I also use it in my coffee, tea, in smoothies and shakes and for most baking.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
Apple Cinnamon Overnight Baked French Toast.
- 12 to 14 ounce loaf Challah Bread cut into cubes
- 6 large eggs
- 1 cup unsweetened Vanilla Hemp Milk
- 2 cups lowfat organic plain Yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon Stevia or 2 individual use packets
- 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons grade B maple syrup divided
- Non-stick Cooking Spray for casserole 9x13 casserole dish
- 1 cup peeled and diced apple 1 to 2 apples, depending on size I used Gala
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons date sugar
- 2 tablespoons date sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch sea salt
Cube Challah.
- Spray 9 x 13 Pyrex baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Using whisk, beat eggs in a large glass bowl.
- Add in Hemp Milk, Yogurt, sea salt, Stevia, 1.5 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1.5 teaspoons of cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of Maple Syrup. Stir until well combined and set aside.
Peel and dice apple(s). Toss with 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon and 2 tablespoons date sugar.
- Combine remaining 2 tablespoons date sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and pinch of sea salt in a small dish.
- Toss cubed Challah into batter and gently fold until completely moistened. Gently stir in cinnamon and date sugar coated apple pieces.
- Pour into casserole dish and evenly sprinkle with topping.
- Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350F. Immediately take casserole out of refrigerator, uncover and let sit out while oven heats up.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool for 10. Serve with Maple Syrup and Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
How much liquid stevia would I use if I don’t have packets. I want to make it today. I have no date sugar. How much brown sugar should I add
Hey Lynn! What did you wind up adding to it? Hope it turned out and that you had a great weekend!
Oh my goodness! This is so good. I made it with apples, but I can’t wait until I can try it with peaches! Thanks for a great recipe!!
So glad you loved it Kate! Thanks so much for letting me know 🙂
I’m always lookin for new, single serve breakfast ideas as an on-the-go college student. I found this recipe and kind of made it into the ever popular mugcake form! I eye balled the single serve measurements and stuck it in the fridge overnight, only to wake up on this chilly morning to pop it in the microwave and mmmmmmmmmmm. 🙂 Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
Nice – love that you made this work for you and into a mug cake – so inventive! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Do you have a suggested sub for date sugar? I have honey, maple syrup, brown sugar and white sugar in the house. Would honey be an ok replacement?
Hi Jenna,
I would go with the brown sugar!
I just made this dish but it’s not going to be ready in time for everyone to eat. Can I throw it in the fridge when it’s done and cool and reheat it tomorrow morning?
Definitely Leah – it may lose a bit of that just-baked crispiness around the edges though but that always happens with re-heating. Enjoy!
Saving this recipe for Christmas morning!
I love that one Danielle and it’s sooooo easy!
Are you serious right now?!? This looks ridiculously amazing. It’s 10pm here… but I’m totally salivating at the thought of this! Bookmarking now for future breakfast crowd recipe requirements.
These overnight baked french toasts are my saviors for feeding a group breakfast! and, I usually make one version or another at the holidays 🙂
This looks absolutely delicious! I love the step by step method shown.
Thanks Asmita – I appreciate that 🙂
I wish I had houseguests more often so that I could make this! I suppose I could anyway..but then there is a real and serious danger that I’d eat the whole tray myself.
Well, you could always make it, freeze and a couple pieces for yourself and take the rest to your Mom and siblings!
Oh my lordy!! LOVE LOVE LOVE this baked french toast recipe!! And with apples, it’s just so much more delicious 🙂
You will LOVE this then Kiran!
Apple and cinnamon combine so well. Served in such an easy dish like overnight baked French Toast? Yes, please. Really nice – thanks.
I love cinnamon so I had to hold myself back from not going overboard and make sure it was balanced. So good!
Will this freeze at any point in preparation or after it is cooked? There is only me 🙂 and I’d sure like to make this. . .
J
Yes! I usually have a couple pieces left over and freeze them (after baking and cooling) individually. They reheat great in the oven 🙂
Mmmm…this sounds amazing! It would be so perfect for the holidays when I start up in the kitchen so early and don’t want to stop to make breakfast. (Yes, my family still wants breakfast even when I’m preparing holiday food. The nerve.) I will be making one…or all…versions of this over the winter and fall!
It is perfect for that Heather! This is my holiday morning go-to!
Love, love the fact that the whole breakfast can be made the night before and just place in the oven the next morning.
Exactly Norma – makes mornings so EASY!
What a perfect breakfast to wake up to!
Thanks Laura 🙂