Baked Cinnamon Apple Butter French Toast
Apple-butter-stuffed brioche, caramelized Honeycrisp apples and cinnamon custard, finished with salted maple cream.
Contains dairy, eggs and gluten; optional pecans contain nuts. Make ahead: assemble up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate. Leftovers keep airtight refrigerated up to 4 days. Reheat covered with foil at 300°F (150°C) for 15–20 minutes, or microwave individual portions. Freeze without whipped cream up to 2 months; thaw overnight and reheat. Tips: use day-old brioche or challah; Honeycrisp apples hold their shape and sweetness; cream cheese may replace mascarpone; add a splash of bourbon to the syrup for a richer flavor; serve with extra warm maple syrup.
Ingredients
Apple butter filling
- 1 cup apple butter (homemade or store-bought)
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
Honeycrisp apples
- 3 large Honeycrisp apples (about 1½ lb)
- 3 tbsp salted butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
French toast custard
- 6 large eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, browned and cooled
Bread
- 1 large loaf brioche or challah (about 1 lb), sliced into 10 thick slices (1½–2 inches)
Topping
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Salted maple cream
- 1 cup heavy cream (cold)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup (infused, see syrup below)
- ¼ cup mascarpone (or cream cheese)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
Cinnamon maple syrup
- ¾ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
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Method
- 1
Make the apple butter filling: in a small bowl, mix apple butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and salt. Set aside.
- 2
Prepare the apples: thinly slice apples. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice. Cook 8–10 minutes until tender but not mushy. Stir in vanilla and let cool.
- 3
Stuff the bread: slice each piece of brioche in half, leaving one side attached. Spread apple butter filling inside each slice.
- 4
Make the custard: in a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, cream, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and cooled browned butter until smooth.
- 5
Assemble: arrange stuffed slices in a greased 9 × 13-inch baking dish. Tuck caramelized apples between the slices and over the top. Pour custard evenly over the bread.
- 6
Add topping: combine brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl. Cut in cold butter until crumbly. Stir in pecans (optional) and sprinkle over the top.
- 7
Chill: cover and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes, ideally 1 hour or overnight.
- 8
Bake: preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake uncovered for 40–45 minutes until golden brown and set.
- 9
Make the maple syrup: warm maple syrup and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer 5 minutes, remove from heat and stir in vanilla and a pinch of salt.
- 10
Make the salted maple cream: whip heavy cream, maple syrup, mascarpone, vanilla and salt until soft peaks form.
- 11
Serve: dollop maple cream over warm French toast and drizzle with warm cinnamon maple syrup.
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From Bobbie's “Bobbie's Recipe Card 115”. Written up by Bobbie's Kitchen · Updated 26 October 2026