Full of apple flavor and enriched challah bread, this apple pie french toast bake will be one of the easiest breakfast options you make for your family this holiday season. Did I also mention this recipe is vegan and dairy-free?
I think during the holidays we always need to have simplicity and readiness in a least one dish. And with this apple pie french toast bake, you can prep it the night before so you can wake up to just bake away. The smells of cinnamon and baked apple will hopefully be the thing that wakes the kids up instead of anticipation for presents.
My family I feel is very nontraditional to the modern day family. Like we would wake up, unwrap presents, and then get ready to go to my grandparents house to have lunch, stay AAAALLLLLL day to then open presents. If you got hungry during the down time you would just nibble on things kept warm on the stove and that was life back in the day. But if we were to eat breakfast I think my dad and I would be whipping this recipe before all the festivities that day.
Let’s be real, there is this battle between team pancake and team french toast. And Im not gonna lie, the older I get, the more I tend to lean towards team french toast.
Especially with something this easy to put together.
Since I have to change my diet my recipes will reflect those changes. I cut down on the sugar quite a bit to compensate for toppings and syrup but you can always adjust this to your liking. This recipe is also vegan and dairy-free.
If you would like to add back in the dairy and eggs I would recommend swapping out the banana for two eggs, and the almond milk for 1 cup milk and 1 cup half and half. To give this a sweeter note you can also add up to 1/2 cup of light brown sugar.
I personally haven’t tried this recipe gluten free yet, but I made my own challah by using my recipe from patreon. Recipe here.
I personally like to serve this with either maple syrup, extra apple butter, maybe even some dairy-free whip cream if I am feeling a little cheeky. The world is your oyster.
To server a larger group you can totally have this as an option and serve it along with eggs and sausage. I think the pan can serve 8 larger portions to 12 smaller portions depending on who wants what.
I hope you have a happy holiday! And if you make this recipe be sure to tag me on instagram with @kitchencliffnotes or by using either hashtags #kitchencliffnotes or #kitchencliffnotesrecipe. Subscribe to patreon for additional recipes and I also have a youtube channel where I am documenting my fitness and health journey. I will see you next week!
Apple Pie French Toast Bake
Ingredients
Dairy-free Custard
- 2 ripe Bananas
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1/4 cup Apple Butter
- 1 tbps Flax Meal
- 2 cups Non-dairy Milk I used almond milk
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Allspice
- 1/8 tsp Nutmeg
- 1 tsp Vanilla
Spiced Apples
- 2 large Fuji Apples diced
- 2 small Granny Smith Apples diced
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Allspice
- 1/4 cup Apple Butter
- 1 tsp rum extract optional
Assembly
- 16 oz Challah cut into small cubes
- 3/4 cup Walnuts chopped
Instructions
The night before
- In a large bowl, toss your 2 tsps of cinnamon and 1 tsp of Allspice over your 2 diced fuji apples and 2 diced granny smith apples until well coated with the spices. Transfer to a medium saucepan and sweat away on medium high heat until fragrant and apples become slightly soft, 5-7 minutes. Add your 1 tsp rum extract if using and cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes until the rum extract calms down.
- Once your apples have softened, add your 1/4 cup apple butter and stir to combine. Take off the heat while you make the custard.
- To make the custard, in a blender add your 2 ripe bananas, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1/4 cup apple butter, 1 tbsp flax meal, 2 cups almond milk, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp allspice, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Blend until a consistent custard is formed, 1-2 minutes.
- To a large bowl, combine your apple mixture, custard, and all 16 ounces of your cubed challah bread. You can take half of your walnuts and add them to your french toast now. Stir until all the bread is coated with custard and the apples and nuts are evenly distributed.
- Grease a 9×13" with cooking spray. Pour your french toast mixture into the pan. Top with remaining walnuts and cover. Place in the fridge and let rest for 8 hours to allow the bread to absorb the custard mixture.
The next day
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Uncover your french toast bake and place in the oven. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the edges start to darken and the nuts look toasty golden. Cut and serve with maple syrup, additional apple butter, or dairy-free whipped cream.
