This Apple Pie French Toast is made with thick slices of bread dipped in a cinnamon custard, pan-fried until golden, and topped with a warm cinnamon-apple compote that tastes like the filling of a pie.

Unlike a baked casserole version, this one cooks stovetop, slice by slice, so it’s ready faster.

I make this on weekend mornings when I want something that feels like dessert for breakfast but still uses up bread that’s a day or two old.

If you like sweet, apple-forward breakfasts like this one, these are worth trying too:

Ingredients You’ll Need

Slightly stale, thick-cut bread (like brioche or Texas toast) soaks up the custard without falling apart, unlike fresh sandwich bread.

Cooking the apples down separately in a skillet gives you that classic pie-filling texture rather than raw, crunchy apple pieces.

Ingredients

6 thick slices bread (brioche or Texas toast)
4 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp butter, for the pan
2 apples, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp butter, for the apples
3 tbsp packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, for the apples
Maple syrup, for serving

Directions

In a shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until smooth.
Dip each slice of bread into the custard, letting it soak for about 10 seconds per side.
Slightly stale bread soaks without falling apart, so if your bread is very fresh, let the dipped slices sit for a minute before cooking.
Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
Cook the soaked bread slices for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through in the center.
Work in batches, adding more butter to the pan as needed, and keep the cooked slices warm in a low oven.
While the French toast cooks, melt the butter for the apples in a separate skillet over medium heat.
Add the sliced apples, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Check the apples for doneness by piercing a piece with a fork – it should be soft but still hold its shape.
This one takes a bit of timing to coordinate with the French toast, just so you know, but both parts only take a few minutes each.
Remove the apples from the heat once they’re ready.
Arrange the cooked French toast slices on plates.
Spoon the warm cinnamon apples generously over the top.
Drizzle with maple syrup.
Serve warm and enjoy!

Important Recipe Notes

Use slightly stale, thick-cut bread. Fresh sandwich bread falls apart when soaked, while a day-old brioche or Texas toast holds together and soaks up more custard.
Don’t over-soak the bread. 10 seconds per side is usually enough. Soaking too long makes the center soggy instead of custardy.
Keep cooked slices warm in a low oven while you finish the rest of the batch, so everyone gets to eat warm French toast at the same time.

Cook the apples down until tender but not mushy. You want them to hold their shape like a pie filling, not turn into applesauce.
Store leftover French toast and apples separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the French toast in a toaster or oven to keep it from getting soggy, and warm the apples separately.
This doesn’t freeze particularly well as an assembled dish, though plain cooked French toast slices freeze fine on their own for up to a month.

How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe

Serving:

Serve warm, right after topping with the cinnamon apples, with extra maple syrup on the side.

A dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream makes it feel even more like dessert.

Storage:

Keep leftover French toast and apple topping in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat the French toast in a toaster oven and warm the apples on the stove.

Customization:

Add a handful of chopped pecans or walnuts to the apple topping for crunch, or swap the apples for pears.

A smear of cream cheese under the apple topping adds a tangy contrast to the sweetness.