A layer of warm, sugary apple pie compote tops a tower of French toast. Treat yourself to ‘pie for brunch.’

French Toast Ingredients

  • 6 slices of Challah bread (or brioche or French)
  • 6 eggs (3 eggs; 3 yolks) 
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla 
  • Unsalted butter for pan (about 4 Tbsp)
  • *Maple syrup (optional since the compote is sweet)

Apple Pie Compote Ingredients

  • 3 cups of apples (Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Jazz work well; I used Honeycrisp, and I needed two apples…but you’d most likely need 3 apples with other varieties)
  • 1 Tbsp orange juice + 1 Tbsp lemon juice (can swap for 2 Tbsp apple juice or water)
  • 1 tsp orange zest (optional, but recommended)
  • 2 Tbsp salted butter
  • ½ cup brown sugar (I like dark brown, but lighter brown can work too)
  • ½ Tbsp cinnamon
  •  1/8  tsp nutmeg
  • 1 Tbsp cornstarch

Optional Stovetop Streusel Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp salted butter, softened to room temperature
  • ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp dark brown sugar, packed
  • 2 Tbsp plus 2 tsp whole wheat pastry flour (you can substitute regular flour)
  • ¼ c old fashioned oats
  • ½ tsp cinnamon

Tools & Timing

  • 3 frying pans (2 large and 1 small for the streusel, if you are making it)
  • Spatula
  • Wooden spoon or spatula
  • Pie plate or baking dish
  • Three large prep bowls (one should be wide and glass)
  • Peeler, cutting board, and cutting knife for prepping your apples
  • *one small prep dish and zester if using orange and lemon zest
  • This whole process takes about 60 minutes (30 minutes for prep; 30 to cook)

Background

            At this time of year, it is so fun to experiment with new apple recipes! Since one of my weekend favorites is French toast (it feels Saturday-ish since I have the time to actually make it for breakfast or brunch), I wanted to experiment with making an Apple Pie French Toast recipe. Now, there are many recipes out there for apple French toast; however, I wanted my  apple topping to be reminiscent of apple pie filling…more of a compote, if you will…I also wanted something I could make on the stove…now, I love recipes that call for brown sugar and I love recipes that call for fruit zest…so I found two that sounded promising…and after a bit of experimentation, I give you my Apple Pie French Toast with Stovetop Streusel (because, if you can add streusel, you probably should).

This recipe is adapted from Hostess at Heart and Ina Garten’s Old-fashioned Apple Crisp

Step-by-step

*If making streusel, set out 3 Tbsp of salted butter 30 minutes before you want to begin.

Prep streusel 

  1. In prep bowl, combine all streusel ingredients (dark brown sugar, pastry flour, old-fashioned oats, and cinnamon) except butter.
  2. Using your fingers, squish butter into dry ingredients until all butter is blended and crumbles form. 

Prep Process for Compote and French Toast

  1. Slice baguette into ¾ -1 in slices
  2. Peel and chop apples (you can chop them in slices or chunks; you can also chop them between ¼ inch to ½ inch thick – just keep in mind that, whatever you choose, all of the apples need to be sliced the same way so they cook evenly…and thicker apples won’t be as soft). I cut my apples as ¼ inch slices.
  3. If using lemon and orange zest, zest both fruits and place zest in a small prep dish.

When Ready to Bake

Begin to Make your Apple Compote

  1. Prep dry ingredients for apple compote in a large prep bowl: combine brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cornstarch. Set aside.
  2. Places chopped apple pieces/slices and juice into a large saucepan. Place on stove and turn heat to medium-high. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon or spatula. Each time you sir, ensure that you redistribute the apples in one layer in the pan. The apples should begin to soften after about 4 minutes…(but keep in mind, I cut my apples ¼ inch thick; if you cut yours thicker, it will take longer for them to start to soften).
  3. After 6 minutes, add butter. Gently stir.
  4. Once the butter has melted, sprinkle the dry ingredients evenly over your apples. Continue to cook over medium-high heat for another 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  5. Remove from the heat, stir in zest (if using), and allow to rest.
  6. As the mixture rests, begin your French toast and streusel.

Begin to Soak the Toast:

  1. Whisk ingredients together for dipping toast (eggs, yolks, half and half, cinnamon, vanilla) in pie or baking dish. (Sometimes, I use a 9 x 13 so I could cook all of the pieces simultaneously – but then I’m using two frying pans!)
  2. Place slices of baguette into baking dish to soak. Soak each side for 1 minute. Once you flip your first slices, move on to cooking your streusel. 

Cook the Streusel and Your Toast: 

  1. In a medium pan, cook streusel over medium-low (closer to medium than low) heat for about 5 minutes, flipping every minute or so with a spatula. (*Watch your streusel; we don’t want the sugar to caramelize too much. Cook for about 5 minutes – I set a kitchen timer so I don’t forget – and watch it – once the sugar begins to really bubble up and expand (it gets poofy), you’ll know it’s done.)
  2. As streusel is browning, begin to cook your French toast: over medium heat, melt 2 Tbsp of butter in second pan. If working in batches, remove 3 slices of bread from egg mixture, allowing excess liquid to drip off. Place slices of bread into pan (only place a single layer or bread in the pan – I do this process twice to cook 6 slices of toast in a large saucepan – or I use two frying pans if I want everything done at the same time). Cook on each side for 3-4 minutes (don’t forget to continue to flip your streusel – you’re watching two pans now). 
  3. Once the streusel is cooked, transfer it to a wide, glass bowl or plate (you want it to be in one layer). The streusel may clump together; this is ok, since you’ll crumble it back into pieces before serving.
  4. Finish cooking your first round of toast and repeat process for your second round of French toast if needed – your streusel and your compote can continue to rest.
  5. *As you are finishing the toast, use a small, sharp knife to chop the streusel into pieces – I do this directly in the small bowl/on the glass plate.

Assemble 

  1. Plate the toast
  2. Place apple compote on toast
  3. Crumble streusel into bits on top
  4. Drizzle with syrup (optional)

Serve and Enjoy

Other Options

Leftover compote can be stored for up to 3 days in the fridge.