Baked Cinnamon Apple Butter French Toast. Fall mornings are made for this cozy French toast. Thick slices of brioche (or challah) are generously stuffed with apple butter, dipped in a rich, cinnamon-spiced custard, and baked with honeycrisp apples until golden and caramelized. Finish with a swirl of salted maple cream, and every bite is warm, sweet, and absolutely delicious.

As I was writing this recipe, all I could think was, wow – this might be the best French toast I’ve ever made. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it sooner, but I’m so excited it’s finally here.

I’ll be baking this on repeat straight into December. Honestly, it rivals my homemade cinnamon rolls — and at the moment, I couldn’t tell you which I love more!

This whole idea came about because I was bored with the usual cookies, brownies, and bars. I wanted something apple-focused that I hadn’t shared before. French toast came to mind instantly, and when I ran it by my mom (the queen of French toast), she said I had to make it. Secretly, I think she just wanted a reason to have French toast for lunch, and I can’t really blame her.

This recipe is so good it’s already going on my family’s Thanksgiving breakfast menu. My mom and  my cousin Abby will be so excited!

These are the Details

Ingredients

The French Toast 

• brioche or challah – even better if you can find a pumpkin or cinnamon brioche
• apple butter – definitely try my homemade
• eggs
• whole milk
• vanilla extract
• salted butter
• honeycrisp apples
• brown sugar
• cinnamon

The Salted Maple Cream 

• maple syrup
• cinnamon
• bourbon – or vanilla
• heavy cream
• sea salt

The Tools 

Just a pretty baking dish, mixing bowl, and sauce pot. You can use a stand mixer or electric mixer to whip the cream.

Steps

Step 1: Stuff the bread

Cut thick slices of bread. I’m using brioche, but if you can find a cinnamon bread, pumpkin brioche, or even an apple bread, those would be so yummy! Any bread will work, but I do love soft brioche or challah.

Slice each slice of bread in half, but don’t cut all the way through. Spread apple butter inside each slice, then set the stuffed bread in the prepared baking dish.

Step 2: Make the eggy batter

Whisk together the eggs, milk, browned butter, and vanilla until smooth.

Dip each piece of stuffed bread into the batter, letting it soak for about 1 minute. Arrange the slices side by side in the baking dish.

Step 3: Toss the apples

Thinly slice the apples — I love using Honeycrisp and always leave the skin on.

Toss the slices with brown sugar and cinnamon, then tuck them between each slice of bread. Pour any remaining batter over the whole dish.

Step 4: Chill the French toast

Pop the dish into the fridge to let everything soak for at least 10 minutes, or up to overnight if you want to prep ahead.

Step 5: Bake

Pull the dish from the fridge and bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the bread is set.

Step 6: Make the maple cream

In a small pot, warm the maple syrup with cinnamon. Simmer until steamy and fragrant, then remove from the heat and stir in a splash of bourbon or vanilla.

Whip the cream with 2 tablespoons of the infused maple syrup and a pinch of sea salt.

To serve

Dollop the maple cream over the warm French toast, then drizzle with the remaining syrup.

It’s a true fall delight! Light some candles and you’ll have the coziest autumn morning.

Looking for apple recipes? Here are a few ideas: 

Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze

Haunted Pumpkin Patch Margarita

Cinnamon Crunch Apple Butter Soft Pretzel Knots

Salted Maple Apple Tarte Tatin with Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds

Cinnamon Spiced Apple Fritters with Vanilla Coffee Glaze

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cider Doughnut Holes

Easy Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cake

Glazed Honeycrisp Apple Fritter Cake

Lastly, if you make this Baked Cinnamon Apple Butter French Toast, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love hearing from you and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And, of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

I love to make this apple butter recipe in the fall. Thick, smooth, and richly spiced, it’s delicious on toast, pancakes, and more. Just 8 ingredients!

This apple butter recipe tastes like apple pie in a jar! It has a sweet, concentrated apple flavor with warm, cozy depth from spices and brown sugar. I’ve eaten more than I’d care to admit straight off a spoon, but it’s also wonderful on pumpkin bread, scones, English muffins…even overnight oats! This homemade apple butter makes anything it touches taste like fall.

This recipe is a perfect cooking project for a crisp fall day, especially after apple picking. It takes a little time to make, but I think it’s totally worth it. It doesn’t just taste delicious—it’ll make your kitchen smell amazing too. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Ingredients You’ll Need

This apple butter recipe calls for 8 simple ingredients:

• Fresh apples, of course! You’ll need 2 pounds, about 5 medium. For the smoothest texture, peel the apples before making this recipe.
• Water – It helps the apples steam and soften without burning.
• Sugar – I especially love the molasses-y flavor of brown sugar here, but feel free to use cane sugar if you prefer. A mix of the two would also be delicious!
• Fresh lemon juice – Its tangy flavor balances the sweet sugar and apples.
• Cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves – For warm depth of flavor. Other warming spices would be great here too—feel free to use your favorites! Try adding ground ginger, cardamom, or even a pinch of allspice. Or skip the individual spices and add apple pie spice instead.
• And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

How to Make Apple Butter

The most common method for how to make apple butter is in a slow cooker, but since I don’t actually own one (it’s true!), I prefer to make this small-batch recipe on the stovetop. It requires a little more stirring, but it comes together in much less time. Here’s how it goes:

Start by peeling and chopping the apples. I like to cut them into small pieces to help them soften quickly.

Then, simmer the apples until tender. Place them in a medium saucepan with the water. Simmer, covered, until the apples are soft, about 20 minutes.

Puree the apples. You can do this with an immersion blender in the pot or transfer the cooked apples to an upright blender and blend until smooth.

Cook the apple puree again with the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, lemon juice, and salt. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cook, uncovered, until the mixture has a thick, spreadable consistency and rich brown color, 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Set aside to cool to room temperature, then enjoy on pancakes, biscuits, scones, oatmeal, yogurt and granola, toast, and more!

Do you have a favorite way to use apple butter? Let me know in the comments!

More Favorite Apple Recipes

If you love this stovetop apple butter, try one of these apple recipes next:

Homemade Apple Butter

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Serves 12

I love to make this homemade apple butter in the fall! It has a delicious concentrated apple flavor with warm depth from spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. Slather it onto toast, biscuits, scones, and more, or top it onto oatmeal or pancakes. The recipe yields about 1¾ cups. Store it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze it for up to 3 months.

• 2 pounds apples, peeled, cored, and chopped into small pieces (about 5 medium)
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup cane sugar or brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• Pinch ground cloves
• Pinch sea salt

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

• Combine the apples and water in a medium saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes, or until the apples are soft.

• Allow to cool slightly, then blend with an immersion blender or transfer to an upright blender and blend until smooth.

• In the saucepan, combine the apple puree, sugar, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. Place over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered, stirring often to prevent sputtering, for 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until the apple butter has a thick, spreadable texture and rich brown color.

• Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container or jar and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Chai Spiced Apple Butter Muffin Bread. Better than anything you’ll find at a coffee shop, this bread is such a cozy fall treat! It’s a simple muffin-style loaf made with my homemade chai spice blend, apple butter, and brown sugar, then swirled with chai-spiced Honeycrisp apples. What makes it really special are the ribbons of cream cheese baked inside and the sweet, spiced chai crumble on top. Fresh out of the oven or toasted with a smear of butter, this bread is truly irresistible.

I’ve spent the past week in New York, and while the weather has been perfect, you can definitely feel fall in the air. The markets are overflowing with autumn scents, fresh figs, and the most beautiful apples. New York really does have the best apple selection—so many varieties! My favorite will always be Honeycrisp, but it’s so fun to see all the options.

It’s the perfect reminder that it’s apple season, and the perfect time to bake. This bread is just right for a cozy fall weekend, especially on a chilly day when you’re craving something warm from the oven. No pumpkin yet—just all the autumn apples!

These are the details

Ingredients

The Chai Spice

• cinnamon
• ginger
• cardamon
• nutmeg
• all-spice
• cloves

Muffin Batter

• salted butter
• brown sugar
• plain Greek yogurt
• apple butter
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• Honeycrisp apples – I never peel them!
• cream cheese

Chai Swirl CRUNCH

• brown sugar
• whole wheat or all-purpose flour
• salted butter

Steps

Step 1: Mix the chai spice

This one’s easy—just mix all the spices together in a small bowl. That’s it! If you have leftovers, save them for sprinkling into your coffee. So yummy!

Step 2: Make the batter

Start with melted butter. I don’t use a microwave, so I melt mine on the stove until it reaches a lightly browned stage for extra flavor.

Whisk the butter with yogurt, apple butter, eggs, and vanilla. Then stir in the dry ingredients: whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose), a little of the chai spice, baking powder, and salt.

Step 3: Add the apples and cream cheese swirl

I like to leave the skin on my apples—it gives more flavor and fiber. Slice and chop the apples, then toss them with brown sugar and chai spice before folding them into the batter.

Swirl in the softened cream cheese gently. Don’t overmix—just a light stir gives you those pretty ribbons of cream cheese throughout.

Step 4: Make the chai swirl topping

Mix brown sugar, chai spice, flour, and butter together until clumps form. Sprinkle the clumps evenly over the batter.

Bake the bread for about 1 hour, until golden on top and cooked through. It’s a long wait, but worth it!

Serve

Enjoy the bread warm or cooled, though it’s hard to resist cutting into it fresh from the oven. I love it with a pat of European-style butter and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Cozy, spiced, and the perfect way to welcome autumn!

Pro Tips

• Storage: Keep the bread in an airtight container at room temp for 2–3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.

• Freezing: Slice and wrap individually, then freeze. Warm slices in the oven or toaster oven when ready to enjoy.

• Apples: Honeycrisp are my favorite, but use what you love—Gala, Fuji, or even Pink Lady all work great.

• Flour: Whole wheat pastry flour gives a light, nutty flavor. All-purpose flour is a perfect substitute if that’s what you have.

• Extra Chai Spice: Sprinkle leftovers into coffee, over oatmeal, or onto baked apples—it’s delicious anywhere.

Looking for apple recipes? Here are a few ideas: 

Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze

Haunted Pumpkin Patch Margarita

Cinnamon Crunch Apple Butter Soft Pretzel Knots

Salted Maple Apple Tarte Tatin with Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds

Cinnamon Spiced Apple Fritters with Vanilla Coffee Glaze

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Apple Cider Doughnut Holes

Lastly, if you make this Chai Spiced Apple Butter Muffin Bread, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Chip Cookies. Everyone’s favorite cookie, but with a little twist! These have crisp edges, chewy peanut-buttery centers, and are loaded with double the mini chocolate chips. The secret? A spoonful of apple butter. It’s unexpected, but it gives the cookies a subtle warmth, a hint of spice, and the most delicious depth of flavor.

Some recipes just feel a little more special than others, and these might be my favorite of the month. I adore them!

For me, a peanut butter cookie always feels like September. From game day treats to the peanut butter cookies served by the lunch lady on Pizza Day. I have the best memories tied to this classic cookie.

When I set out to recreate those school cookies, I knew exactly what I wanted: crisp edges, soft centers, lots of chewy peanut flavor, and plenty of melty mini chocolate chips. I thought I’d keep things basic — but then I remembered apple butter. September is apple season, after all, and folding a little into the dough turned out to be just the magic ingredient these cookies needed.

The apple butter adds a faint note of cinnamon and spice that pairs perfectly with the salty peanut butter and chocolate. It’s not obvious, but it makes these cookies unforgettable. My family has been loving them — especially my little brother, Oslo!

These are the details

Ingredients

• salted butter
• creamy peanut butter – crunchy will work too!
• brown sugar
• vanilla
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• flour
• old-fashioned oats
• baking soda

For the Icing

• powdered sugar
• cocoa powder
• vanilla
•  dark or milk chocolate – I love dark

Special Tools

For these peanut butter bars, you need a single mixing bowl and an electric mixer. I love this sheet pan for baking.

The Steps

Step 1: Make the cookie dough

In a mixing bowl, beat the butter with brown sugar and peanut butter until creamy. Add the eggs, apple butter, and vanilla, then beat again until fully combined. Mix in the flour, baking soda, and salt.

Stir in the mini chocolate chips. Regular chocolate chips work too, but the minis give the best distribution of chocolate throughout.

Step 2: Bake

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop the dough into tablespoon-size balls and place them on the prepared sheet.

If you’d like, gently press the tops with a fork to create a crosshatch pattern — just don’t press too hard or the cookies will spread too much.

Bake for about 7 minutes, then remove the cookies from the oven and give the pan a gentle tap on the counter. This helps the cookies spread evenly, crisp the edges, and keeps them from turning cakey. Return the cookies to the oven and continue baking until golden at the edges.

Enjoy warm, melty, and oh so wonderfully peanutty!

Looking for other fun cookie recipes? Here are some favorites:

Brown Butter Malted Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Snickerdoodle Peanut Butter Chocolate Chex Mix Bars

Slice n’ Bake Bourbon Caramel Pretzel Cookies

Lastly, if you make these Lunch Lady Peanut Butter Chip Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Easy Apple Butter Zucchini Bread—a simple zucchini bread topped with clusters of cinnamon sugar and served with whipped cinnamon maple butter. This is not your average loaf. The secret? A little apple butter baked right into the batter. You don’t really know it’s there, but it’s what makes each slice extra soft, perfectly sweet, and so flavorful.

I’ve been in such an end-of-summer baking mood lately. I think it’s the light right now—the way it filters through the trees feels so warm and a little autumn-like. It just makes me want to bake!

Last week, with a pile of zucchini on the counter, I decided to make a loaf. No chocolate this time (even though, yes, that would be amazing). I wanted something simple and cozy… but still special. The apple butter was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision, but it’s what ended up making this bread so delicious.

We might not be in apple season just yet, but this loaf has me counting down the days. It’s that perfect in-between recipe—late summer zucchini meets the warm, spiced flavors of early fall.

These are the details

Ingredients

• Zucchini
• salted butter
• brown sugar
• plain Greek yogurt
• apple butter – you could also use maple, but apple butter is best
• eggs
• vanilla extract
• whole wheat or all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• salt
• salted butter

Ingredients – for the Cinnamon Maple Butter

• salted butter
• maple syrup
• vanilla
• cinnamon
• sea salt

Steps

Looking for other baking recipes? Here are my favorites:

Chocolate Chip Espresso Yogurt Cake

5 Minute Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread Mug Cake

Maple Banana Bread with Cinnamon Spice Butter

Vanilla Chai Hot Chocolate

Lemon Chai Cake

Earl Grey Blueberry Lemon Cake

Lemon Key Lime Pie Bars

Lemon Strawberry Dutch Baby with Ricotta Cream

Tahini Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Lastly, if you make this Easy Apple Butter Zucchini Bread, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!