Apple French Toast with Salted Caramel Sauce Recipe
This gorgeously stacked Apple French Toast with Salted Caramel Sauce can be served for breakfast, brunch or even dessert! It’s a perfect treat during autumn served with a fragrant, cinnamon spiced apple compote, rich, sweet and salty caramel sauce and soft fresh whipped cream to finish. French toast, sometimes called “eggy bread” depending on where you live, is an effortless yet impressive dish for any time of day. To make it even easier, the salted caramel sauce (also called butterscotch sometimes) is one of the elements that can be bought in. A few options for store bought are; Gather Sea Salted Caramel Sauce, The Butlers Pantry Caramel Sauce, Carnation Dulce De Leche, Follain Irish Cream Liqueur Caramel, Bonne Maman Salted Caramel or Love a Little Sauces (if you are in Donegal). However, if you would prefer to make your own, you can follow the directions below.
So how do I make this Apple French Toast with Salted Caramel Sauce from scratch?
To make this recipe, there are 3 main elements;
- Salted Caramel Sauce
- Apple Compote
- French Toast
Salted Caramel Sauce
To start, add the sugar and water to a wide bottomed saucepan. Heat on high heat until the sugar starts to caramelise. Turn down to medium and cook till you achieve an amber colour. Add in the butter and whisk thoroughly. The sugar will start to spit and look clumpy when you add the butter, this is normal. Keep whisking and be careful not to burn yourself. Once the butter is fully incorporated, add the cream next and whisk. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes until all remaining sugar crystals dissolve. Leave to cool slightly for 1-2 minutes. Add the sea salt and mix together before transferring to a jar or container to cool.
Apple Compote
To begin making the apple compote, add the peeled and chopped apple, sugar and cinnamon to a small/medium sized pot. Stir to coat the apples and place on a low/medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the apples start to soften. Take care not to stir the apples too much as they can go very mushy. Leave to one side to cool.
French Toast
In a wide, deep bowl or dish, add the eggs, cream, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Whisk together until combined. Place the frying pan on a medium heat and wait until it heats up. Add 1 tbsp of butter to the pan. Carefully dip the bread into the egg mixture, one slice at time, for about 30 seconds on each side. Quickly transfer to the hot pan.
Cook on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until the bread has turned a lovely even light brown colour. Repeat the previous steps until all the bread has been used. You may be able to fit 2-3 slices in the pan at a time depending on the size of the bread and the size of the pan. To serve, add a dollop or two of freshly whipped cream, a few tablespoons of apple compote and a generous drizzle of salted caramel sauce to each serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
The actual cooked pieces of bread can be stored, tightly wrapped, in the fridge for up to 3 days. To serve, warm in a hot pan for 1-2 minutes or place into the microwave for 1 minute. The apple compote can be kept for up to 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge. The salted caramel sauce can keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.
Usually, brioche is used. However, depending on where you live, loaves of brioche might not be readily available. If this isn’t an option for you, you can use brioche rolls sliced, milk bread (which is a popular bread in asian bakeries) or simply use white sliced pan. When choosing bread for french toast, try to use one that is slightly dry and stale for best results.
Generally, french toast is served hot, straight from the pan. The apple compote should also be used warm but the salted caramel sauce can be served slightly cooled or cold.
Don’t worry if it starts to crystallise and forms lumps after you add the butter and cream. This is totally normal and the sugar will dissolve again once it’s put back on the heat. For this reason, I like to underdo my caramel slightly at the start before adding the butter and cream for this reason, so I don’t worry about burning it when trying to remelt the sugar crystals.
For the apple compote, you can use any apples you would like. Red eating apples such as Golden Delicious, Gala Apples, Honey Crisp, Braeburn etc. are great choices as they tend to stay intact while being cooked. Cooking apples such as Bramley apples can also be used but be aware they tend to turn mushy when cooked so you may end up with a softer apple compote. It will taste just as delicious though!
Maybe you’re interested in another French Toast Recipe? You can take a peek at my Boozy French Toast with Peaches and Brown Sugar Bourbon Syrup Recipe.
Fore more Breakfast Recipes, check you my Breakfast Category.
Apple French Toast with Salted Caramel Sauce
Equipment
- 2 saucepans or just wash & reuse same one
- 1 Whisk
- 1 wide, deep dish
- 1 Frying pan
Ingredients
Salted Caramel Sauce
- 125 grams caster sugar
- 33 grams butter
- 200 grams cream
- 1 tsp sea salt
Apple Compote
- 150 grams apple – peeled, cored and cubed
- 30 grams caster sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
French Toast
- 4 thick slices brioche, milk or white bread
- 2 whole eggs
- 40 grams cream
- 80 grams whole milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp butter
- whipped cream optional
Instructions
Salted Caramel Sauce
- Being by adding the sugar and water to a small saucepan.
- Cook on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes until the sugar starts to turn a light golden amber colour.
- Add in the butter and whisk well. Allow to cook for another minute.
- Carefully add in the cream to the hot sugar and whisk together.
- Allow the caramel to cook for another 4-5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved again and the caramel is a nice brown colour.
- Sprinkle over the sea salt and whisk.Remove from the heat and pour into a jar or airtight container. Do not put the lid on and leave to one side to cool.
Apple Compote
- Take the peeled and cubed apple and place into a small saucepan along with the sugar and cinnamon.
- Cook on medium to medium/low for 10-15 minutes until the apples have started to soften. Try not to stir the apples too much as they will start to go very mushy when cooked.
- Leave to one side.
French Toast
- In a wide, deep bowl or dish, add the eggs, cream, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. Whisk together until combined.
- Place the frying pan on a medium heat and wait until it heats up. Add 1 tbsp of butter to the pan.
- Carefully dip the bread into the egg mixture, one slice at time, for about 30 seconds on each side. Quickly transfer to the hot pan.
- Cook on a medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side until the bread has turned a lovely even light brown colour.
- Repeat the previous steps until all the bread has been used. You may be able to fit 2-3 slices in the pan at a time depending on the size of the bread and the size of the pan.
- To serve, add a dollop or two of freshly whipped cream, a few tablespoons of apple compote and a generous drizzle of salted caramel sauce to each serving.
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