Apple Fritter Breakfast Casserole

April 8, 2014 By Nicole Harris 53 Comments

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Let me start by saying, this Apple Fritter Breakfast Casserole Recipe is out of this world amazing!With layers of flaky croissants, caramelized apples and cream flavored with Apple Butter all baked to perfection. Top that with sweet glaze, there is no way that this Apple Fritter Casserole could be anything but delicious!

This tasty recipe is sponsored by Musselman’s.

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Easy Apple Fritter Casserole

The chunks of fresh apple add texture. While the Musselman’s Apple Butter provides theconcentratedapple flavor.

Enjoy the Apple Fritter experience without making a trip to the donut shop!

This recipe is perfect for a weekend breakfast or brunch. With minimal effort, you can serve up this Apple Fritter Breakfast Casserole to your hungry family and friends. And don’t forget that Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Show your Mom that you appreciate her with a surprise brunch.

Apple Fritters are my all time favorite donuts. I either get a fritter or a glazed old fashioned. The glazed old fashioned is the donut I choose when I’m watching my weight. What? No donuts on your diet plan!?!

Goodness Gracious! Is there anything more beautiful than apple chunks swimming in sugar and butter? Answer: No.

Easy Peasy! Prep . . . Bake . . . Glaze . . . Eat.

Gratuitous Glaze GIF … You’re Welcome!

A little slice of heaven on a plate along with a colorful Spring tulip arrangement. Brunch never looked so good!

Here are a more tasty brunch ideas:

Rum Raisin Croissant Bread Pudding Bake
Monkey Bread Muffins
Candied Bacon

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Let me start by saying, this Apple Fritter Breakfast Casserole Recipe is out of this world amazing!With layers of flaky croissants, caramelized apples and cream flavored with Apple Butter all baked to perfection. Top that with sweet glaze, there is no way that this Apple Fritter Casserole could be anything but delicious!

Ingredients

Apple Mixture

4-5 Fuji Apples - peeled and chopped, 5 cups
6 Tablespoons Butter
1 packed Cup Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Corn Starch
2 Tablespoons Warm Water

Casserole

5 Large Croissants - sliced in half across the middle, about 12 ounces
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup Musselman's Apple Butter
3 Lightly Beaten Eggs
1/8 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

Glaze

3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
4 Tablespoons Heavy Cream

Instructions

Apple Mixture

Melt butter in a large sauté pan, over medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir until completely incorporated. Transfer chopped apples to pan and stir until coated with sugar mixture. Cook for 5 minutes while stirring frequently. In a small bowl, stir together the corn starch and warm water. Add the corn starch mixture to apples and continue to cook/stir for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside while prepping the other ingredients. The apples should be soft and the liquid will be a syrup consistency.

Casserole

Preheat oven to 375°F
Whisk together the heavy cream, Musselman's Apple Butter, eggs and cinnamon. Spray 9x11 casserole dish with non-stick. Place the bottom halves of the croissants in an even layer. Pour half of the apple butter/cream mixture over the croissants. Top with half of the caramelized apple mixture. Arrange the croissant tops in an even layer. Top with the remaining cream mixture and apples. Pour all of the syrupy apple mixture over the casserole. Gently press down on the top with a wooden spoon or spatula. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes. Once lightly browned on top; remove from oven, glaze and serve.

Glaze

Mix powdered sugar and heavy cream together with a fork until smooth. Drizzle over the Apple Fritter Casserole. (These measurements yield 1/2 cup of glaze.)

Nutrition Information

Yield 8Serving Size 1
Amount Per ServingCalories 551Total Fat 27gSaturated Fat 16gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 146mgSodium 307mgCarbohydrates 71gFiber 3gSugar 52gProtein 7g

Nutritional information on WonkyWonderful is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Heather @ Sugar Dish Me says
April 9, 2014 at

Croissants. Apple butter. THAT GLAZE!!!! This is fabulous Nicole!!!! What an incredible breakfast!!!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  April 10, 2014 at
  
  Thanks Heather! Not to toot my own horn … but this is freaking amazing! lol
  Reply
Heather @ French Press says
April 9, 2014 at

want, need, drooling!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  April 10, 2014 at
  
  Thanks Heather 🙂
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  Reply
Michele says
April 10, 2014 at

Someone is definitely make this for me for Mothers Day!! Thanks for Posting!!!
Michele
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  April 11, 2014 at
  
  Haha, they better!
  Reply
Chris @ Shared Appetite says
April 11, 2014 at

Oh my gosh I really, really, really wish I had apples and croissants right now so I could make this. It’s 7am and my stomach is grumbling hard for this casserole!! Looks amazing Nicole!
Reply
Laura says
April 11, 2014 at

Oh gosh, this sounds and looks absolutely fantastic. Will definitely be making this for breakfast one weekend soon!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  April 11, 2014 at
  
  Thanks Laura! I hope you enjoy … it is perfect for a lazy Sunday breakfast 🙂
  Reply
ashleigh says
June 15, 2014 at

im making this for my husband tomorrow and I plan on using my homemade apple butter, do you think that is ok or is there a certain reason I need to use the store bought one?
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  June 15, 2014 at
  
  Homemade apple butter should work just fine. I hope your hubby and you enjoy!
  Reply
Christine says
July 25, 2014 at

Can I make this the night before and bake and glaze in the morning?
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  July 26, 2014 at
  
  Hi Christine! I think that it would get soggy if it were to sit overnight. But, I have only made it all at once in the morning. So I don’t know for sure. Let me know if you give it a try.
  Reply
  - Shannon says
    September 27, 2015 at
    
    Nicole, I made it the day before and baked it. I didn’t put the icing on. I covered it with foil and kept it in the refrigerator over night. The next morning I drizzled about 2-3 tables spoons of the heavy cream I had left over and warmed ti in the over on 325 for about 30 minutes. THEN, I put on the icing. It was delicious !
    Reply
    - Nicole Harris says
      September 30, 2015 at
      
      Thanks for leaving a comment about your experience. I’m glad to know that refrigerating overnight works too. I’m also so happy that you enjoyed!!!
      Reply
Barbara Hart says
August 6, 2014 at

I plan to make this for our church coffee bar on .Sunday morning. Sounds delish. I’m afraid to make the night before since I don’t want to take a chance that it is soggy, but might try it sometime that way, too. Would be time saving for sure. Thanks for sharing.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  August 7, 2014 at
  
  I hope everyone enjoys!
  Reply
Barbara Hart says
August 9, 2014 at

I did a “trial run” this morning on the apple fritter casserole. It is very yummy. I didn’t get my “juice” for the apples the consistency of “syrup”, so am thinking I might add 1 Tablespoon corn starch instead of 1 teaspoon as the recipe calls. Since I will be more rushed in the morning, I thought I would peel and chop the apples tonight and put in a Baggie in the refrigerator, so they will be ready for co*king with the butter and brown sugar.
I did find the casserole a little more “soggy” than I had expected, and hopping the difference in the corn starch might help. Any other suggestions are greatly appreciated.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  August 9, 2014 at
  
  That sounds like a good idea, Barbara. I’m guessing maybe it depends on how juicy the apples are. I think the additional corn starch should thicken the sauce. You could also cook it a little bit longer to achieve that syrupy consistency. I hope you and everyone else enjoys 😀
  Reply
KM says
September 13, 2014 at

Do you bake the croissants before hand and then again when baking the casserole? Making this for church tomorrow. Maybe should have practiced today. 😉 looks so yummy!
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Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 15, 2014 at
  
  I didn’t bake or toast the croissants before hand. I’m sure that would be fine. It would probably make it a little crisper. Enjoy!
  Reply
Wendi says
October 6, 2014 at

Can you mix up the apple fritter casserole the night before and bake it in the morning??
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  October 7, 2014 at
  
  Hi Wendi! I wouldn’t recommend pre-making this casserole because it will get soggy.
  Reply
Heidi says
November 9, 2014 at

I did not have Apple butter, so I used Apple sauce (I added a dash of nutmeg and a bigger dash of cinnamon to the mixture). I also added some cinnamon when the apples were in the pan. It turned out amazing!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  November 11, 2014 at
  
  Your adaptations sound delicious! I’m glad you enjoyed this 🙂
  Reply
Melissa says
November 15, 2014 at

This just made it to the Christmas morning menu. I’m going to put my little twist on it and do a caramel drizzle instead. 🙂
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  November 17, 2014 at
  
  Yum! That does sound amazing! I hope you enjoy 🙂
  Reply
Kristal says
December 13, 2014 at

Hi looks and sounds so amazing. Was wondering how it might turn out using Apple pie filling, heated with some extra spice?
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  December 14, 2014 at
  
  Hi Krystal. I haven’t tried that but I think it should work. I don’t see why not. Great idea!
  Reply
Jenna Stamas says
December 14, 2014 at

I made this, this morning for our church Sunday School class! I hope they love it as much as I love the smell of my house right now. Thanks for posting! Found this recipe off of Pinterest.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  December 18, 2014 at
  
  I hope everyone loved it! Happy Holidays 🙂
  Reply
Katie Maruca says
December 22, 2014 at

Do you use croissants from a can? Or are they already made? Hosting xmas and want to try this for breakfast 🙂
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  December 23, 2014 at
  
  I used the already made croissants. Enjoy 😀
  Reply
Eva says
December 30, 2014 at

I jsut wanted to say I made this today and it is absolutely fantastic. Thank you for sharing this recipe
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  December 31, 2014 at
  
  You’re Welcome! I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
  Reply
Sara says
April 3, 2015 at

I made this last night to bring into work for a special day. Turned out GREAT!!! I did have to add more cornstarch to get the apples to thicken, but otherwise, I made it as written. Thanks – this is a great recipe!
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  April 14, 2015 at
  
  So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
  Reply
Becky says
September 19, 2016 at

Just a quick question, if I were to use canned pie filling, do you think I would need 2 cans? I’m struggling with the fresh apple to canned pie filling ratio. Thanks in advance.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  September 21, 2016 at
  
  Hi Becky! Yes, I would imagine 2 cans would be best. 1 can may not be apple-y enough 🙂
  Reply
Tammy B. says
December 2, 2017 at

I made a variation of this for brunch, I didnt have apple butter so I put a couple tablespoons of applesauce a 1/2 tablespoon of melted butter into egg mix along with some pumpkin pie seasoning, I know its not apple butter, I also chopped up a couple small apples, like macs, I had around and placed them ontop of the 1st croissant layer spinkled some cinnamon sugar and pie spice on top and then spooned a can of musselmans apple pie filling on top, then I spinkled some oat crumb topping on that layer laid down the tops pressing down on the to soak mixture in and spinkled some more crumb onto it. Just came out of the oven looks yummy, thanks for the inspiration.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  December 15, 2017 at
  
  Your version sounds great!
  Reply
Hope says
December 27, 2017 at

I tried this for Christmas brunch. I added 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice to the apples and casserole and used the apples I had around. I wish I would have added much more cornstarch to the apple mix, The finished product smelled and tasted heavenly, but was soggy, more like a wet bread pudding.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  December 30, 2017 at
  
  Oh no. I;m sorry to hear that. If you make it again more cornstarch or cooking a bit longer will thicken it up for you.
  Reply
Colette Bird says
June 20, 2018 at

Do you think it would work to make the apple filling in advance and refrigerate a day or two before assembling the dish?
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  June 25, 2018 at
  
  I would think that would work fine. I haven’t tried it though.
  Reply
Norma Lewis says
December 12, 2018 at

I’ve baked this for 45 minutes already and it still looks exactly the same. It’s too wet and ggooe to take out and serve. I have a lot of disappointed people, work nothing to feed them
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  December 13, 2018 at
  
  Well that is strange. I’m not sure how cornstarch and eggs could bake for 45 minutes and still be thin. Perhaps your apples released more juice.
  Reply
Sue says
July 5, 2019 at

Curious to know if this has been made ahead of time. Would like to make it for a weekend up north but so much easier to make at home before we go.
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  July 20, 2019 at
  
  Apologies for missing your comment. This can be made ahead, just expect that the longer the liquid soaks into the casserole the more moist it will be.
  Reply
Sadhana says
December 20, 2019 at

Hey can this be done without the eggs ?
Reply
- Nicole Harris says
  December 23, 2019 at
  
  The eggs act as the binder so I’m not sure how well it would turn out without them.
  Reply
Patty Miles says
March 6, 2021 at

Could I cut up the croissants and layer them in the dish? I bought croissants but it was a box of 4 large.
Reply
Dorothy says
August 9, 2021 at

Delicious casserole! Suitable for a holiday brunch but serves it to my daughters college roommates who LOVED it! Did need to add a bit more cornstarch as my apples were juicy! Make it, it’s so worth it.
Reply