Sweet breakfasts like chocolate chip pancakes, homemade waffles, and French toast make a wonderful weekend treat! This French Toast recipe is also easy and fast enough to make on a busy weekday morning, and your family is going to love it! Thickly sliced bread is soaked in a sweet, creamy custard, pan-fried in butter, and then slathered in butter and syrup. What’s not to love? I also have a foil packet french toast recipe that is perfect for cooking on the grill or campfire, and a recipe for french toast casserole that’s great for holidays.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ingredients In French Toast
Here’s what you need to make this classic breakfast:
Bread: It is ideal if your bread is a little bit stale or dried out! This makes it absorb more of the creamy custard and flavor. If you are using fresh bread, set it out on a wire rack to dry overnight and it will be perfect in the morning. Custard: I like to use whole eggs and half and half (single cream if you’re in the UK) to make the best french toast recipe. You can use milk, but it won’t be as custardy that way. Use heavy cream or add an extra egg yolk to make your french toast extra rich! Flavorings: Vanilla extract, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg give the french toast a sweet and warmly spiced flavor. You can skip the cinnamon and nutmeg if you like, but they really add a lot!
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
The Best Breads for French Toast
First, understand that you can use any kind of bread for french toast. Plain white bread, leftover baguette slices, bread machine wheat bread… it doesn’t matter. All of them will make french toast! The trick is, that some types of bread make better french toast than others. Here, I’m using a loaf of brioche, and it ticks all the boxes:
It comes in an unsliced loaf, which means that I can slice it myself to get thick slices for french toast. It has a spongy texture so that it can easily soak up the custard. And it’s a bit sweet, so brioche french toast will be extra tasty.
Other excellent decadent bread options for french toast include challah and babka. Try chocolate babka for an extra special treat! If you have leftover croissants, turn them into the best croissant bread pudding!
How To Make The Best French Toast
Recipe Tips
Use slices of bread that are thick, about ¾ of an inch is ideal. Buy an unsliced loaf and slice it yourself, or try using thick-sliced Texas toast bread. If your bread isn’t dry enough, you can put it on a wire rack over a sheet pan and place it in the oven at the lowest temperature for about 15-20 minutes, flipping it halfway through. Save this trick! It works well if you’re making bread pudding or holiday sausage stuffing too. Flavor Variations: Add things to the custard mixture, such as lemon zest, a splash of bourbon or rum, or your favorite baking extract. Use the Oven: You won’t be able to cook all of the pieces of bread at the same time, so keeping the first batch warm in the oven is practical. The extra bit of cooking also ensures that the custard is fully set, just in case it wasn’t already. French Toast Toppings: You can top french toast in a variety of ways! A dusting of powdered sugar or butter and maple syrup are two traditional ways to enjoy french toast, but you can try strawberry sauce, fruit jams or spreads, homemade nutella, whipped cream, crème anglaise, or any sweet sauce that you enjoy.
Storing French Toast Leftovers
Keep leftovers well-wrapped in the fridge for up to 2 days, or in the freezer in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. Freeze slices of french toast in a single layer so that they don’t stick together. I can fry 3-4 slices of bread at a time usually, and the first batches are kept warm in the oven while the next batch is fried. You can reheat slices in a pan with butter, the same way that you cooked them originally. Other breakfast favorites that are easy to make ahead include oatmeal balls and banana muffins.
What To Serve With French Toast
Serve French toast with your favorite breakfast dishes or brunch meals. Add some hearty protein with breakfast burritos or sheet pan eggs with veggies. Learn to make an amazing cup of coffee! I have tutorials for making coffee in a french press, coffee in a moka pot, and coffee in an Aeropress. Classic French Toast is so simple, and you now have the best and easiest recipe. Make this for your family this weekend and watch their eyes light up in excitement! © Little Sunny Kitchen
