Fluffy brioche bread dipped in a vanilla and cinnamon mixture to make perfectly golden French toast recipe. Top with powdered sugar, fresh berries and syrup for the ultimate breakfast. Say goodbye to soggy French toast for good with this easy recipe!
A Sweet Breakfast Favorite
French toast is one of my family’s favorites to make on the weekend. Sometimes we’ll even make breakfast for dinner and add some bacon, hash browns and scrambled eggs to serve along side it. Everyone eats it right up!
I’ve perfected the recipe over the years and love the ratio of ingredients used. If you follow my tips below, you can say goodbye to soggy French toast for good! It turns out perfectly crispy and delicious every time. Trust me, this is the best French toast recipe I have every made.
Why the Recipe Works
- Fast. I can have breakfast on the table within 15 minutes and it looks like it took a great deal more time.
- Easy. It only requires blending, dipping, and frying to make a batch of this family favorite.
- Crowd pleaser. Everyone loves this French toast recipe. It is so easy to tailor to whatever you like and you can serve it with a variety of toppings so it never gets boring.
Recipe Ingredients
Simple pantry staples come together to create a breakfast the whole family will love.
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Thick bread: I have found when using thinner breads that they don’t hold together as well once soaked in custard. See my notes below on the different types of bread to use. I prefer brioche.
- Milk: This is necessary to give the custard its smooth and creamy texture.
- Flour: Just a little bit to help bind everything together.
- Eggs: You need the eggs to make a proper custard, which will give the French toast its golden brown exterior.
- Brown sugar: I love to use light brown sugar to add just a little bit of sweetness.
- Vanilla extract: Use a high-quality one to add the traditional flavor.
- Cinnamon: Is it French toast without cinnamon? I think not.
TIP: If I’m making the night before, I usually turn it into a bake/casserole, such as my overnight French toast with berries. This recipe is especially great for holidays or if you’re hosting a big brunch!
How to Make the Best French Toast
It’s as easy as following 1, 2, 3 steps to make a hearty and delightful breakfast.
- Blend the custard. Blend the milk, flour, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until smooth. Transfer to a shallow bowl.
- Cook. Preheat a griddle to 350°F or a skillet over medium-high heat. Grease with butter. Dip the bread into the custard and flip to evenly coat. Place on the griddle and cook until lightly golden brown.
- Serve immediately. This recipe tastes best served hot off the griddle so that it keeps it crispy texture. If you’re serving a crowd, you can keep it warm in the oven by following the instructions below.
KEEPING WARM
If you’re making breakfast for a crowd and have to make multiple batches of French toast, try keeping it warm in the oven. Simply place the cooked toast on a baking sheet and place in the oven at 175°F until serving. It keeps the bread warm and crispy, without drying it out.
Favorite Toppings
Whether you keep it simple with powdered sugar and maple syrup or go gourmet with a homemade strawberry sauce and whipped cream, this easy French toast recipe tastes delicious no matter how you dress it up.
- Syrup (such as maple syrup, cinnamon pancake syrup or buttermilk syrup)
- Fresh berries or fruit (I love strawberries or raspberries)
- Powdered sugar
- Strawberry sauce or strawberry jam
- Jelly
- Blueberry sauce
- Caramel
- Cinnamon sugar
- Chocolate chips
- Caramelized bananas
- Chopped nuts
- Cinnamon butter
- Peanut Butter
- Nutella
- Whipped cream
Best Bread for French Toast
The perfect French toast really starts with the bread. If you use a sandwich bread, you definitely wont get the same flavor. Below are my favorite breads to use.
- Brioche – I love using brioche because it is thick and soft. It also holds the shape very well and doesn’t get soggy.
- Challah – This is another great option and gives more of a buttery flavor. It will hold it’s shape while staying soft inside.
- French bread – Make French bread French toast by using day old French bread.
- Sourdough bread – The tartness in this bread gives a nice flavor.
- Texas toast – These thick slices of bread make a nice base.
Soaking Bread Overnight
If you’re planning on making this recipe the day before and soaking the bread overnight, I’d recommend using bread that’s thicker and hard so that it doesn’t get too soggy when sitting in the fridge. Bread that’s a few days old works great for this.
- Place the bread pieces in a large dish, then pour egg mixture over top (make sure to evenly coat).
- Cover the dish with lid or plastic wrap and stick in the fridge overnight.
- Then warm on buttered skillet the next day.
Recipe FAQs
Since there are so few ingredients, it is important to use the best of everything. The bread is the star so you want to be sure to use one that will hold together and it is still really tasty (see my notes above). Use really good vanilla extract, good butter for greasing the griddle, and good maple syrup (or whatever else you are topping it with).
There are a few things to avoid when making French toast. Be sure to blend your custard thoroughly. This is why I prefer the blender. Use the right bread (see notes above). Be sure to let the bread absorb the custard, but not too much or it will fall apart. Grease the griddle and make sure it isn’t too hot.
Freeze French Toast
How to freeze: Place cooked French toast in single layer on a baking sheet. Freeze 30 minutes, or until firm. Transfer slices to a freezer-safe bag and freeze up to 3 months.
Reheat French toast from frozen: Place frozen slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake in 350ºF oven for 10 minutes, or until warmed through. You can also pop slices in the toaster.
Looking for more French toast ideas? Try overnight French toast casserole, French toast sticks, or French bread French toast.
More Breakfast Ideas
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French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter , for greasing the griddle
- 12 slices thick bread , I prefer brioche
Optional Toppings: Berries, Fresh fruit, Powdered sugar, Nutella, Whipped cream, Jam, Syrup
Instructions
- In the base of a blender, place the milk, flour, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse until smooth. Alternatively place in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a shallow bowl.
- Preheat a griddle to 350°F or a skillet over medium-high heat. Grease with butter. Dip the bread into the egg mixture and flip to evenly coat. Place the bread on the griddle and cook 2 minutes per side, or until lightly golden brown. Whisk the egg mixture to keep combined, as needed.
- Serve immediately and top with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Bread: Mix it up with banana bread, homemade French bread, or even pumpkin bread.
- Spice. Try it with pumpkin pie spice, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves, or whatever else you might like.
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Enjoy!
I want to try it
We make this French toast for special celebrations and it’s always a hit! So easy and absolutely delicious!
We love this French toast. I made it again this morning for breakfast and was quickly reminded of just how delicious it really is. Thanks for the great recipe.
I love that the bit of flour made it so the middles weren’t soggy. Our new favorite way to make French toast. I can’t wait to try it with the loaf of cinnamon swirl sourdough that I have in the fridge!
Easy to make and a family favorite! Kid and adult approved.
Are you able to refrigerate leftovers? If so, how and at what temperature?
Hi Jennifer! Yes, you can definitely refrigerate the leftover french toast. You can reheat in the microwave or on the stove.
Me and my siblings thought this recipe was AMAZING!!!
I’m so glad you all loved it!!
hands down our families favorite breakfast! So dang good!