Wake up to an irresistible weekend breakfast that’s super quick! This is how to make French Toast – whisk 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, cinnamon and vanilla. Dip bread, pan fry in butter for 2 minutes each side until golden, then douse with maple syrup!
French toast will always be a staple for leisurely weekend breakfasts along with my favourite fluffy Pancakes and Pancakes bursting with Blueberries. So skip the bistro queue and make brunch at home this weekend!
French toast
You know when you feel like making something grand-ish for a weekend breakfast and but you’re too bleary to tackle Eggs Benedict?
French toast is your answer. Always.
Why? Because it’s effortless, and there’s a plethora of topping options!
How to make French Toast
Whisk 2 eggs with 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp vanilla. Dunk bread of choice (stale is best), then pan fry in butter until blushing gold on the surface and crispy golden on the edges, then douse liberally with maple syrup.
See? Effortless!
What does French Toast taste like?
It’s sort of like Bread and Butter pudding. Custardy on the inside with buttery crispy golden edges, it’s even great to eat plain but, like pancakes, ideal for smothering in maple syrup!
The best bread for French Toast
Buttery brioche is my bread of choice – pictured in the photos. It’s a total shameless indulgence, a copycat of trendy local bistros that charge a small fortune.
So in my opinion, the best bread is:
-
Brioche – my first choice, hands down the most indulgent;
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Challah is also excellent – similar texture to Brioche but not as buttery;
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Good ole’ white sandwich bread;
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Other plain white breads – even rolls and baguette cut into slices (see my Mini French Toast recipe);
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Crusty artisan breads (sourdough etc). I personally don’t favour the sourdough flavour in my French toast, but I know some people love it!
French toast topping options
From everybody’s favourite maple syrup, to fresh fruit, caramelised fruit, compotes or fruit syrups, ice cream (for breakfast!), chocolate and caramel sauces, nuts, BACON (yes, yes, YES!!!)…..
So many amazing possibilities, but I’ll tell you a secret:
My favourite is plain French Toast with just maple syrup and a little pat of butter.
The only reason I added strawberries is to make the photos look a teeny bit prettier. Because, as readers know, I’m very conscious that my blog is so dominated by so much yellow and brown foods, and this French Toast recipe falls firmly into that bucket.
So just to make myself feel a bit better, I added strawberries. Just for a bit of colour. 😂 – Nagi x
Cute spins on French Toast
-
Monte Cristo (Ham Cheese French Toast Sandwich)
French toast recipe
Watch how to make it
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French Toast
Ingredients
- 6 slices brioche or white sandwich bread , slightly stale (Note 1)
- 30 – 40g / 2 – 3 tbsp butter
Egg Mixture:
- 2 large eggs (~60g / 2 oz each)
- ½ cup / 125 ml milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Macerated Strawberries, optional:
- 250g / 8 oz strawberries, halved
- 1 tbsp white sugar
Serving:
- Maple syrup, butter
Instructions
- Whisk together Egg Mixture in a bowl. Vigorous whisk = avoid cinnamon floating on top.
- Melt 15g / 1 tbsp butter in a non stick skillet over medium heat.
- Dunk a piece of bread quickly into the egg mixture, coating both sides. Place in pan. Repeat with more slices to fill the pan, but don’t crowd it (do 2 or 3 at a time).
- Cook for 2 ½ - 3 minutes on each side until the surface is golden, then transfer to serving plates.
- Add more butter into the pan and cook remaining bread.
- Serve with butter and plenty of maple syrup, and Macerated Strawberries if using!
Macerated Strawberries (optional):
- Toss strawberries with sugar, set aside for 20 minutes+. The strawberries will soften and sweat, and create a bit of syrup.
Recipe Notes:
- Cinnamon and vanilla is recommended, but still absolutely delish without.
- I personally don’t recommend using cream in place of milk. I know it might seem like it will make it richer, but I feel like it leaves a greasy feel in the mouth.
- The right egg to milk ratio is quite important – I think 2 eggs to ½ cup of milk is perfect.
- I don’t use sugar in the egg mixture because a) there’s plenty of sweet poured on top later; and b) it makes the bread prone to burning. 3. Nutrition is for plain white sandwich bread, excludes topping.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published June 2018. Updated for housekeeping matters, no change to recipe.
Life of Dozer
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With a few pantry and fridge staples at the end of an extremely busy week, I made the kids French toast (which I hadn’t made them for years- they really weren’t massive fans back then) Clearly it’s because it wasn’t a RecipeTin…. they demolished the lot and my middle son who is a bit of a junior foodie declared them the best breakfast he has ever eaten in his life. Ever. Thank you again Nagi, you are the best!
May I suggest adding Pannetone to your bread list?It`s eggy like brioche and challah ,and is available in many flavors.
Yes that would work great!! N x
I used cinnamon raisin bread, added vanilla, and some additional cinnamon, delicious!
YUM! That would have been fabulous Jeanne! N x
Much as I’m a good cook for whatever reason I’ve always struggled making a perfect French toast. Thanks to you that’s no longer an issue! Made this for a lazy Sunday morning breakfast out on the back porch. Perfection said my husband.
Another great recipe. It’s Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada so I made French toast this morning, Yum! Plus they’re so easy to make! I used to make them with cream but it’s absolutely not necessary!
Thank you for the recipe! I love that the measurements are exact and that all six slices of bread were evenly coated 😋
It was weird, the cinnamon just wouldn’t mix but it still was amazing!
This is my favourite photo of Dozer – twinning with his doggy plush toy. 🥰
Fussy 9 yo said, “This was really good! I liked how it was spongy. Can we have it again tomorrow?” French toast with maple syrup and bacon: A definite winner for Father’s Day brunch too. Thanks, Nagi xx
Aww that’s so greta Chris – thanks so much for letting me know 🙂 N x
I hate French toast, but my stepson asked for French toast for his birthdY breakfast. I made this recipe and LOVED it. You’re amazing!