French toast dressed up as a strawberry jam doughnut! At 230 calories per serving it’s so much healthier than Krispy Kreme. And insanely easy to make. Remember, Jam Jelly Doughnut French Toast is still french toast – so you can have dessert for breakfast!
Krispy Kreme is one of my dirty food secrets. I don’t hunt it down (thankfully there aren’t that many in Sydney) but if I pass one during a weak moment then yeah, I break. Sigh. Why wasn’t I born craving broccoli and inspired to live a sugar free life?
OK. So if I have to have a jelly doughnut every now and then, the least I can do is make it at home so it’s healthier. And then I thought, “Hmmm…..what if I made it like french toast?”. Sometimes I have to give myself points for coming up with a nifty idea. But really, it’s not because I’m a genius or anything, far from it in any aspect of my life. It’s actually just a reflection of my slyness and laziness. The health benefit is just incidental.
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Slyness – because if it’s french toast, you can have it for breakfast;
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Laziness – because I don’t have the patience to make things with yeast. And I hate cleaning up after deep frying; and
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Incidental health benefit – because it’s not deep fried and it’s made using bread, it’s only 230 calories per serving. Less actually, because the nutrition analysis doesn’t take into account that rounds are cut out of the bread so you don’t actually use a whole slice.
Jam Jelly Doughnut French Toast really is ridiculously easy to make. You simply make jam sandwiches out of rounds cut out from ordinary white bread, dip it in an egg mixture, cook until golden then dust with sugar. The only thing to remember is to make sure you don’t spread the jam all the way to the edge because otherwise when you are handling it the jam might ooze out.
Cutting the bread into rounds is optional – I did it because it makes it look more like jam doughnuts, but you don’t have to do this. For me it served an extra purpose because I need bread crumbs to make something I have planned for the weekend so I saved the off cuts for that. A great tip for cutting rounds out of bread is to use a large tinned tomato can (empty and washed). It’s the perfect size for pressing large rounds out of most sandwich breads. In this particular case the loaf I was using was smaller than usual and the can was too big so I had to cut the rounds out with a knife ( just stacked them and did 3 at a time).
Don’t throw out the bread crusts! Keep them to make croutons or bread crumbs – or get creative and take 10 minutes to make Cinnamon Sugar Bread Crust Treats or Parmesan Thyme Bread Crust Snacks!
I’ve been on a French Toast mission lately. Here are the other ones I’ve shared. If I had to pick one to take with me to a deserted island, it would have to be the Parmesan French Toast. It is everything you know and love about french toast in savoury form, with a golden crunchy cheesy crust. SO GOOD!
More cute spins on French Toast
We all love classic French Toast – but sometimes it’s nice to try something different!
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Jam Jelly Doughnut French Toast
Ingredients
- 6 slices white sandwich bread , stale, 1.5cm/0.6" thick (see notes)
- 3 tbsp strawberry jam
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp butter
Instructions
- Optional: Cut the bread into rounds, as large as you can. See notes for tip.
- Spread 1 tbsp of strawberry jam into the middle of 3 of the rounds, leaving an edge of about 1cm / 1/4" so when you put the sandwich together, the jam does not ooze out of the side. (See photo below) Put sandwich together.
- Place egg and milk in a small bowl and beat lightly.
- Spread sugar on a small plate.
- Heat butter in large non stick pan over medium high heat.
- Quickly dip each side of a sandwich into the egg mixture, then roll the edge in the egg mixture as well. Then place in the pan. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.
- Cook each side for around 2 minutes, until a deep golden brown.
- Remove from the pan and immediately place on the plate with the sugar to coat each side and the edges. The faster you get it from the pan into the sugar, the better the sugar will stick.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
My family loved this for breakfast this morning. I used the cutter from my pie maker to make the rounds which was the perfect size and put the jam in then cut 2 slices together so it sealed the edges into a little jam pocket – made it easier to manoeuvre.
Thanks for this recipe. made my cheat doughnuts for two little girls. and they love it. And the scraps are not wasted and made into the parmesan thyme crotons 😍
Another lovely little recipe – quick, simple yet very tasty!
As I was prepping everything for my supper (dinner). Your yummy meatloaf & mac and cheese, btw. I was hungry for something quick, easy, and sweet, and these looked delicious. Meanwhile hubby was still at work. Honestly Nagi, these were insane! Insanely delicious!!! I had to call him, seriously, just to tell him about these delectable jam doughnut french toast yummies! He is waiting patiently, sort of, for Saturday morning so we can relax and savour these over coffee & tea!!! Thank-you! 😁
My toddler loved this and also my husband! Used homemade cherry jam and my husband used all of the milk on his coffee so used coconut milk instead. They loved it!
So happy to hear it Chantelle!!! –Nx
Well, these are the kids favourite ‘brekky’ at the moment 😜 One has strawberry jam, the other raspberry..I ALWAYS put vanilla in my egg mixture.. Tastes more doughnutty or something.. And we must not forget the whipped cream on the side! I’m a naughty mummy 😱😜..!
Heavens! I am absolutely loving this food and recipe blog! I don’t think I’ve ever bookmarked so many pages from one food blog before. Chinese Char Siu Pork marinading in the fridge as I type…….and my daughter will be having this french toast recipe for breakie on Saturday. Nom, nom, nom.
Love hearing that Jane! So glad you’re finding recipes you love here! 🙂 N x
Simple ingredients, satisfying taste! I made these 3 times already! Square “jelly donuts” taste as good as round ones :)!
LOVE HEARING THAT Julia! N x ❤️
Ohh Nagi, these are so delicious. I was on my own for lunch and fancied a sweet treat,
these were perfect, thanks for another great recipe.
Awww Tricia! Thank you for reminding me about these, I must make them again!!!
You’ll probably shake your head in sadness but I’m one who loves eggy French Toast. ;}
I made your recipe using Tank Bread (white bread shaped like a giant soup can) and kept the crust on because my local bakery bakes loaves with soft crusts. Mmmm, Mmmm good. Thank you so much for sharing, Nagi!
I’m not shaking my head in sadness!!! Each to his/her own I say! 🙂 I have some odd preferences myself…believe me….! 🙂
Ohhhh Nagi san, My daughter will love this 😀
Thank you Shihoko!!! Hope you approved of my mum’s miso marinade recipe! 😉
yum!! Such a simple idea yet so very appealing 🙂 Have added them to my to do list 🙂
Yay! Look forward to hearing what you think! 🙂
Oh dear, these look so so good! I really have to try these, and they sound quite easy to make to. Woohoo!! You got me with sugar dusted and jam. Yum! 🙂
Thanks Padaek! Yes, it is super easy to make 🙂