Learn how to make perfect homemade French toast (pain perdu), a brunch meal that feels fancy but is so easy to make. Simply whip up an easy vanilla-and-cinnamon-scented custard to dip soft slices of bread into, then cook the bread until golden and crisp on the outside and tender in the center.
Serve it with your favorite toppings, which can be as simple as a light dusting of powdered sugar and a pat of butter or as elaborate as toasted nuts, chocolate chips, and homemade jam (I have so many ideas for you!). I like to lay out a variety of toppings so my family can choose what they want to add. For more easy breakfast recipes, try my easy chocolate chip muffins, blueberry scones, or Belgian waffles.
Ingredients
Eggs — eggs are the star of the rich, custard-like French toast batter that the bread is soaked in.
Milk — I use whole milk in this recipe, but you can swap it for 2% milk if you prefer. I don’t recommend nonfat milk as you need a little fat for the rich custard. If you need a dairy-free option, use a richer plant-based milk such as full-fat oat milk or coconut milk. Almond milk is a bit too watery for this, in my opinion.
Sugar — I use granulated sugar, but you can swap it for brown sugar if you want caramel-like notes in the custard. The sugar flavors the French toast while also producing a caramelized exterior.
Vanilla — you need a large splash of vanilla, so use a high-quality vanilla extract if you can.
Cinnamon — cinnamon adds warmth and depth of flavor to the batter.
Salt — a pinch of salt enhances all the flavors in this recipe.
Bread — thick slices of bread are the best option, as they are able to withstand the batter without falling apart or becoming soggy.
What’s the Best Bread to Use?
I prefer a thick and fluffy type of bread with a soft crust, like brioche bread, for this easy French toast recipe, but many different types of bread will work! Leftover Challah, French bread, or milk bread are good options.
Sourdough bread is delicious, too, but the crust can cook up a bit hard, so keep that in mind.
How to Make French Toast
1. To a large bowl, add eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and salt.
2. Whisk well until a pale yellow custard forms. This is the batter for the French toast.
3. Melt butter in a large skillet heated over medium heat.
4. Place the bread slices into the egg mixture one by one. Soak each side for a few seconds. Let the excess drip off.
5. Place the soaked bread into the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes, until the bread is golden brown.
6. Carefully flip the bread over and cook the other side until it is golden. Serve warm with toppings of choice (lots of ideas in the Toppings section a little below!).
Variations
- Use cream instead of milk. For extra richness, you can substitute ¼ cup of whole milk for heavy cream or half and half.
- Add spices to the custard. In addition to (or instead of) cinnamon, use ground ginger, nutmeg, or even pumpkin pie spice.
- Add citrus zest. Add lemon zest or orange zest to the batter to add a light citrus flavor.
- Use a flavored bread. A great option is my cinnamon swirl bread for this easy recipe!
You can also try my other twists on French toast, like French toast sticks or air fryer French toast!
The Best Toppings
French toast is a wonderful blank canvas to let your creativity shine! Here are some of my favorite topping ideas:
- Fresh fruit like fresh berries and sliced bananas
- A dusting of powdered sugar
- Warm maple syrup or honey
- Butter or honey butter
- Lemon curd
- Toasted pecans or toasted walnuts
- Whipped cream
- Chocolate chips
- Strawberry jam
How to Keep French Toast Warm
Store cooked French toast in a warm oven heated to 200°F until you’re ready to eat it (but don’t wait longer than 30 minutes or so for the best texture). Place the French toast in a single layer on a wire rack, as stacking the bread will cause the slices to become soggy.
How to Store
Refrigerating: Once cooled completely, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Once cooled to room temperature, arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and flash freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating: If reheating frozen French toast, let it thaw at room temperature first. Then, pop refrigerated or thawed slices in the oven or air fryer at 325ºF until warmed through, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
- Use unsliced bread if possible. If you slice the bread yourself, you can control how thick each slice is. Thicker slices will give you fluffy, soft French toast with a custardy center. Thinner slices can sometimes get too soggy and fall apart.
- Use enough butter. You will likely need to add more butter to the hot skillet in between cooking each slice or between every couple of slices. It adds flavor and creates the crispy edges for the best French toast recipe.
- Use a mixture of vegetable oil and butter if the butter is getting too hot. Butter has a low smoke point, so it burns fairly easily. If your toast is burning instead of becoming a nice golden brown, add a little vegetable oil to the butter. Vegetable oil has a high smoke point to prevent burning, and you will still get the delicious buttery flavor from the melted butter.
- Don’t use too high a heat. If the skillet is too hot, you will end up with burned toast that is soggy and undercooked in the middle. Medium heat allows the bread to cook evenly, yielding toast with a crisp, golden outside and a soft, fluffy inside. You can adjust it lower if you find your French toast is getting too dark on the outside.
Frequently Asked Questions
Make my French toast casserole instead!
While many recipes call for stale bread, I don’t think it’s necessary, especially if you’re using a soft kind like brioche bread. That being said, this recipe is a great way to use an older loaf and keep it from going to waste! Bread that’s a little on the stale side will absorb a bit more of the batter.
You only need to soak the bread in the batter for a few seconds. For soft bread, 5 seconds per side is plenty. For a denser bread, add a few seconds per side.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this French toast recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
French Toast Recipe
Video
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- Skillet
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk (180ml)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 8 thick slices bread
- Butter for greasing the pan
- Maple syrup warm
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt, until completely combined.
- Melt 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter in the hot pan.
- Place each slice of bread in the egg mixture and soak for a few seconds. Flip over and soak the other side. Carefully transfer the soaked bread to your hot pan and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Flip over and cook the other side until golden. Serve warm with additional butter and maple syrup, if desired.
Notes
- Use unsliced bread if possible. If you slice the bread yourself, you can control how thick each slice is. Thicker slices will give you fluffy, soft French toast with a custardy center. Thinner slices can sometimes get too soggy and fall apart.
- Use enough butter. You will likely need to add more butter to the hot skillet in between cooking each slice or between every couple of slices. It adds flavor and creates the crispy edges for the best French toast recipe.
- Use a mixture of vegetable oil and butter if the butter is getting too hot. Butter has a low smoke point, so it burns fairly easily. If your toast is burning instead of becoming a nice golden brown, add a little vegetable oil to the butter. Vegetable oil has a high smoke point to prevent burning, and you will still get the delicious buttery flavor from the melted butter.
- Don’t use too high a heat. If the skillet is too hot, you will end up with burned toast that is soggy and undercooked in the middle. Medium heat allows the bread to cook evenly, yielding toast with a crisp, golden outside and a soft, fluffy inside. You can adjust it lower if you find your French toast is getting too dark on the outside.
n says
awesome
Ann says
As usual this is another amazing recipe! You need to have your own network show! Or, better yet, publish a book!
John Kanell says
That’s so sweet. Thank you Ann!
Kendra Kendall says
Hey John! This recipe looks amazing. When I cut my fork through the french toast, how should it look? Will it be white bread on the inside or does the custard mixture soak all the way through and cook?
Bilal Shain says
Delish and easy. Dont