If you want to learn how to make perfect French toast, you’ve come to the right place. It’s a fancy brunch meal that is so much easier to make than you think. Simply whip up an easy custard-like, vanilla-and-cinnamon-scented batter to dip soft slices of bread into, then cook the bread until golden and crisp on the outside and tender in the center. Serve 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!).
My mom made us French toast all the time when I was growing up, and I love that I can continue that delicious tradition by making it for my boys now! It’s a delightful treat when we want something a little decadent yet satisfying for breakfast. And I love how excited they get to choose what toppings they want to add. For more easy breakfast recipes, try my easy chocolate chip muffins and blueberry scones recipe, or these variations on French toast like my French toast sticks recipe and French toast casserole recipe!
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Eggs — eggs are the star of the rich, custardy batter. You will need the whole egg.
Milk — I use whole milk in this recipe, but if you need a dairy-free option, use a richer plant-based milk such as oat milk or coconut milk.
Sugar — granulated sugar, brown sugar, or even maple syrup add the perfect sweetness to this recipe.
Vanilla — you need a large splash of vanilla, so I recommend using a high-quality vanilla extract.
Cinnamon — while cinnamon isn’t always needed for a tasty French toast, it does add warmth and depth of flavor to the batter that I love. You could also swap it for ginger, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice!
Bread — you can use basically any bread you like (ideas below), but remember that thick slices of bread work better and don’t fall apart as easily as thinner slices of bread.
How to Make French Toast
1. To a large bowl, add eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon.
2. Whisk well until a pale yellow custard forms. This is the batter.
3. Melt butter in a 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 fry the other side until it is golden. Serve warm with toppings of choice (loads of ideas below!).
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
- Add richness by swapping out the whole milk. You can substitute ¼ cup of milk for heavy cream or half and half.
- Add citrus zest. Add some lemon zest or orange zest to the batter to add a light citrus flavor.
- Buy 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 toast. Thinner slices can sometimes get too soggy and fall apart under the batter.
- Use enough butter. You will likely need to add more butter to the hot skillet in between cooking each slice or a couple of slices. Don’t be shy! It adds flavor and creates the crispy edges.
- 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.
- Keep the skillet heated at medium 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 French toast with a crisp, golden outside and a soft, fluffy inside.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can cook the French toast and store it in a warm oven heated to 180°F until you’re ready to eat it (but don’t wait longer than 30 minutes or so). Or, to save a few minutes, prepare the batter the night before and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container. When you’re ready to make it, give the batter a quick whisk to incorporate everything again.
I prefer a soft, buttery bread like brioche for French toast, but pretty much any type of bread will work! You can also try white bread, French bread, sourdough bread, Challah, or even cinnamon swirl bread! If you want your French toast to be super decadent, you can also cut croissants in half and use those.
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, it 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.
Soaking the bread for too long will give you soggy toast. Each side needs just a few seconds so the custard soaks in enough, but not too much.
This recipe is a wonderful blank canvas that you can get creative with! Toppings like fresh berries and sliced bananas, a dusting of powdered sugar, maple syrup or honey, butter or honey butter, Lemon curd, toasted nuts, and whipped cream are all delicious choices.
Yes. Once it has cooled, arrange the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat it, thaw it at room temperature and reheat in a warm oven.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
French Toast
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup milk (180ml)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 slices bread
- Butter
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium heat.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, and whisk 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
- Add richness by swapping out the whole milk. You can substitute ¼ cup of milk for heavy cream or half and half.
- Add citrus zest. Add some lemon zest or orange zest to the batter to add a light citrus flavor.
- Buy 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 toasts. Thinner slices can sometimes get too soggy and fall apart under the batter.
- Use enough butter. You will likely need to add more butter to the hot skillet in between cooking each slice or a couple of slices. Don’t be shy! It adds flavor and creates the crispy edges.
- 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.
- Keep the skillet heated at medium 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 French toast with a crisp, golden outside and a soft, fluffy inside.
