Having French Toast for breakfast is a treat, and the recipe I am sharing with you today ensures making this treat even better. The best French toast recipe is the one that has the right amount of spices and has a custard-like texture. This French Toast has crispy edges and a custard-like center; you can serve it with fresh berries, maple syrup, or honey. In this post, I will also teach you how to make this treat in a casserole and bake it in the oven! Follow the step-by-step images below.
Classic French Toast
I have tested different versions of French Toast, some were sweet others were savory, but the recipe I have for you today is the best I ever made. You can use any bread you have at home, and you will still get a great result. The secret to making a good French toast is removing it from heat when it’s golden from the outside. Overcooking will make it tasteless, and undercooking will result in a runny center that you want to avoid. Keep the heat on medium and be patient.
The ngredients you need
Bread – It is best to use a day or two old bread; it will soak in the custard and hold its shape while frying. I like to use Brioche bread, but you can use regular sandwich bread.
Eggs – Large eggs.
Sugar – I like to use raw sugar, but you can go for brown sugar or the sweetener you prefer.
Nutmeg.
Cinnamon.
Vanilla – Although I like the flavor of the vanilla in this recipe, you can go for lemon or orange zest or even leave out the vanilla and stick with the flavor coming from the spices mentioned above.
Milk – Sometimes, I mix heavy cream with milk, but I skip the heavy cream if I’m using a rich bread like Brioche. You can use almond milk or soy milk. Try coconut milk if you want to stay close to the original taste and not use regular milk.
Butter – In this recipe using salted or unsalted butter is fine since the custard has sugar, and later the French Toast will be drizzled with honey or maple syrup.
The best bread to use
I will always go for Brioche since it’s already a delicious bread on its own, but Challah is lighter and still give the same rich flavor as when using Brioche.
White sandwich bread can be used but make sure it is at least two days old, or it might break while making the French Toast. A tip I learned to use fresh bread in making French Toast is toasting the bread, not to change its color but toast it just enough to lose the moisture and become a little crisp!
My second favorite is multigrain brown bread. You get a little crunch from the nuts and the bread won’t break when soaked in the custard. Avoid bread with a lot of salt or flavors like olives and onions.
How to make French Toast
Using one bowl to mix all the ingredients and dip the bread makes cleaning easy. Use cast iron if available it gives the French Toast a beautiful golden color, and the heat is distributed evenly.
- In a bowl, add all the spices and vanilla. Add in the eggs and beat until well combined.
- Pour the milk over the previous mixture and mix well.
- Heat a cast-iron or a shallow pan, add to it butter and a little oil to prevent the butter from burning.
- Dip the bread slice in the custard mixture prepared and fry it.
- When the bottom of the bread is golden, flip and cook the other side, French Toast is delicate, and you must give it time to cook evenly and slowly on medium heat to prevent it from burning from the outside and staying raw inside.
- Cook the French Toast over medium heat to allow the custard to cook completely.
- If you are not serving the French Toast immediately, place it in a preheated oven for a few minutes before serving.
Delicious toppings variations
Caramelized banana.
Honey butter sauce.
Blueberry syrup.
Butterscotch sauce and cream. (This one is rich and heavy).
Bacon and maple syrup.
How to make French Toast in a casserole
To save time, you can make this delicious French Toast in the oven.
Heat the oven to 350F/180C. Generously grease a casserole with butter.
Dip the slices of bread one by one in the custard mixture and place them in the casserole.
Cover the casserole with aluminum foil and bake on the middle shelf for 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover the casserole and continue baking for another 15 minutes. You can flip the French Toast to get that golden color and crispy texture, but you can also turn on the broiler and cook it until golden and crisp.
Make-Ahead
- You can prepare the custard mixture in the evening and refrigerate it overnight.
- Refrigerate the cooked French Toast by placing them in an airtight container first and then refrigerate them for up to 3 days.
- I do not recommend freezing, but you can freeze it for up to 2 months. To thaw the frozen French Toast, place it in the fridge overnight, or immediately and while frozen, put it in a preheated oven.
📖 Recipe
French Toast
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¾ cup milk
- 6 medium slices of bread
- Butter to grease the pan
Instructions
- In a bowl, beat the eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and milk until well combined.
- Place a shallow pan on the stove and when hot add butter. You can add a teaspoon of oil to prevent the butter from burning if wish!
- Dip the bread slices in the custard mixture for few seconds and place in the pan. Fry on medium low until golden at the bottom.
- Flip and cook the other side until golden. Repeat with all slices.
- Do not fry French toast on high heat, the slices will turn dark brown, and the custard won’t be cooked.
- Serve with butter and honey or maple syrup.
Notes
- To use fresh bread, toast it until dry but not brown, and then make French Toast.
- If you don’t have large eggs, then use 4 medium size eggs.
- Use lemon or orange zest instead of vanilla in this recipe.
- If using Brioche bread to make French Toast, do not use heavy cream and stick to milk only.
- To keep the French Toast warm, place it in a preheated oven a few minutes before serving.
- Storing and freezing methods are mentioned in the post.
- You can skip adding sugar to the custard and sweeten this dish by drizzling honey or maple syrup before serving.
Melissa Griffiths
So simple, but always a delicious classic! Now I want some French toast!
munatycooking
Thanks Melissa 🙂
thehappymommie
My daughter loves french toast and thats why this is a must try for me, lovely Recipe
Nancy L
I am making this in the morning. I've never tried adding nutmeg but it sounds and looks absolutely delicious!!
Nicole Anderson - Camping for Women
Love French Toast and the simplicity of creating this age old favorite for breakfast. Totally agree that using Brioche is definitely the way to go!
Rosey
I was just thinking about what to make for breakfast tomorrow. This is going to be it.
The Joyous Living
i love cooked breakfasts. your french toast looks and sounds delicious. i don't use sugar in my custard for the toast. do you have a suggested substitute?
Ana
I love French toast and it is a great hit at our home once every week. Your French toasts look incredibly delicious and thanks for sharing your recipe with us!
Samantha
I have never used Brioche to make french toast. That sounds like it will be so delicious! I can't wait to give it a try.
Emman Damian
French toast is a staple breakfast for me. I like it with maple syrup or simply strawberries on top. I enjoy it with ham too!
Nkem
This was absolutely delicious! I am going to try making french toast next week. Thanks for your inspiration!
Shannon
Great recipe! And Brioche bread sounds like it would make perfect French toast. I was never a fan but my son LOVES it. I don’t know how to make it so I had to pin this!
Marta Skeledžija
We had that this morning with cotage chesse and honey. Very yummy dish.