The Ingredient Combination That Makes French Toast Taste 1,000 Times Better
While many people get excited to kick off the weekend with a pancake breakfast, I’m all about loading my plate with thick, golden-brown slices of custardy French toast (preferably with a side of oven-cooked bacon!). There are hundreds of variations of French toast to choose from, including stuffed French toast, bananas Foster French toast, pumpkin spice French toast, and many more.
But nothing beats a good batch of classic French toast. In this recipe, thick slices of white bread are dipped in a lightly sweetened cinnamon-vanilla custard and cooked in a sizzling skillet until golden-brown all over, then drizzled with a generous pour of maple syrup. Plus, because the recipe offers several options for both the bread and dairy, it’s easy to make it your own and works with ingredients you already have on hand.
Why You’ll Love It
The texture is totally perfect. The bread is fried just enough that it’s golden, buttery, and crisp on the outside, while the inside is soft and custardy without being soggy.
It’s extra flavorful. A couple spoonfuls of vanilla extract and ground cinnamon take the custard to the next level.
Key Ingredients in French Toast
Bread. This is the star ingredient. You want to start with an uncut loaf so that the slices aren’t too thin. Go with either a one-pound loaf of white sandwich bread (I personally think this is the best bread for French toast), challah, or brioche.
Large eggs. This is a key ingredient for the custard, and you’ll need a total of five large eggs.
Whole milk, half-and-half, or heavy cream. Any one of these dairy options works well and makes a delicious custard for French toast. The difference is how rich the custard tastes. Heavy cream makes for a super-creamy custard, and whole milk yields a lighter-tasting custard, while half-and-half is somewhere in the middle.
How to Make French Toast
Slice the bread. Plan to cut the loaf into 3/4- to 1-inch slices, which will give you about eight pieces.
Mix the custard. I like to whisk together the custard in a 9×13-inch casserole dish, so that you can soak several slices of bread at one time.
Dip the bread. You want the slices of bread to be really drenched but not falling apart. The type of bread you use will determine how long to soak. Plan on about one minute per side for white sandwich bread, or just 15 seconds per side for challah or brioche.
Cook the French toast. Fry as many pieces as will fit in a large nonstick skillet coated with melted butter until golden-brown on both sides.
Helpful Swaps
Texas toast will also work for this recipe if you don’t have uncut white sandwich bread, challah, or brioche.
While the recipe calls for regular milk or cream, you can also use an equal amount of unsweetened non-dairy milk. The only difference is that the custard won’t be quite as rich or creamy.
If you don’t have ground cinnamon, or simply want to switch things up, ground cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, or pumpkin pie spice are fun swaps.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
French toast is definitely at its best when first made. That said, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days, and it also freezes well. Just freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to eat, reheat in a 325ºF oven until warmed through, 7 to 15 minutes.
I recommend waiting to mix together the custard until just before cooking; however, you can slice the bread in advance.
What to Serve with French Toast
Oven-Cooked Bacon
Strawberry Honey Butter
Berry Pineapple Fruit Salad
Blueberry Compote
Apple Cider Syrup
French Toast Recipe
I swear by this ingredient combination for the best-ever version of the classic.Prep time 10 minutesCook time 25 minutes to 30 minutesServes 4 to 6Ingredients
1 (1-pound) uncut loaf white sandwich bread, challah, or brioche
5 large eggs
1 3/4 cups whole milk, half-and-half, heavy cream, or a combination
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided, plus more for serving
Maple syrup or powdered sugar, for serving
Instructions
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 200ºF. Fit a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet.
Cut 1 loaf white bread, challah, or brioche crosswise into 3/4-inch to 1-inch-thick slices.
Place 5 large eggs, 1 3/4 cups dairy of choice, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Whisk until fully combined, no streaks of egg remain, and the sugar is dissolved.
Place as many bread slices as can fit in a single layer into the milk mixture. Soak, flipping once, until drenched but not falling apart, about 1 minute per side for white bread or about 15 seconds per side for challah and brioche. Transfer the bread slices to the wire rack; repeat soaking the remaining slices.
Melt 1 tablespoon of the unsalted butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add as many bread slices as can fit in a single layer with space around each one. Cook until the bottoms are golden-brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook until the second side is browned, 2 to 3 minutes more. If the bottoms are getting too dark, reduce the heat to medium-low. Transfer to a second baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.
Cook the remaining bread slices, melting 1 tablespoon of the unsalted butter in the pan before each batch. Serve with maple syrup or powdered sugar.Recipe Notes
Ingredient variation: 1 pound Texas toast can be used in place of white sandwich bread, challah, or brioche. Soak in the custard mixture for 20 seconds per side.Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To freeze French toast, freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a zip-top bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat in a 325ºF oven until warmed through, 7 to 15 minutes.
