French Toast Recipe

Wondering how to make French Toast? This easy French toast recipe makes a golden brown stack with a hint of cinnamon topped with maple syrup.

We’ve made this breakfast recipe countless times for weekends, holidays, and even weeknight dinners.

My husband Brian makes the best breakfast foods for us, such as delicious, made-to-order omelets! He recently made French toast, and I knew we had to share the recipe here so that you could make it too.

Ingredients and Substitutions

You really only need three ingredients (milk, eggs, and bread) to make this recipe, but for the ultimate French toast, add a little sugar and some flavoring!

• Milk: In this recipe, we used whole milk for the best flavor and texture. You can use any milk or your favorite milk substitute, but your French toast may end up eggier.
• Eggs: The eggs and milk make a custard that gives the French toast slices a crispy exterior while keeping the center moist and tender.
• Sugar: We added a little brown sugar so the egg mixture for a touch of sweetness. You could also use granulated sugar or a sugar alternative.
• Flavoring: A little vanilla extract adds a lot of flavor. You could also use almond extract if you prefer.
• Seasoning: We also added ground cinnamon and a little salt for extra flavor.
• Bread: We use texas toast which is white bread that is cut into 1-inch thick slices. If you are unable to find it, you can buy a loaf of soft white bread from the bakery and cut it into slices yourself.

How To Make French Toast

If you’re wondering how to make French toast, we’ve got you covered with this easy, delicious French toast recipe! With just a few basic ingredients, you can start the day off with a fabulous breakfast.

• Egg Mixture: Whisk together all of the ingredients except the bread.
• Dip: Coat the bread slices in the custard mixture.
• Griddle: Cook the coated bread slices on a hot, greased griddle (or skillet) on both sides.

Best Type of Bread for French toast

While you can use any bread to make French toast, the best type of bread is the denser variety. We used texas toast bread to make the French toast in this recipe. Texas toast bread is thick slices of white bread that hold up well when making French toast. Other popular choices are French bread, brioche, challah, and cinnamon swirl bread. Most of the bread varieties work best if they are a day old. And if all you have on hand is regular sandwich bread, you can use that too for thinner slices, but you’ll want to make sure to only dip it in the egg mixture briefly.

Variations

This French toast recipe is the classic way to make it, but it is also a great starting point for any other flavors you may want to make. You can change the flavors by adding ingredients to the egg mixture or by changing up the toppings you add.

Other Flavors

• Pumpkin Spice: Add one teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to the egg batter and top the French toast with pumpkin butter and maple syrup.
• Apple Pie: Increase the ground cinnamon to 1 teaspoon and add 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice. Top with fried apples or apple pie filling.
• Chocolate: Use chocolate milk instead of plain, or add cocoa powder to the egg batter. Top with chocolate sauce and whipped cream.
• Lemon: Add lemon zest to the egg mixture and serve with lemon sauce (use the one included in this blueberry bread pudding recipe) instead of syrup.

Easy French Toast Toppings

For this French toast recipe, we went with the classic butter, maple syrup, and powdered sugar. We also love peanut butter on our French toast. Other toppings include caramel syrup, chocolate sauce, Nutella, whipped cream, sliced strawberries, fresh berries, and sliced bananas.

Make Ahead and Storage

• Make Ahead: To make this ahead of time, you can cook it and reheat the leftovers. Or you can make an overnight French toast casserole instead.
• Leftovers: Allow the French toast to cool and then store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for two to three days. Reheat in a skillet, in the oven, microwave, or air fryer.
• Freezer: To freeze leftovers, store the French bread slices between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container. Reheat in a skillet, in the oven, microwave, or air fryer.

Common Issues

Soggy French Toast Causes and Fixes

Let’s start out by saying that what is considered soggy French toast to some is called custard-like French toast to others. Some like theirs more crispy, and others prefer a more bread pudding-like texture. That being said, here are a few reasons why your French toast might be soggy, how to avoid the issue, and possible fixes.

• Type of Bread: Make sure that you choose sturdy bread that won’t fall apart when you soak up the egg and milk mixture. If you have soft or fresh bread, you can let the slices dry out by taking them out of the bag and placing them on the countertop. You can also dry them out by baking them in the oven or toasting them lightly in the toaster.
• Thickness of Slices: You want to use thick slices of bread, whether it be presliced or bread that you are slicing yourself.
• Liquid: Don’t leave the bread in the milk and egg mixture for too long. Fully submerge it on both sides, remove it, and let the excess drip off. If you accidentally soaked up too much liquid, turn the heat down and allow the slices to look longer over low heat.
• Cooking: The French toast needs to cook long enough that the outside turns a golden brown while the middle of the slices cooks through. When the pan is too hot, the middle won’t have time to cook. If the outside cooks too quickly, remove the slices from the pan, place them on a baking sheet, and bake them in the oven at 325˚F-350˚F for 5-8 minutes or until they are the desired crispiness.

Bland French Toast Causes and Fixes

If you are going to make a French toast recipe, you want it to be delicious! Here are a few things that could cause it to be bland, how to avoid the issues, and how possible ways to fix them.

• Fat: The eggs, whole milk, and butter in this recipe all add fat which adds a rich flavor. If you choose low-fat ingredients to make French toast, you will compromise on flavor.
• Sugar: Not only does the brown sugar add sweetness, but it also adds a light caramel flavor. Plus, it helps make the slices golden brown because it carmelizes on the slices. Don’t skip the sugar, but you can use a brown sugar alternative, such as Swerve Brown, when needed. If you forgot to add the sugar to the batter, you could sprinkle it on the coated slices of bread.
• Flavoring: Be sure to add flavoring to the egg and milk mixture. We chose vanilla extract, but you could use any flavoring you want.
• Spices: You can add spices to the custard mixture or sprinkle them on each slice of bread after dipping it. We only used ground cinnamon, but you can also use a little nutmeg, allspice, ginger, or pumpkin pie spice. If you forgot to add ground cinnamon, you could sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the French toast slices before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Breakfast Recipes

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We love making this Pumpkin Caramel Pecan Baked French Toast during the holidays!

This easy Egg Bake recipe has crispy bacon, fluffy eggs, and melted cheese all in one dish.

Tater Tot Breakfast Pizza has crispy potatoes for a crust topped with scrambled eggs, melted cheese, crispy bacon, and crumbled sausage!