Golden brown and cinnamon scented, this french toast recipe is an easy breakfast made with staple ingredients. It’s perfect any day of the week and a favorite for Sunday brunch.
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Things to Know
I’ve made this French toast recipe more times than I can count! I love it because I always have the ingredients on hand, and it’s simply perfect.
- Technique: Soak the bread long enough that the custard mixture (egg and milk) soaks into the center of the bread.
- Ingredient tip: This is a great way to use leftover sandwich bread, French bread, or sliced dinner rolls.
- Freezing: Cooled slices can be frozen and popped in the toaster oven for a quick weekday brekkie!
French Toast Ingredient Tips
- Bread: I prefer thicker bread slices for this French toast recipe. You can use any variety of bread—favorites include brioche, challah, or cinnamon bread.
- Egg: Eggs provide richness and help set the batter.
- Milk: Any type of milk, including non-dairy, can be used. For a richer batter, use half-and-half or, for a fun, festive French toast, use eggnog instead of milk.
- Sweetener: White or brown sugar adds sweetness and also helps to caramelize the edges while it cooks.
Variations
- Spice it up with pumpkin pie spice, orange zest, or Grand Marnier
How to Make French Toast
- Whisk custard ingredients together (full recipe below).
- Dip bread into the custard mixture.
- Fry in butter on both sides until fluffy and browned.
How to Store Leftovers
- Keep leftover French toast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Reheat slices in the microwave or pop them in a toaster until they’re heated through and crispy.
- Freeze slices between pieces of parchment paper placed in a zippered bag and reheat per the directions above.
More Breakfast Favorites
Did you enjoy this French Toast Recipe? Leave a rating and a comment below!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick sliced bread brioche or other breads
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons butter more as needed
Instructions
- In a shallow dish or bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until well combined.
- Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan or on the griddle.
- Dip the bread into the egg mixture, allowing a few seconds for the egg to soak into the bread. Flip the bread over and repeat on the other side.
- Place the bread in the pan and cook over medium-low heat until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. (Add more butter as needed for the remaining slices of bread).
Notes
- You can use any type of bread for this French toast recipe, I prefer thicker artisan style bread. If using thinner sandwich style bread, don’t allow it to soak too long.
- Cooking time can vary based on the thickness and density of the bread and the amount of custard soaked into the bread. Cook over medium-low heat to allow the custard to cook through without burning the outside of the bread.
- To prepare ahead, dip the bread into the egg mixture and place it in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- To make a large batch, preheat the oven to 200°F and place a casserole dish or baking sheet in the oven. Add cooked French toast slices to the dish to keep warm.
- Sprinkle French toast with cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar after cooking if desired.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 5 days, or separate slices with wax paper and freeze in zip bags for 2-3 months. Reheat in the microwave or toaster oven.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 163 | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 207mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 273IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Bread, Breakfast
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So good! I did 3/4 tsp of cinnamon based on some other reviews saying they wished there was a little more
I was looking for a French toast recipe and I found it. I absolutely love this recipe. I used brioche bread and it turned out great. It was such a hit that I made it 2 days in a row.
Yummy, Kimberly. That sounds amazing! Glad you enjoyed this recipe as much as we did.
Just made this. So good! Will probably add more cinnamon next time, but wanted to get it right the first time.
Any chance I can make these ahead of time?
Or the batter? How long would that last in the fridge?
Hi Tifanny, the batter should be fine in the refrigerator for a few days if prepared ahead of time. We do have a great overnight french toast recipe that you could try as well.
Absolutely delicious. I did add a little more cinnamon. The vanilla extract really adds to the flavor. My husband and I both loved it. I used brioche bread.
I’m sure it’ll be in my tomorrow’s breakfast. I have just now prepared it using my toaster. It’s really pretty good. Thanks for sharing.
This is by far the best French toast I have ever made and so easy to make. My husband said I outdid myself! I say that a good cook is only as good their recipes. Thank you for sharing your excellent recipe!
So glad you both loved it Jacqueline!
Awesome recipe!!!! Perfect for any type of bread, actually. I used regular sandwich bread (that’s all I had), toasted the bread a little bit, then soaked it in the mixture. Came out PERFECT!!!! I’m going to get brioche bread when I go to the grocery store again! YUMMY!
I have been making french toast exactly like this since we were stationed in Okinawa in 2007. They have the best brioche bread for french toast. It’s so simple, yet so tasty and the bread really matters! I will take the advice I read on a comment and slightly toast the sandwich bread because it does get soggy. Thank you!
You’re very welcome Rose!
Delish! And super fast. Hard to mess this one up. This recipe is a little generous – you can halve the recipe and it’s plenty for 6 pieces of brioche.
Can I use French bread?
You sure can!
Perfect! I needed a good ratio of milk to eggs, and this was it! A quick a delish lunch for our virtual homeschool day, both kids rushed thru thier scrambled eggs and apple slices to get thier servings, and they both agreed it was yummy! :) thanks for sharing.
Perfect for a lunch too, so glad your crew loved it Alisa!
THIS WILL BE MY FIRST TIME TRYING THIS RECIPE BUT I WANT TO ADD BLUEBERRIES AND STRAWBERRIES.
Yummy additions for sure Anthony, let us know how it works out for you!
It looks cool.
When I only have sliced bread I toast it a bit first so it isn’t a soggy mess after cooking. That helps!
I loved this recipe and advising to swap out the extracts – a game changer!
Thank you !
That’s an awesome tip Jennifer! Thanks for sharing.
Making this tomorrow at our camper. Looking forward to having it.
Perfectly made French toast for the first time. Awesome recipe.
So happy to hear that Rhonda! Glad you enjoyed it.
This is by far the best French toast recipe. My family loved it.
That’s awesome Marie! I am glad it was a hit with the family! :)
I love this recipe!
found that if possible, “day old” or even stale bread works great. the bread soaks up the egg mixture faster and holds on to it more, for more flavour.
Very, very good! My kids (5, 4, and 1) devour it every time!
I am so glad that your family has enjoyed this recipe!