French Toast Recipe
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This classic French Toast recipe is so delicious, easy to make, and perfect for breakfast or brunch! Enjoy the BEST French toast in minutes with this recipe and helpful tips!
This classic French Toast recipe is one that I absolutely love to make—especially on a lazy weekend morning. There’s something special about this rich and delicious French Toast drizzled with warm maple syrup! I’ve been making it for so long that I’ve perfected the steps so that it is easy. Whether I’m making it for a crowd of weekend guests or just the three of us, I can have it on the table in minutes!
French toast has a way of starting the morning off in the best way. Paired with a bowl of fresh berries, a few slices of bacon, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a dollop of whipped cream, this meal is always a crowd favorite!
French Toast Ingredients and Substitutes
Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full listing of ingredients, instructions, notes, and estimated nutritional information.
- Bread – I provide a few options for our favorite bread to use below.
- Eggs – you will need large eggs for this recipe. See my notes below for making this recipe without eggs.
- Milk – you can use your favorite milk or dairy-free milk alternative.
- Salt – add a pinch of salt to balance the flavors and sweetness
- Sweetener – you definitely have options for the sweetener to use based on your personal preferences.
- Flavorings – I love to include vanilla extract and ground cinnamon for a classic French toast flavor. You can omit the cinnamon, if you prefer, or add more for a more pronounced cinnamon French Toast. You can also add nutmeg if you like.
- Butter – melted on the griddle for cooking, and then add a tablespoon of butter for serving, if desired.
- Maple syrup – real maple syrup is required in our family for the perfect French toast! You can also use a fruit syrup like my blackberry syrup if you prefer.
What is the Best Bread for French Toast?
I love French toast made with challah bread, brioche, or thick slices of Sally Lunn bread. But I have a little secret. If you don’t have those on hand, it is absolutely delicious and easy with slices of our favorite sandwich bread. Use whatever you have on hand!
- Challah bread
- Sourdough bread
- Sally Lunn bread
- Texas Toast
- French Bread
- Brioche
- Sandwich bread
What Milk to Use for French Toast
I have another little tip, too. I do love French toast that has been made with heavy cream, but it is just fine made with whatever milk I have in the refrigerator, too.
- Heavy Cream
- Half and Half
- Whole Milk
- Skim Milk
Dairy-free French Toast Recipe
You can also use dairy-free milk alternatives for making this recipe. I love to use different ones depending on who I am serving. For instance, one family friend isn’t able to have dairy or almonds, so I use oat milk for theirs. They always love it! The flavor may change slightly depending on the milk option that you use.
- Coconut Milk
- Almond Milk
- Oat Milk
What Sweeteners to Use for French Toast
I have tested this recipe using various sweeteners with great success. It is delicious using maple syrup, honey, and coconut sugar, as well as confectioners and granulated sugar. The flavor profile will change slightly based on the sweetener that you use. For example, using maple syrup will give a hint of maple flavor to the recipe (which is delicious when served with maple syrup!).
- Maple Syrup
- Honey
- Coconut Sugar
- Granulated Sugar
- Confectioner’s Sugar
Instructions Overview
- Whisk. To save on dishes and cleanup, I whisk together the eggs, milk, sweetener, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon right into a shallow dish I’ll use to dip my bread in.
- Dip. Once I have whisked the egg mixture together well, I place my bread slice in the batter on one side and then quickly flip it over to the other side since some sandwich bread will absorb the liquid super quickly. You’ll want to be sure that you are dipping your bread and not leaving it for any time to soak so that the bread does not absorb too much liquid. Make sure to follow this so your bread does not get too wet. This will prevent your French toast from becoming soggy.
- Cook. Once both sides of the bread are coated with the liquid, I place them into the skillet with melted butter set over medium heat. They only take a few minutes to cook, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
- Serve. Serve immediately with your syrup of choice. I also love to serve with fruit like fresh berries (I love blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries). A dollop of homemade whipped cream is always a good idea!
My recipe can be made with simple ingredients that most of you will have on hand. I love that it’s this easy! It takes the pressure off of me from thinking that I have to have exact ingredients in my house to be able to make a family favorite breakfast or brunch. Because, let’s face it, sometimes I wake up and know that this delicious breakfast recipe would be a great way to welcome the morning.
With just a few basic ingredients I always have on hand, I know I can whip up this delicious recipe that my family will love!
Recipe Tips
- Use vanilla extract and cinnamon for the most flavorful French toast batter!
- When dipping bread in batter, don’t soak it; dip it for the crispest French toast!
- You can use many kinds of bread for perfect French Toast. Brioche is delicious, but sandwich bread is, too! Use what you have on hand and make it!
Make-Ahead French Toast
I love to make this recipe in advance for even easier mornings, busy weekdays and lazy weekends. I also love these make-ahead tips during the holidays!
- Up to 30 Minutes: Prepare the cooked French toast, place it in a single layer onto a baking sheet, and hold it in a 250º F oven for up to 30 minutes.
- Up to 24 Hours: Prepare the French toast batter and place it into an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, stir the batter to combine well and proceed with the recipe as written.
- Up to 3 Months: See the freezer instructions to follow.
How to Freeze French Toast
To freeze. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and place into the freezer until firmly frozen, about 30 minutes. Store the slices in a freezer-safe zip-top or another airtight container for up to 3 months.
To serve from frozen. You can use either of the following methods to reheat French Toast.
- Oven Method. Place it in a single layer on a wire rack-lined baking sheet and cover it with foil. Bake in 350º F oven for 10 minutes until hot.
- Toaster Method. Reheat in a toaster oven until heated throughout.
- Air Fryer Method. Reheat in a single layer in an air fryer until heated throughout.
Recipe Variations
Cinnamon French Toast Recipe – While this recipe already includes ground cinnamon, to make this version of the recipe, increase the amount of cinnamon in the recipe to 1½ – 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.
Cinnamon Apple French Toast – Serve with my cinnamon apples as a topping.
Pumpkin Spice French Toast – Replace the ground cinnamon with an equal amount of pumpkin spice mix for a seasonal favorite.
Gingerbread French Toast – Replace the ground cinnamon with 1/4 teaspoon of each of the following spices: ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger.
French Toast Without Eggs – I make an egg-free French Toast recipe that tastes like my classic recipe when making for a family member sensitive to eggs! There are two ways that I’ve made it, both with great success.
- Cornstarch – replace the eggs called for in the recipe with 1/3 cup cornstarch.
- Omit eggs – I have also made it by just omitting the eggs. The exterior is still crispy, and it tastes delicious.
Vegan French Toast – If you are looking for a vegan version of this recipe, you’ll use vegan butter, dairy-free milk, and one of the egg-free recipe options I provide above.
More Breakfast and Brunch Favorites
There are many scrumptious breakfast and brunch recipes
Here’s my Best French Toast Recipe. It makes a classic breakfast or brunch recipe that everyone loves! I think you’ll love it, too!
Best French Toast Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup milk, or half and half, coconut milk or almond milk
- pinch kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 8 slices sandwich bread
- butter
Instructions
- Whisk and dip. Whisk together eggs, milk, salt, sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon in a flat-bottomed shallow baking dish. Place bread slices, one or two at a time, into the egg mixture and flip to make sure both sides of bread are well-coated.
- Cook. Melt butter in a large skillet or on a griddle. Place bread slices in skillet or on griddle and cook on medium heat until golden brown on each side, about 2-3 minutes.
- Serve. Serve immediately or keep warm in oven until ready to serve, but no longer than about 30 minutes.
Notes
- Up to 30 Minutes: Prepare the cooked French toast and place a single layer onto a baking sheet, and hold in a 250º F oven for up to 30 minutes.
- Up to 24 Hours: Prepare the French toast batter and place it into an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, stir the batter to combine well and proceed with the recipe as written.
- Up to 3 Months: See the freezer instructions to follow.
- Oven Method. Place in a single layer on a wire rack-lined baking sheet and cover it with foil. Bake in 350º F oven for 10 minutes until hot.
- Toaster Method. Reheat in a toaster oven until heated throughout.
- Air Fryer Method. Reheat in a single layer in an air fryer until heated throughout.
- Cornstarch – replace the eggs called for in the recipe with 1/3 cup cornstarch.
- Omit eggs – I have also made it by just omitting the eggs. The exterior is still crispy, and it tastes delicious.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
From the Add a Pinch recipe archives, originally published 2014.
I was so happy to find your recipe for French Toast using regular sandwich bread! Every recipe I would see said to use a thick cut bread or some type of specialty bread. Your recipe was just as good!
Thanks, Nia. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. My family loves it this way.
best french toast I’ve ever had. Anyone for whom I’ve made it says the same. I make it with the granulated sugar and sprinkle some powdered sugar and cinnamon on top at the end before the maple syrup and it’s perfect.
Brandon, I’m so glad you love this French toast recipe. I bet it is amazing with the powdered sugar and cinnamon sprinkled on top.
it really did come out perfect. and with different kinds of bread too! Looking forward to making other variations.
Thanks, Molly. I love that you can use several different kinds of bread with this recipe and they are all delicious, too.