French Toast Recipe

5 from 227 votes
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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!

Golden French toast with syrup on a marble countertop with blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries in a glass dish in the background.

This classic French Toast recipe is one that I absolutely love to makeโ€”especially on a lazy weekend morning. Thereโ€™s something special about this rich and delicious French Toast drizzled with warm maple syrup! Iโ€™ve been making it for so long that Iโ€™ve perfected the steps so that it is easy. Whether Iโ€™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!

Overhead photo of plate of French toast and a glass bowl on the side with fresh berries.

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 โ€“ I provide a few options for our favorite bread to use below.
  • Eggs โ€“ you will need large eggs for this recipe. See my notes below for making this recipe without eggs.
  • Milk โ€“ you can use your favorite milk or dairy-free milk alternative.
  • Salt โ€“ add a pinch of salt to balance the flavors and sweetness
  • Sweetener โ€“ you definitely have options for the sweetener to use based on your personal preferences.
  • Flavoringsย โ€“ 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.ย 
  • Butter โ€“ melted on the griddle for cooking, and then add a tablespoon of butter for serving, if desired.
  • Maple syrup โ€“ 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 isnโ€™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.

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
  • Confectionerโ€™s Sugar

Instructions Overview

  1. Whisk. To save on dishes and cleanup, I whisk together the eggs, milk, sweetener, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon right into a shallow dish Iโ€™ll use to dip my bread in.
  2. 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. Youโ€™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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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!
Horizontal photo of French Toast on a white plate with syrup and a bite on a silver fork. Mixed berries in the background.

My recipe can be made with simple ingredients that most of you will have on hand. I love that itโ€™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, letโ€™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

  1. Use vanilla extract and cinnamon for the most flavorful French toast batter!
  2. When dipping bread in batter, don’t soak it; dip it for the crispest French toast!
  3. 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 250ยบ 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 350ยบ 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 1ยฝ โ€“ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon.

Cinnamon Apple French Toast – Serve with myย cinnamon applesย as a topping.ย 

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.ย 

More Breakfast and Brunch Favorites

There are many scrumptious breakfast and brunch recipes

Bite of French toast on a fork on a white plate with more french toast and berries in the background.

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

5 from 227 votes
This French toast recipe makes a delicious breakfast or brunch. Make this simple, yet perfect French toast recipe that everyone will love.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

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

Recipe Tip! You are simply dipping your bread slices into the egg mixture. If you leave your bread in the mixture for an extended time, it will absorb more liquid and take longer to cook.
Make-Ahead French Toast:
  • Up to 30 Minutes:ย Prepare the cooked French toast and place a single layer onto a baking sheet, and hold in a 250ยบ 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:ย 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 airtight container for up to 3 months.
To serve from frozen. Use either of the following methods to reheat French Toast.
  • Oven Method. Place in a single layer on a wire rack-lined baking sheet and cover it with foil. Bake in 350ยบ F oven for 10 minutes until hot.
  • Toaster Method.ย Reheat in a toaster oven until heated throughout.
  • Air Fryer Method.ย Reheat in a single layer in an air fryer until heated throughout.
Variations:
(see more listed in the recipe post)
French Toast Without Eggs
I make an egg-free French Toast recipe that tastes like my classic recipe for a family member sensitive to eggs! There are two ways that I’ve made it, both with great success.
  • Cornstarchย – replace the eggs called for in the recipe with 1/3 cup cornstarch.ย 
  • Omit eggs – I have also made it by just omitting the eggs. The exterior is still crispy, and it tastes delicious.ย 
Vegan French Toast
Use vegan butter, dairy-free milk, and one of the egg-free recipe options I provide above.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 99mg | Sodium: 307mg | Potassium: 172mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 235IU | Calcium: 218mg | Iron: 2.2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Enjoy!
Robyn xo

French toast collage with text.

From the Add a Pinch recipe archives, originally published 2014.

Welcome to Add A Pinch

About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

5 from 227 votes (56 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Review




428 Comments

  1. Ryan says:

    5 stars
    Used Japanese bread and milk and it was delicious!

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks Ryan!

  2. Shirley says:

    I like to scramble eggs in the fry pan after toast is cooked. The residue has wonderful flavour. Bonus one pan to wash.

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      That’s such a delicious idea! Thanks Shirley!

  3. Walkingdude says:

    5 stars
    Use the cooked toast to make pb&J sandwitches yummy!

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Sounds amazing! Thanks!

    2. Gul Dean says:

      5 stars
      Always perfectly worded and presented.
      Was a fan in Fiji and now in California, I still go to your site for decadent recipes.
      Will surely try these scrumptious cookies that I stumbled upon while searching for your French Toast recipe. ๐Ÿ™‚

    3. Robyn Stone says:

      Oh thanks so much! I hope you enjoy all the recipes! Thanks so much!

  4. Felicia Hackett says:

    It was great, my husband loved it.

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks!

  5. Yassmine Helmy says:

    5 stars
    This recipie is absloutly amazing. My hubbz luv’d it !!!

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much! xo

  6. Linda Sapp says:

    If your bread seems too soggy, I’ve found this solution: I toast the bread first, as brown as you like. It gets soft in the dip anyway, but not as soft as untoasted.

    1. Jp says:

      Great idea, I seem to always have problems with the bread getting to soggy!

  7. Stacy says:

    Can you substitute cinnamon for something else my daughter is allergic to cinnamon

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Hi Stacy,
      You can omit it. I hope your daughter enjoys it! xo

  8. Stephanie says:

    So are you using milk and half and half?

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      Hi Stephanie,
      You can use one or the other. I list them both as options in the recipe, so you can use either that you prefer. Thanks so much! Enjoy!

  9. F. SMITH says:

    5 stars
    It was amazing my whole family loved it!

    1. Robyn Stone says:

      That’s wonderful! So happy you all liked it! Thanks!

  10. Ayanna says:

    5 stars
    Great