My mom made us French toast all the time when I was growing up, and I love that I can continue that delicious tradition by making it for my boys now! It’s a delightful treat when we want something a little decadent yet satisfying for breakfast. And I love how excited they get to choose what toppings they want to add. For more easy breakfast recipes, try my easy chocolate chip muffins and blueberry scones recipe, or these variations on French toast like my French toast sticks recipe and French toast casserole recipe!
What You Need to Make this Recipe
Eggs — eggs are the star of the rich, custardy batter. You will need the whole egg. Milk — I use whole milk in this recipe, but if you need a dairy-free option, use a richer plant-based milk such as oat milk or coconut milk. Sugar — granulated sugar, brown sugar, or even maple syrup add the perfect sweetness to this recipe. Vanilla — you need a large splash of vanilla, so I recommend using a high-quality vanilla extract. Cinnamon — while cinnamon isn’t always needed for a tasty French toast, it does add warmth and depth of flavor to the batter that I love. You could also swap it for ginger, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice! Bread — you can use basically any bread you like (ideas below), but remember that thick slices of bread work better and don’t fall apart as easily as thinner slices of bread.
How to Make French Toast
- To a large bowl, add eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon.
- Whisk well until a pale yellow custard forms. This is the batter.
- Melt butter in a skillet heated over medium heat.
- Place the bread slices into the egg mixture one by one. Soak each side for a few seconds. Let the excess drip off.
- Place the soaked bread into the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes, until the bread is golden brown.
- Carefully flip the bread over and fry the other side until it is golden. Serve warm with toppings of choice (loads of ideas below!).
Pro Tips for Making this Recipe
Add richness by swapping out the whole milk. You can substitute ¼ cup of milk for heavy cream or half and half. Add citrus zest. Add some lemon zest or orange zest to the batter to add a light citrus flavor. Buy unsliced bread if possible. If you slice the bread yourself, you can control how thick each slice is. Thicker slices will give you fluffy, soft toast. Thinner slices can sometimes get too soggy and fall apart under the batter. Use enough butter. You will likely need to add more butter to the hot skillet in between cooking each slice or a couple of slices. Don’t be shy! It adds flavor and creates the crispy edges. Use a mixture of vegetable oil and butter if the butter is getting too hot. Butter has a low smoke point, so it burns fairly easily. If your toast is burning instead of becoming a nice golden brown, add a little vegetable oil to the butter. Vegetable oil has a high smoke point to prevent burning, and you will still get the delicious buttery flavor from the melted butter. Keep the skillet heated at medium heat. If the skillet is too hot, you will end up with burned toast that is soggy and undercooked in the middle. Medium heat allows the bread to cook evenly, yielding French toast with a crisp, golden outside and a soft, fluffy inside.
If you’ve tried this recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
