This is the best recipe for traditional French Toast! Made with thick slices of bread soaked in a sweet egg custard and then pan-fried to perfection. This French Toast Recipe is easy to make, yet delivers restaurant-worthy results.
French Toast is delicious served with maple syrup, fresh fruit, and a side of either homemade breakfast sausage or oven-baked bacon.
There is something magical about French Toast. In fact, it has always been my favorite decadent breakfast option ever since I was a child.
The buttery, crisp edges and soft, fluffy interior of sweetened bread, all enveloped in maple syrup is the perfect contrast in textures and is just sweet enough without being cloyingly sweet.
While French toast is easy to make, it is also easy to mess up.
Often times French toast is soggy or over-cooked. Sometimes it is too eggy. Sometimes it is raw in the center.
The TRICK to the BEST French Toast is all in how you COOK it! To achieve a crispy exterior and a fluffy center, start the French Toast on the stove to brown, but then finish cooking in the oven.
WIth that simple tip and a few humble ingredients, you are well on your way to making the best French Toast EVER!
Key Components
- Bread: You can use any bread you like to make it, but there are some varieties of bread that are better than others for french toast. I recommend using thickly sliced Brioche Bread, Italian Bread, or even a Cinnamon Raisin Bread. You also want your bread to be slightly dried out, as this allows more egg custard can be absorbed, so it is best to use day-old bread if you have it.
- Egg Custard: For French Toast, eggs need to be whisked with cream, a sweetener, and a few spices. I find that the best sweetener for this recipe is maple syrup, as it is a natural pair for French Toast. You can use any type of dairy or nondairy you like, but I do suggest using a full-fat variety for a rich result.
- Butter: For pan-frying, nothing compares to the flavor butter adds to the French Toast. If you happen to be dairy-free, use your favorite non-dairy butter substitute.
How To Make French Toast
Prepare the Bread
As I stated above, slightly dried out bread is BEST. If you have the time slice your bread into 1/2 inch to 1 inch thick slices the NIGHT before you plan to make French Toast. Arrange fresh bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet overnight to allow the bread to dry out.
Alternatively, you can also dry the sliced bread out quickly by placing the sliced bread on a baking sheet and place into a 200-degree F oven for 10-20 minutes, flipping the bread half-way.
Prepare the Egg Custard
- Whisk together eggs, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and a dash of salt together until well combined.
- Pour egg custard into a shallow dish like a pie pan.
Prepare Work Station
Prepare Work StationTo make French Toast EASY to prepare, have a work station ready to go.
- Place sliced bread and egg custard close to the stove.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Place baking sheet next to stove.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat.
- Have butter next to skillet.
Prepare French Toast
- Add 1-2 teaspoon butter to the skillet and let melt to coat bottom of skillet evenly.
- Dip the bread into the egg custard on each side, about 5-10 seconds per side.
- Remove bread from custard and shake off excess.
- Place French Toast in skillet and pan fry until browned, about 3 minutes.
- Flip and cook for 2-3 minutes on the opposite side.
- Remove from skillet and place browned French Toast on the baking sheet.
- Repeat the process, adding butter in between each batch of french toast.
Finish in Oven
This is the SECRET for the BEST French Toast. By finishing cooking the French Toast in the oven, the results are perfection. Not too browned, not undercooked–simply perfect!
Simply, place prepared French Toast in oven for 10 minutes in the preheated oven to finish cooking and then serve with fruit, maple, syrup, and/or powdered sugar.
More Classic Breakfast Recipes
French Toast
Ingredients
- 8 thick slices of bread
- 5 eggs
- 2/3 cup half and half
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup plus more for serving
- dash salt
Instructions
- If you have the time slice your bread into 1/2 inch to 1 inch thick slices the NIGHT before you plan to make French Toast. Arrange fresh bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet overnight to allow the bread to dry out. Alternatively, you can also dry the sliced bread out quickly by placing the sliced bread on a baking sheet and place into a 200-degree F oven for 10-20 minutes, flipping the bread half-way.
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Whisk together eggs, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and a dash of salt together until well combined.
- Dip the bread into the egg custard on each side, about 5-10 seconds per side.
- Remove bread from custard and shake off excess.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat.
- Add 1-2 teaspoons of butter to the skillet and let melt to coat the bottom of the skillet evenly.
- Place French Toast in a skillet and pan-fry until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 2-3 minutes on the opposite side.
- Remove from skillet and place browned French Toast on baking sheet.
- Repeat the process, adding butter in between each batch of french toast.
- Place prepared French Toast in oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking.
- French toast is delicious with fresh fruit, maple syrup, or powdered sugar.
Notes
- Feel free to use any milk or cream that you desire. Half and half gives the egg custard a more rich luxurious taste, while skim milk does not provide as much flavor to the custard.
- Use pure vanilla extract for the richest, purest vanilla flavor in this French Toast. Be sure to not allow the bread to soak too long in the custard. This will result in soggy bread that will fall apart and not be able to be pan-fried.
- Use Gluten-Free Bread for Gluten-Free French Toast.
- Granulated sugar can be substituted for the maple syrup in the egg custard, but the maple flavor adds a terrific flavor to this French Toast recipe.
- It is NOT necessary to finish the French Toast in the oven, but I find this step ensures that the egg custard is fully cooked and the french toast is fluffy, not at all soggy. If not finishing in the oven, cook for 1-2 minutes longer per side, being careful to not burn french toast.
- Leftover French Toast can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days and is best reheated in a dry skillet.
The whole family loved it! Finishing it in the oven is a great tip!!
It really helps make the french toast turn out perfectly!! I am so glad you enjoy!!
Made this french toast for Valentine’s Day breakfast. So delish 🙂
Lucky family!!! So glad you enjoyed.