Calling all French Toast Lovers! I am sharing a few simple trade secrets to ensure you can make restaurant-worthy French Toast right at home!
While I love pancakes and waffles as much as the next person, I have a special affinity to French Toast. Between the buttery, crispy edges and soft, fluffy interior of sweetened bread, French Toast has the perfect contrast in textures and is just sweet enough without being cloyingly sweet. It has, and will always be, one of my favorite breakfast recipes.
That said, while French Toast is easy to make, it is also easy to mess up. It can be soggy, over-cooked, too eggy or raw in the center. But THIS French Toast Recipe is the absolute best and will guarantee perfect results!
Reasons This is the Best French Toast Recipe
- Two-Step Cooking Technique. 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 to cook the French toast through without overbrowning it.
- Rich, Sweet, and Buttery. I opt to sweeten this French Toast Recipe, just like my French Toast Casserole, with maple syrup. It lends a rich and warming flavor to the French toast and of course marries well with a topping of maple syrup!
- Humble Ingredients. Stale bread, half and half (or milk), and eggs come together to create perfect French Toast, proving that sometimes (oftentimes) simple is best!
Notes On Ingredients
- Bread: You can use any bread you like to make it, but there are some varieties of bread that are better than others when it comes to making French toast. I recommend using thickly sliced Brioche bread, French bread, Italian bread, or 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.
- Half and Half: Half and half is perfect for creating a rich, creamy French toast. Feel free to use heavy cream in place of the half and half for richer results or milk if that is all you have on hand.
- Flavorings: Adding cinnamon, vanilla, and a pinch of salt will enhance the flavor in this recipe.
- Maple Syrup: I find that the best sweetener for this recipe is maple syrup, as it is a natural pair for French Toast.
- Butter (not pictured): For pan-frying, nothing compares to the flavor butter adds to the French Toast.
Recipe Modifications/Substitutions
- Dairy-Free French Toast: Use your favorite non-dairy milk, like almond milk, canned coconut milk, or soy milk, and non-dairy butter to pan-fry the French toast.
- Gluten-Free: Use your favorite gluten-free bread.
- Swap out Maple Syrup: 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.
- Dress It Up: Looking for a fancy version of French Toast? Try my recipe for Bananas Foster French Toast.
How To Make French Toast
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Slice the Bread. Slice your bread into thick 1-inch slices. If your bread is not stale or slightly dry to the touch, you will want to dry it out, so that it can better absorb the egg custard. To dry out the bread, arrange the slices of bread in a single layer on a baking sheet and let it sit out overnight OR bake the bread at 200-degree F oven for 10-20 minutes, flipping it halfway.
Prepare the Egg Custard. Whisk together eggs, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and a dash of salt together until well combined. I highly suggest pouring your custard into a shallow dish, like a pie pan, which makes it much easier to dip your bread in the batter.
Dip Bread into Custard. Dip the sliced bread into the egg mixture, flipping to coat the bread evenly on both sides. Be sure to not allow the bread to soak too long in the custard, as that can result in the bread becoming too soggy.
Pan-Fry French Toast. Pan-fry the French Toast in melted butter for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
Finish French Toast in the 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!
Serve. After baking, serve the French Toast with butter, maple syrup, and./or fresh berries.
Make It a Meal
French Toast makes a delicious breakfast suitable for any day of the week. I love pairing it with candied bacon, baked bacon, or breakfast sausage for a little bit of sweet and savory, and a fruit salad for some freshness.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Once cooled, store French toast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Place cooled French toast on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze until solid. Once frozen solid, transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: I prefer to reheat French toast at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes or in a dry skillet, until warmed through (if frozen, it will take just a few minutes longer.) In a bind, microwave French toast on a heat-safe plate in 30-second intervals until warmed through.
More Favorite Breakfast Recipes
Tried this French Toast recipe? Be sure to leave a review and rating below!
French Toast
Ingredients
- 8 slices stale bread 1-inch thick
- 5 large eggs
- ⅔ cup half and half
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup plus more for serving
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- dash salt
- 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter for pan-frying
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300℉.
- In a shallow dish, whisk 5 eggs, ⅔ cup half & half, ¼ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and a dash of salt together until well combined.
- Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add in 2 teaspoons of butter and let melt.
- Dip the bread into the egg custard, turning to coat on both sides. Don't let the bread sit into the custard long or it will become soggy. Remove the bread from the egg mixture, shaking off the excess egg mixtures, and place it in a single layer in the saute pan, working in batches if needed.
- Pan-fry over medium heat 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. Once the French Toast has been pan-fried, bake for 10 minutes to finish cooking through.
- Serve with additional maple syrup, butter, and berries as desired.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in 2019 but was updated in 2020 and again in 2024 with new pictures and a video.
Jenn
So perfect that I found this recipe at breakfast time because this is exactly what we've been craving! I have everything on hand too - yay! Thanks for the recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
You bet! Happy to hear you enjoyed.
Michelle
I used country French bread loaves from costco and sliced them 3/4 inch thick. It turned out so delicious, just like the french toast I had in a very good New York restaurant for brunch years ago. They served it with whipped mascarpone, strawberries, and syrup. I cut the French bread into sticks when it was cooled slightly and my kids dipped them in blackberry syrup. The oven is crucial in this recipe. I've made a lot of just ok French toast over the years and never knew to finish in the oven!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing you found this French Toast as good as brunch in NY--the oven tip really is a game changer! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review too!
Amber
I made this with my homemade french bread! It's yummy, not sure I'd call it the best. The homemade bread was delicious though!
Maricela Maldonado
Thank you for amazing and delicious recipe 😋, love it., thank you.Mary Moreno
Kristen Chidsey
Thank you for sharing Maricela!
Mitzi Myers
This recipe is a winner! Finishing this in the oven reduced the sogginess. It retained the crunchiness and didn’t dry it out. My family loved it.
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing that your family enjoyed Mitzi! Finishing in the oven is a game-changer for sure!
Paula
I have never been able to make edible french toast and not sure why. I followed your recipe and like all the others i have made it turned out perfect. Before I put the french toast in the oven I sprinkled it with toasted maple granola. WOW! Thanks so much for your recipes.
Kristen Chidsey
I am so so glad you had such great success Paula! This is tried and true and never fails! Glad you had the same result!
Jen
This French toast was delish!!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for taking the time to leave a review Jen!
Ashley F
The kids love french toast and this cooks up perfectly! So good!
Kristen Chidsey
My kids love this too Ashley! Glad your family enjoyed as well.
Julia
The whole family loved it! Finishing it in the oven is a great tip!!
Kristen Chidsey
It really helps make the french toast turn out perfectly!! I am so glad you enjoy!!
Aimee Shugarman
Made this french toast for Valentine's Day breakfast. So delish 🙂
Kristen Chidsey
Lucky family!!! So glad you enjoyed.