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This classic easy French toast recipe is the simple, cozy breakfast everyone loves. Golden on the outside, soft and custardy on the inside, with hints of cinnamon and vanilla, it’s a timeless recipe that never fails. We have a secret ingredient in the batter too!
My husband is a French Toast Snob!! There are very few places he will eat it because it has to be just right. I’ve never been able to make one he absolutely loves. I was nervous to make this recipe for him …. And he said it’s the best he’s ever had!!! ❤️
Easy French Toast Recipe
When I was about seven or eight, my uncle came to visit — my dad’s cool brother with the convertible we all loved riding in. One morning my mom made French toast, and I watched in disbelief as Uncle Richard skipped the maple syrup, grabbed the homemade raspberry syrup, and then piled on the powdered sugar. Mom didn’t say a word.
So, naturally, I followed his lead. I stretched my skinny little arm across the table, grabbed the powdered sugar, and absolutely covered my French toast. It was amazing.
These days I just add a light dusting, but it still makes me laugh how much other people shape our food habits. Years later, I was at a friend’s house when his mom offered me French toast… with cheese.
Cheese?! On French toast?! My brain said no — cheese belongs in eggs or on breakfast sandwiches, not soaking in custard. But of course I tried it, and one bite completely won me over. It didn’t make sense, but it was delicious.
I didn’t photograph it that way because I can never remember if the cheese was inside or out (and I’m weird about doing things “right”), but I’ll tell you this — that moment kicked off my lifelong love of sweet and salty flavors.
French Toast Ingredients
It is likely that you have all the ingredients you need to make this classic french toast recipe in your fridge already, including that surprise ingredient. This recipe is simple, here is what you will need:
- Egg: The base of the custard. Eggs give French toast structure, richness, and that classic soft, custardy center.
- Whole Milk: Adds moisture and helps thin the custard so it soaks evenly into the bread. The fat in whole milk also contributes to a richer flavor and creamier texture.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the sweetness and adds warm, aromatic flavor that makes the custard taste more dessert-like and cozy.
- Cinnamon (optional): Adds warmth and subtle spice, giving the French toast a classic, comforting flavor.
- Nutmeg (optional): A small amount adds depth and a slightly sweet, nutty aroma that pairs perfectly with cinnamon and vanilla.
- Granulated Sugar: Lightly sweetens the custard and helps the French toast caramelize to a golden-brown finish in the pan.
- All-Purpose Flour: The surprise ingredient! Helps thicken the custard slightly so it clings to the bread, giving the French toast its signature crisp edges and soft center.
- Salt: Balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors in the custard, preventing it from tasting flat.
Simple, right?! I love a recipe I can make with a moment’s notice and not have to worry about having all the ingredients! I’d definitely make a side of delicious crispy bacon to go with it! The measurements for all the ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to Make the BEST French Toast
Here are the basics steps to learning how to make french toast. Trust us, it’s easy!
- Whisk: Whisk the batter thoroughly until it is totally smooth with no separation
- Pour: Pour the batter into a shallow dish like a casserole dish or a pie plate. It allows the bread to get coated easily.
- Preheat: Completely preheat the griddle to medium before adding the French toast. The French toast will cook fast – about a minute on each side.
- Prep: Butter the griddle before cooking your first round of bread.
- Coat the Bread: Dip each slice of bread into the batter one at a time and allow the bread to soak in the batter for 15-20 second on each side.
- Cook: Place the slices on the griddle, flip when they get golden. Serve with syrup, fresh berries and powdered sugar!
French Toast FAQs
You could use a decent white sandwich bread, and this will be delicious. But if you really want to do it right, go with brioche or challah. Texas toast will also work great too!
If you’re a sourdough bread fan, it is also a great option! The contrasting tang of sourdough is a yummy flavor twist!
The surprising ingredient I mentioned earlier is flour. Adding flour to the batter thickens it just slightly so you won’t even notice it, but it keeps the French toast from being just fried egg on bread. It makes a perfectly crispy crust on the bread.
This homemade french toast recipe can easily be made dairy-free be substituting the milk with either coconut milk or almond milk. The batter will be a little different consistency, but it will still be super tasty! Then coat the griddle with something other than butter — coconut oil or a cooking spray works great.
Cook the french toast as directed in the instructions and then store it on a baking sheet in the oven that is set to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. That will keep it nice and warm until you are ready to serve it.
Tips for the Best French Toast Recipe
- When dredging the bread slices in the French toast batter, be sure to let it sit for a good 10 to 15 seconds on each side so it has time to really soak up the egg mixture. Don’t let them soak too long though. You don’t want soggy French toast, but you do want the middle of the French toast to have a custard like texture when it cooks.
- Note that the cinnamon and nutmeg in the French toast batter are optional, but highly recommended! They give this homemade French toast a wonderful flavor without overwhelming the dish.
- Before cooking the classic French toast, flick a few droplets of water onto your griddle or pan to make sure it’s nice and hot. If the water doesn’t immediately sizzle and steam off, you need to wait a few more minutes otherwise your French toast won’t turn golden brown while it cooks.
Our Favorite French Toast Toppings
There are so many ways to dress up a stack of simple french toast. Homemade syrups, diced fruit, powdered sugar, you name it! Here are some of our favorite french toast toppings besides plain maple syrup and butter:
- Buttermilk Syrup
- Coconut Buttermilk Syrup
- Meyer Lemon Syrup
- Buttermilk Maple Syrup
- Peanut Butter Maple Syrup
- Creamy Marionberry Syrup
- Peanut Butter
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Coconut Flakes
- Chopped Nuts like Pecans or Walnuts
- Fresh Fruit like Strawberries, Raspberries, Blueberries, Sliced Bananas, etc.
- Cinnamon Sugar
Make Ahead, Storing and Reheating
Make Ahead: French toast can be completely made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for a few days or frozen and then reheated. If you want the French toast to be made fresh, you can make the batter up to 2 days ahead of time and then dip and cook the French toast hot and fresh.
Storing: Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 4-5 days. French toast also freezes extremely well! To freeze French toast, cook it as directed and then allow it to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.
Once it has cooled, place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can stack a few layers of French toast on top of each other as long as you separate each layer with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet into the freezer until the French toast is solid. Store it in freezer bags for up to 1 – 2 months.
Reheating: There are three ways to reheat French toast. They all work great. It just depends on how much time you have.
- Microwave: zap them in the microwave for about a minute, the outside won’t be crispy.
- Toaster: pop them in a toaster just like a piece of toast, the outside gets nice and toasty again.
- Oven: place the French toast in a single layer on a baking sheet and warm them up in the oven at 300 degrees for 5-7 minutes.
Your search for how to make French toast ends here! This is the best batter, with the best kind of bread, with all the tips for how to cook it to perfection! Cover these babies in our sensational buttermilk syrup, and you’ll be in breakfast heaven! Who wants to join me for breakfast?!
More Sweet BREAKFAST RECIPES You’re Sure to Love:
- Buttermilk Pancakes From Scratch
- Liege Waffles
- Bananas Foster French Toast
- Dutch Baby Pancakes
- Ultimate Waffles
- All Sweet Breakfast Recipes!
Watch the Video Below to See All the Steps…
French Toast Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Egg, large
- 2 Tablespoons Butter, unsalted, melted
- ¾ Cup Milk, whole
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tablespoons Sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ⅓ Cup Flour
- 1 Dash Cinnamon, (optional)
- 1 Dash Nutmeg, (optional)
- 1 Loaf Brioche, or Challah Bread, (Texas Toast can be used too)
Instructions
- Beat the egg in a baking dish or pie plate.1 Egg
- Whisk in the melted butter, then slowly add the milk and vanilla, whisking to combine.2 Tablespoons Butter, ¾ Cup Milk, 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- Add the sugar, salt, flour and spices (optional) while continuing to whisk until totally smooth.2 Tablespoons Sugar, ¼ teaspoon Salt, 1 Dash Cinnamon, ⅓ Cup Flour, 1 Dash Nutmeg
- Soak each side of the bread in the batter for about 15-20 seconds.1 Loaf Brioche
- Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat and spread butter all over the bottom. I just hold a stick and rub it everywhere.
- Cook the bread for about 1 minute, or until golden and flip the bread, cooking on the other side for equal time or until golden.
- Serve with buttermilk syrup or any favorite syrup!
Recipe Notes
- Toaster: pop them in a toaster just like a piece of toast, the outside gets nice and toasty again.
- Oven: place the French toast in a single layer on a baking sheet and warm them up in the oven at 300 degrees for 5-7 minutes.
- Microwave: zap them in the microwave for about a minute, the outside won’t be crispy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I make this every week for my kids! They love it! I never have a problem incorporating the flour mixture when I do it little by little 🙂 It’s super yummy!
Thank you so much for the feedback Quinn! I’m so glad it’s a family favorite!
I make this recipe all the time for my family, except I substitute sweet Hawaiian bread. Top it with homemade whipped cream, strawberries and blueberries…. So amazing!!
Yummmmm! That sounds amazing! Thank you for the tips and feedback!
This did not turn out very well at all. I was intrigued by the flour addition, but it made the batter extremely clumpy (no matter how much I whisked it together) and it fried really strange on our griddle. I used challah bread and I’m sure flour helps the batter but maybe not 1/3 cup. Really disappointed, because this recipe looked delicious. I think I’m going to have to go back to our simple French toast recipe.
Hello! I’m so sorry for your disappointment! The batter definitely shouldn’t be super clumpy. You may need to smash the larger clumps with a spoon. They also should cook to a golden brown.
I always use an emulsion blender to get all the lumps out-I’ve never got them out just by whisking. This recipe turns out amazing every time!! Definitely one of our family favorites.
That’s a great tip! Thanks Esther!
Family loves these french toast
Yay! So glad you enjoy it!
When you say a dash how much is a dash? like a teaspoon?
Hi Sofia! It’s probably closer to 1/8 of a teaspoon. You could go up to 1/4 depending on how much spice you like.
Just made this for us and the neighbors…. woah! They devoured it all!!!
We put some powdered sugar on top, served with warmed syrup, bacon + fruits.
Thank you!! I was a superstar breakfast chef this morning because of this recipe!!!!!!
Yessssss! LOVE to hear this Dave! Thank you so much for the feedback!
Thanks.
Most used receipe for breakfast! So good with sasuage. Family approved!
Yessssss…love to hear it! Thank you!
We like to use a high quality imported Pannetone for f/t, the different flavors available make it interesting.My batter consist of sour cream a little milk and egg and vanilla.Top with some mascarpone and maple syrup.
That sounds amazing!! You’ll have to email us a picture the next time you make it!
Amazing taste although the flour didn’t mix well with egg, and when was I suppose to add cinnamon and nutmeg, recipe didn’t say? Guessed it was in egg mixture and did that.
Hi Michelle! Yes, the cinnamon and nutmeg get added with the flour. Sorry about that…I just added that to the instructions. If you give it a good whisk, it should all mix together well.