I truly thought I did not like French Toast. (It’s so…eggy?) But all that has changed now. I’ve found the secret methods to the BEST French toast of your life. I will show you how to make this easy recipe that uses egg yolks and cream, super thick brioche or challah bread, with caramelized edges for a magical sugary crunch. It is the ONLY way I will eat French toast from now on! Originally posted September 10, 2020.
Table of Contents
- You’ll love this recipe for French Toast
- Ingredients for French Toast
- How to make French Toast
- Tips for making the perfect French Toast
- Common mistakes when making French Toast
- What to do with the leftover egg mixture from this Easy French Toast Recipe?
- How to store this Simple French Toast Recipe
- You have to try this recipe for French Toast
- More breakfast favorites to try!
- Caramelized Simple French Toast Recipe Recipe
- More Recipes you will Love!
The other day Valentine (who is 3) was super excited to go outside to play after dinner. In her haste, she wiped her messy hands down the front of her shirt instead of using her napkin. I told her she couldn’t go outside for a few minutes, as a consequence. Much wailing and gnashing of teeth ensued.
But the joke was on me. To pass the time, she started playing the piano. She played the same two notes in a row, over and over, like a battering ram, overandoverandoverandover until Eric finally yelled, GO OUTSIDE ALREADY.
Valentine: 1. Parents: 0. Welcome to parenting in a pandemic, where you make up the rules as you go and break them just as quickly. It’s like an eternal game of Calvinball.
Well, is it turning into fall where you are? The only thing “fall” about California in September are the menus at Starbucks. But that doesn’t stop me from getting excited! Fall means good food. I don’t think of a French toast recipe as a fall food, but hey it’s got cinnamon in it, right? Everyone needs this classic recipe, anytime of year. Here we go!!
You’ll love this recipe for French Toast
I’ve never been a French toast lover. There are just so many ways it can go wrong: soggy, undercooked eggy centers, or overcooked, tough-as-a-tire crusts on the edge. Burned edges. But the worst French toast sin of all, in my opinion, is the scrambled-egg-on-the-edge of your toast situation. Do you know what I’m talking about??
Solution? You’re going to caramelize the edges! It’s FANTASTIC. It’s kind of like eating the crackly top of a crème brûlée, right there on your French toast. You don’t even need syrup. I’ll show you exactly how to make it!
Ingredients for French Toast
Here’s what you’ll need at the store. (Quantities given in the recipe below.)
- Large loaf challah or brioche bread. You can substitute soft white bread. I don’t recommend chewy French bread.
- Egg yolk
- Heavy cream or half & half. You can substitute whole milk in a pinch.
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla. For a fun variation, try 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract!
- Kosher salt
- Cinnamon
- Pinch of nutmeg. Optional.
- Butter, for frying
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Best Bread for French Toast
To avoid tough edges, use the right bread. Challah, brioche, or a super soft white bread are your best bets. Challah and brioche have much less flour and a higher liquid content than your average loaf of bread, resulting in a super soft, cloud-like texture.
I don’t like using French bread, or whatever random loaves they are selling in your deli. I know, I know, this is French toast, we should be using French bread, right? Well the joke’s on you, America. (See below to read more about Americans calling things French that aren’t even French.)
The crust on your average loaf of French bread is too tough and chewy. Nobody wants to have to use a knife to cut through the outer of edge of their toast. It should be perfectly fork-able.
The great thing about starting with a loaf of bread is that you can slice it yourself. Most sliced bread is 3/4 of an inch or less. I sliced mine at 1 and 1/4 inch. You could even go up to 2 inches.
Just look at these gorgeous thick slices!
How to make French Toast
There is nothing I hate more than biting into French toast and tasting cooked egg on the edge. No matter how long you beat those eggs, the gloopy whites insist on clumping together. Then when you cook it, the egg on the edge cooks faster than your toast cooks, leaving you with scrambled egg on the edge. Noooooo
The answer is to use only egg yolks. The result is a super rich and creamy mixture. You are basically going to be soaking your bread in creamy custard.
Here is my French toast dream: I want perfectly toasty, crisp edges that are not AT ALL tough. I want a perfectly cooked THICK center that is soft as a pillowy cloud. I want a rich, custardy flavor from my French toast recipe. And if I taste even a hint of scrambled egg edge, get outta here.
Here’s how to achieve this phenomenon:
- To avoid undercooked centers: cook on medium low. Yes, it takes longer. Yes, it’s worth it.
- To avoid burned edges: use half oil and half butter when you fry
- To achieve pillowy cloud like fluffy centers: use thick slices of bread
- To achieve rich, custard flavor: use straight up cream, or half & half if you must
- To avoid scramble-egg-edges: use only egg yolks (no whites)
Tips for making the perfect French Toast
How to caramelize the edges of your French Toast
You might never have eaten caramelized French toast. I’ve never seen it in a restaurant, nor had I tried it at home. But now I am NEVER going back. IT IS A GAME CHANGER!
I learned this method from my new friend Jade, who is French. I asked my Instagram followers if they had any tips for making amazing French toast, because I was several batches into testing and hadn’t found a recipe that was making this French toast-hater into a French toast-lover.
Jade messaged me and explained how her mother taught her to make French toast: use half oil and half butter so that the edges don’t burn (butter will burn and smoke much faster than oil, but we want some butter for the magical flavor.) And then here is the kicker: sprinkle sugar on the bread right before flipping, so that it gets a gorgeous, crackly sugar edge that shatters in your mouth when you bite into it:
You guys.
It’s like having the top shell of a Crème Brûlée, right there on the edge of your French toast. IT’S AMAZING. I’m sorry I’m yelling, but this method of caramelizing the edge that Jade told me about has officially turned me into a French toast lover. So if you ALREADY love French toast, imagine how much more you are going to love this! I will never go back. Thank you Jade’s mom!!
I also asked Jade what they call French toast in France. Here’s what she said:
She said the first time she was in England and heard someone call it “French Toast” she was very confused! (We also talked about how Americans love to add “French” to the title of their recipes to make them sounds fancy, like French Silk Pie. I sent her that recipe and she said, “Oh that looks delicious! But definitely not French, I’ve never seen that in France once in my life.”
Oh, ‘Merica. Fakin it til we make it. I guess we could call ourselves charlatans! (Which is definitely a French word, by the way. Just going full circle here.)
How do you make French Toast not soggy?
The secret to avoiding soggy French toast is to cook it low and slow. Your burner should not be set above medium low heat. Yes, it takes longer to cook, but it’s worth it to not have soggy, undercooked centers with burned edges.
How long should you soak French toast?
About 10 to 20 seconds, but this depends on how thick your slices of bread are. Before removing your bread from the egg mixture, touch it with your finger. It should be soft when you touch it, but still hold itself together. It should be soaked but not disintegrating.
You can place the soaked bread on a baking sheet or plate while you finish soaking all of them, and wait to fry all the bread after it has all been soaked.
Should I use oil or butter for French toast?
Use both. This is one of the secrets to frying French toast that is ultra flavorful, but doesn’t burn on the edges. Oil has a higher smoke point than butter. If you use all butter, it will have great flavor but you risk burning your toast. If you use only oil, it will crisp up beautifully but won’t taste as great. Solution? Use a combination of both. See recipe for more details.
Common mistakes when making French Toast
French toast: the best breakfast of all time when it’s done right…the saddest excuse for breakfast when it’s done WRONG.
- Undercooking the middle. No soggy centers!! The solution is cooking on medium low. It’s worth the extra time for a fluffier center.
- Burning the edges. Butter has amazing flavor, but it can also give you burned edges because of its low smoke point. Oil alone doesn’t have the flavor we’re going for, so I like using half butter, half oil.
- Using thin bread. You need the good stuff to get those pillowy middles. I love Brioche bread but thick cut french bread or even Texas toast are better options than your standard loaf of grocery store white.
- Using milk as your dairy. To achieve rich, custard flavor: use straight up cream (or half & half if you must).
- Getting scrambled egg around the edges. I wanted French toast, not scrambled eggs!! The secret to avoiding these is to use only egg yolks, no whites.
What to do with the leftover egg mixture from this Easy French Toast Recipe?
You can throw it straight in the garbage. I’m sorry, folks, “Waste not want not” is a great life mantra, but not when it comes to French toast batter. If you are insistent, here are your options:
- Add a bunch of eggs (like, at least 6), whisk it up and make scrambled eggs. But don’t come crying to me when you can taste the vanilla and cinnamon.
- Refrigerate up to 5 days and use it to make another batch of French toast
- Freeze it (up to 3 months) and use it later to make more French toast. Let thaw completely in the fridge.
How to store this Simple French Toast Recipe
Leftover French toast keeps in the fridge for 3-5 days. Make sure it’s tightly covered so it doesn’t dry out. The crispiness from the sugar will be gone, but the sweetness won’t be.
You may be asking yourself, can I freeze French toast? Yes, you can! Quite successfully. Your edges will no longer be caramelized, but it will still taste good. Place cooled leftovers in a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the sealed bag at room temperature. Here is how to reheat leftovers:
- Microwave on 50% power until warm.
- Toast pieces in the toaster.
- Pan fry leftovers in a mixture of butter and oil, just as when you prepared it the first time. You can even add the sugar and caramelize it again.
- Heat your oven to 350 and place the toast in a single layer on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, until the toast is warmed, about 5-10 minutes.
You have to try this recipe for French Toast
So, there you have it. That’s how to make the French toast of your dreams, my friends. We are usually a pancakes and waffles family. I hardly ever made French toast because I just didn’t love it that much, much to Eric’s chagrin. But all that has changed now! I plan to buy or make challah bread on the regular now, so that I can have it tucked away in my freezer for when the French toast mood strikes. (Bread, when sealed properly, freezes beautifully. Just thaw it out in the sealed bag on the counter so that it can reabsorb moisture.)
If you are not already looking up a bakery near you, or recipes for challah bread, then tell me what else I need to say to convince you that you need to make this French toast recipe this weekend. Make this your life mission!!!
More breakfast favorites to try!
Breakfast is a BIG deal. Well, at least to me! There’s nothing like a lazy weekend big ol’ breakfast. Or brinner, aka breakfast for dinner – a regular occurrence in our household. If you love breakfast as much as we do, you are going to love trying out these other favorites!
- Truly The Best Crepes I’ve Ever Had >> the best of your life, right here in ‘Merica
- Best Pancake Recipe EVER >> just about everyone who tries these agrees that they are the most amazing they’ve ever had
- Best Waffle Recipe from Scratch >> a classic recipe I’ve been making for more than 15 years
- Best Breakfast Casserole Recipe with Sausage >> everything you love about savory breakfast all wrapped up in one dish
- Creamy Scrambled Eggs for a Crowd >> make these first, make everything else, and they’ll be waiting and perfect when you’re ready
- Bake Bacon in the Oven in 10 Minutes >> my favorite addition to anything else breakfast
- The Only Breakfast Burrito Recipe You Need (Freezer friendly!) >> amazing, and make-ahead!
- Sweet, Creamy Breakfast Grits from Chef Lola’s Kitchen
- Breakfast Rolls from Butter With a Side of Bread
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Caramelized Simple French Toast Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 loaf challah or brioche bread, or 8-10 thick sliced white bread (see instructions)
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 & 1/2 cups heavy cream, * or half & half
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg, optional
- extra granulated sugar, for caramelizing
- butter, for frying
- vegetable oil, for frying
Garnish ideas
- maple syrup
- sifted powdered sugar
- strawberries, blueberries, raspberries
Instructions
- Choose your bread. If you like very thick french toast (you should try it at least once!), find a local bakery and get yourself a loaf of challah or brioche bread (buy a day-old loaf if they have it.) I don’t like using French bread or the regular loaves you find in the deli at the grocery store; the crusts turn out too chewy. You want a nice soft edge. If you can’t get to a bakery, head to the grocery store and buy the thickest and softest white bread you can find. (3/4 inch or thicker.) Texas toast is great. I like to use the Artesano brand of bread; they sell a pre-sliced brioche loaf that is pretty legit. But their white bread is also nice and soft. See photos.
- Slice your bread with a serrated knife if you are working with a whole loaf. See photos. I like my slices to be about 1 and 1/4 inch thick, which feels a little ridiculous, but trust me. You can even go up to 2 inches if you’re feeling wild. Don’t slice thinner than 3/4 inch.
- Set your bread aside, spread out so that it gets a little dried out. Day old bread is great for French toast. In France, they call this dish “Lost Bread” because it’s what you make when you have dried out bread to use up. (I experimented with toasting the bread first, but thought it dried out the finished product too much.)
- Make the egg mixture. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl,* whisk together 3 egg yolks, 1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream* or half & half, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg, if you like. Whisk until it is completely smooth and the cinnamon is well incorporated.
- Pour the mixture into a shallow dish like a pie plate, or an 8×8 inch pan. Place a slice of bread in the mixture and let it sit there for 10 to 20 seconds. How long you soak it depends on how thick your bread is. It should be soft when you touch it, but still hold itself together. Flip the bread and soak the other side. You can start cooking the French toast right away, or you can place the soaked bread on a baking sheet or plate while you finish soaking all of them.
- Cook the French toast: Heat an electric griddle or large 12 inch skillet over medium low heat. When it is hot, add 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or any oil with a high smoke point.) Swirl it around until the pan is coated. Place the French toast on the pan with 1 to 2 inches in between each slice of bread. Cook on medium low heat for 3-5 minutes. The timing depends on your oven or griddle, so stick around and keep an eye on it.
- Caramelize. When the bottom of the first side is LIGHT brown (we are going to cook this side twice), sprinkle about a half tablespoon granulated sugar on the top (raw) side of the bread. Flip the toast, sugar side down, and fry until golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Be sure to swirl the pan so oil re-coats it, or add more butter/oil if necessary). Then, sprinkle another half tablespoon of sugar on the cooked side, and flip it over again so that it lightly caramelizes the first side.
- Keep your toast warm. Preheat your oven to the “keep warm” setting, about 170 degrees F. As you finish frying the toast, transfer each one to a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Keep toast warm in the oven until ready to serve.
- I honestly don’t even put maple syrup on caramelized French toast. I feel like it doesn’t really need it, plus it makes the caramel edge not as crunchy. I like to eat it plain, or with a little jam. But maple syrup is really delicious if you are in the mood! A sprinkle of powdered sugar and a berry garnish never hurt either.
- Keep leftovers stored covered in the fridge. It will keep for 3-5 days. You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or the toaster. Or heat your oven to 350 and heat the toast all together on a wire rack set over a baking sheet, until the toast is warmed, about 5-10 minutes.
I’ll never use another French Toast recipe! Using yolks without whites and carmelizing the sugar are game changers. Sometimes I use almond extract to switch up the flavor. Delish!
My husband loved it…he only wished that I had forewarned him because he didn’t need as much syrup as he used. The caramelized sugar was enough for him.
This is just amazing, the BEST french toast I’ve ever had!
O. M. G. This was the best thing I’ve ever eaten!! My husband hasn’t stopped talking about it. Definitely no going back to regular French toast after this😋
Just came here to say this was the best French toast I’ve had. Every recipe I’ve tried before always seemed like it was missing something. The recipe was easy. I only had half a cup of half and half left so the remaining cup was whole milk and it still turned out amazing.
Absolutely delicious 😋 My family loved this! My daughter isn’t a fan of French toast but gave this high marks😁
Definitely not the basic french toast my mom used to make!
-Hudson
I just made this for my husband and I, and hands down, it is the BEST French Toast I’ve ever had.
And, it’s very easy to make. Thank you much for sharing this recipe! This is a keeper for sure.
Husband who decided he never liked French toast and turned it down the first time I made this, stood over my shoulder today while making it again. “Hmm, that looks pretty good.,” he says. I cut a slice in half and said, “here, try it.” Well…what followed was him taking the Lord’s name in vain – repeatedly. Then proceeded to eat 3 more big slices at which point I had to stop him from finishing off the loaf! This is, beyond a doubt, one fabulous, outrageously delicious recipe! There is no turning back from here. And never again will search for another recipe. Thank you!!!!!
I have always hated cooking, because I could never get the recipe right… that being said: I LOVE THIS RECIPE!! I finally produced/ cooked something that tastes AND looks delicious!! Thank you so much for the very well written steps- this is now my go to recipe for french toast!
Brilliant advice on French toast! These tricks definitely make it much tastier in the end, without the greasy, unpalatable scrambled egg holocaust that occurs on the edges of OTHER types of French toast. If I am ever served those inferior types of French toast again, I will toss them straight in the garbage can. I don’t care if the host is watching as I do this, either.
Using the yolks only (without the albumin) is smart. The custardy finish that this produces is verily delightful.
By the way, as an amateur linguist, I’d like to point out that, along with French toast, French fries, and French silk pie, the word “charlatan” isn’t French. “Charlatan” comes from the Italian word “ciarlatano,” which is an alteration of “cerretano,” which is the word for a person from the town of Cerreto, Italy. I’ve never been to Cerreto, but perhaps they have a lot of swindlers there.
This was really great. Thank you for creating it. The yolk-only tweak was worth the so needed!
I am 72 and have been cooking from scratch since I left home having a mother who did the same. I can usually prepare food better than many places I have eaten out at. So i am very selective these days. My children are all grown and I am alone now. Rarely eat wheat, however, was in town on Friday when my favorite bakery (grinding all their own different flours and making all sourdough raised varieties) sells Challah, (they have certain breads one day a week and I usually drive 90 minutes to town on Wednesday.)
I remembered Challah as a child from a Jewish bakery where they made the real stuff! So I bought a loaf and then hungered for some good French Toast. Your Recipe was.. INCREDIBLE!! Does not need any other ingredients on top…for me!! Next time I will slice it myself! However, I turned it over quickly in the batter and it came out PERFECTLY! I might not make it again for a long time, however, I will still REMEMBER the Incredible taste, better than most restaurants that often do not use real cream and powdered milk! THANKS SO MUCH! My tongue thanks you for these Delicious Memories!
Can I just use milk instead of cream?
Yes you can Aubin but it won’t be as rich and decadent! It will taste more like regular french toast.
Oh myyyyy goodness!!
I usually never leave comments on blog recipes this is my first time. Anywho, I was thinking of having brunch but usually I don’t like pancakes, waffles or anything breaded because it makes me feel stuffed. But since I haven’t had French toast in years I started to crave some then I started thinking of going over to ihop and quickly opted to make French toast at home. I decided hmm let me see if I can spice up an old dish. Went to google typed in “how to make French toast” scrolled to the middle of the page and came across this recipe. BEST IDEA EVER. This is literally the best French toast I’ve ever had. Crispy edges, soft & fluffy inside, with a bomb flavor – the maple syrup pairs great with it. I wanted to garnish with strawberry’s and powdered sugar but I forgot to add it. It doesn’t even need anything but the syrup.I wasn’t thinking it would turn out this good but I’m definitely going to add this to my repertoire of favorite recipes so I can make this for the family. Thank you so much for sharing ❤️
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with instructions. My husband loves French toast and it has been 20+ years since I cooked any. He always gets the French toast at Cracker Barrel. I read your instructions 3 times before I made the recipe. I followed the instructions carefully. My husband said it was the best French toast he has ever eaten and beat Cracker Barrel’s. I
Woohoo we beat Cracker Barrel!! I’m so glad it was a success Susan!! Thanks for sharing your review!