Quick and Easy French Toast Recipe (Go-to Breakfast)

• Food: French Toast
• Writer: Nicolas Wilson
• Content-Type: Food Blog

Learn how to make excellent French toast every time! It’s a delightful breakfast or brunch treat, custardy, gently sweet, and golden brown.

One of my favorite brunch dishes is this classic toast recipe. It doesn’t matter if it’s a holiday or just a sleepy weekend morning: the mere thought of French toast makes my tummy grumble. Thick pieces of bread with custardy middles, crisp edges and a mound of fresh fruit on top are irresistible.

Because this toast dish is so quick and easy, Jack and I prepare it whenever we have leftover bread. Even yet, it has the feel of a special occasion dessert.

The eggs give it a lovely richness, and the cinnamon and cardamom add a warm, spiced flavor. Add a sprinkle of maple syrup and whatever fresh fruit is in season on top. Then get to work!

Cooking Instructions

You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to prepare French toast for the first time! To begin, gather the following ingredients:

• The custardy basis is made up of eggs and almond milk. Any milk will suffice if you don’t have almond milk on hand. Here, too, my oat milk is fantastic!
• Cinnamon and cardamom — These spices lend a warm, spicy flavor to the dish.
• A pinch of sea salt – Balances out the maple syrup’s richness.
• Good bread — for French toast, I like challah bread because it’s softly sweet and supple. If you can’t get challah, ciabatta (which is also dairy-free) can suffice.
• Is it feasible to make pancakes, waffles, or French toast without maple syrup?
• Also, use whatever fresh fruit is in season! This dish is elevated by the addition of color and flavor.

Mix the custard after you’ve assembled your ingredients. Combine the eggs, milk, spices, and a pinch of salt in a large mixing basin or shallow dish. Then dip each slice of bread in the batter, making sure both sides are well covered.

Set down the coated bread on a tray or baking sheet while you warm a griddle or nonstick skillet. The batter will have a chance to soak through each slice this way!

Finally, prepare to cook! Over medium-low heat, cook the French toast for 1 to 3 minutes per side. When the slices are golden brown, they’re done.

Enjoy with fresh fruit and pure maple syrup drizzled on top. That’s right, it’s that simple.

Recipes for the Best French Toast

• French toast is better when the bread is better. Do not, under any circumstances, use pre-sliced sandwich bread for this recipe. It gets soggy quickly, and the edges don’t crisp up as they cook. Choose a high-quality loaf of bread that can be cut into thick pieces instead. I frequently make French toast with challah, but other varieties of bread work well as well. Brioche, ciabatta, and sourdough are all excellent choices.
• It’s better to use day-old bread. The slightly stale, slightly dry bread soaks up the egg mixture like a sponge, resulting in extremely flavored French toast.
• Allow time for the custard to absorb. No one enjoys cutting through a slice of French toast and discovering plain bread inside! Set the bread slices aside for a few minutes after dipping them in the egg mixture while you prepare the pan. This tiny step allows the custard to hydrate the bread a little longer, resulting in soft, flavored bread all the way through.

Variations on French Toast Recipe

• It’s up to you how spicy you want it. Although I use cinnamon and cardamom in this recipe, other warming spices such as ginger or nutmeg would also be excellent. A smidgeon of vanilla extract would also be welcome!
• Put some zing in it! 1 teaspoon of orange or lemon zest should be added to the batter.
• Seasonally change the fruit. This recipe calls for macerated strawberries and raspberries, but you could simply substitute other berries, cherries, or peaches. This recipe’s stewed apples would taste excellent in the fall, and pomegranate seeds are my favorite in the winter.
• Alternatively, try a different topping. If you’re not in the mood for maple or fruit, this is the place to be. Instead, dust your French toast with powdered sugar. A dollop of peanut butter or a smear of honey butter would also be delicious!
• Veganize it! In the fall, try this delicious pumpkin version, or prepare this classic recipe any time of year.

French toast.

This quick French toast dish is the perfect weekend breakfast! It’s lightly sweet and golden brown. In the spring and summer, I like to serve it with macerated berries, but feel free to use whatever fresh fruit is in season.

Ingredients

Macerated Berries

• 2 cups diced strawberries
• ½ cup frozen raspberries, thawed, with their juices
• Pinches of cane sugar

French Toast

• 4 eggs
• 1 cup almond milk, or any milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom
• Pinch of sea salt
• 8 1-inch slices challah bread* (see note)
• Coconut oil, for brushing
• Maple syrup, for serving

Instructions

1. To make the macerated berries: Combine the strawberries, raspberries, and a couple of teaspoons of sugar in a medium mixing bowl. Allow the berries to soften for 10 minutes before serving. Before serving, give it a good stir.
2. Make the French toast as follows: Whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a large mixing basin. Dip each slice of bread into the mixture and place it on a big tray or dish to soak.
3. Brush a nonstick skillet with coconut oil and heat over medium heat. Cook until the bread slices are golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Reduce the heat as low as needed to ensure that the food is properly cooked without scorching. Serve with maple syrup and the berries that have been macerated.

Notes

Use ciabatta bread to make dairy-free french toast.