A breakfast staple, the very Best French Toast recipe starts with the very best ingredients. Hearty bread, fresh eggs, cream, vanilla, cinnamon and a little secret I like to keep up my sleeve to make mine better than everyone else’s.

Though it seems simple enough, I want to share what I make every weekend without fail and it’s the BEST French Toast recipe ever. It’s lightly crisp on the outside and custardy perfection inside. It’s breakfast bliss on a plate.

Most French toast just doesn’t have enough love, or cream, infused into it. I worked on this French toast recipe for years with ingredients I always, always have on hand. Ingredients I have on hand to make the best French toast on the fly, any day, any night. For me it’s bread, milk, eggs, heavy cream, lots of butter, and then bacon, lots of bacon, fresh fruit, fresh squeezed orange juice to round our my breakfast. The essentials.

Simple Ingredients For The Best French Toast

I can’t stress enough the importance of high quality ingredients to achieving the best recipe ever.

  • Bread – Sturdy, day-old bread will work best here. I like to grab a a loaf of brioche bread or challah french toast is amazing, too. Stale bread is your friend here, it will soak up the egg mixture like a sponge. When you slice your bread make sure you have 1/2 inch thick slices or thicker. Texas toast works well here.
  • Eggs – Large eggs are best because I love the yolk to egg white ratio for this recipe. Room temperature eggs work best.
  • Dairy – To keep the calories kinda in check I like to use half and half but you can use heavy cream if you’re looking for something a little more decadent.
  • Maple Syrup – Real maple syrup is the way to go here, don’t skimp, there’s really no substitute.
  • Spices – I like to use cinnamon, vanilla and salt but you can use whatever you like. Nutmeg is great in this recipe, as well!

For the full ingredient list, measurements and instructions, see the recipe card below.

French toast on a white plate with a strawberry on top

How To Make French Toast

I have seen overnight French Toast recipes where there’s an overnight soak but let’s be real here, if I want Homemade French Toast, I kinda want it now. And if I’m doing an overnight recipe I’m going the way of the casserole like this Brioche French Toast Casserole that is absolutely dreamy and perfect for guests but I’m totally getting way off track so let’s get back to the task at hand.

  1. Make the French Toast Batter. We’re going to whisk together a few things, like half and half or heavy cream, I prefer the half and half because it still gives your toast a lovely, silky, custardy texture inside but still keeping it kind of light. Heavy cream is dreamy, too, but so rich, I’m getting full just thinking about it.
  2. Whisk together the eggs and cream in a shallow dish like a pie plate. Sprinkle in a bit of cinnamon and vanilla. Don’t skimp on either of those, get a really great quality cinnamon and vanilla extract. You only use a little bit so you’ll have it around for awhile. The better quality ingredients you use the better your recipes, remember that rule.
  3. The Secret Ingredient – To make my French Toast the VERY BEST I add a secret ingredient that may not be so secret but I don’t know a ton of others that do this so, I drizzle in a bit of maple syrup. The maple syrup flavor gets into all those nooks and crannies in your bread making it taste simply spectacular eliminating the need to maple syrup at the table. But, I drench mine in maple syrup anyway because maple syrup is the best thing ever.
  4. Whisk it again and then dip bread slices one piece at a time in the batter and allow the thick slices of bread soak up some of the creamy custard mixture.
  5. Cook the French Toast – Fry it up on a lightly buttered griddle or large skillet until golden brown, flip and serve hot.

If you’re making this recipe for a crowd, you can transfer the French toast slices after they’ve been cooked to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack in a single layer. Keep it all hot in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Ingredients for French toast in a pie plate with vanilla extract being added.
Egg custard being whisked for French toast
Egg Custard in a pie plate ready for dipping bread for French toast.

The Best Bread To Use

Starting with the bread. Don’t just grab a loaf of plain white bread from the pile and piles of commercially produced white bread we use for old school peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Seek out something sturdy, hearty and dare I say, buttery. Like an amazing Brioche bread that I make on the regular or your own homemade white bread recipe would work well, too.

If you’re not really the bake your own bread kind of person, check out your grocery store’s bakery department and I can guarantee they’ll have exactly what you need for perfect French toast. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried homemade Brioche French Toast, really.

Variations and Substitutions

You can mix up the flavors in this easy french toast recipe easily to match your tastes:

  • 1 tablespoon orange juice in place of the maple syrup
  • Brown sugar in place of maple syrup gives it a caramel flavor
  • 1 tsp ground ginger for a peppery, sweet bite

What is French Toast?

French Toast is a recipe made of bread soaked in a custard base made of eggs and cream, sometimes milk, that’s fried fried in a pan. Preferably with lots of melted butter.

Also known as “eggy bread”, “Bombay Toast”, “poor knights”, or “gypsy toast”, it is not quite French but a name Americans gave the dish when French immigrants began making it in America. In France, it’s known as “Pain Perdu” which translates to lost bread.

To achieve perfection one must follow a set of rules, or, more professionally, a certain cooking technique. And to add to your quest for French Toast perfection, you MUST use the best ingredients you can find.

What To Serve With French Toast

I love to serve it with a side of this killer fruit salad and a side of bacon. But if you’re looking to round out a breakfast buffet you can add in this easy Quiche Florentine recipe and a glorious mimosa.

You can also top your French toast with Strawberry Puree and Stabilized Whipped Cream instead of a drizzle of maple syrup.

More Easy Breakfast Recipes

If you want to see ALL my happy accidents (and even the not so happy accidents) be sure to follow me over on Instagram!

French Toast on a white plate with syrup being drizzled on top

Get the Recipe: Easy French Toast Recipe

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 17 minutes
Buttery French toast with a custardy center, this is the BEST French Toast recipe you’ll ever make. A few simple steps and you’ll have restaurant quality French toast to impress even the pickiest guests.
4.94 from 30 votes
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Ingredients

  • 8 – 1/2 inch slices hearty, sturdy bread (I like a buttery brioche or challah)
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons butter

Equipment

Instructions 

  • In a wide shallow bowl (I like to use a pie plate), whisk together the half and half, eggs, syrup, cinnamon, vanilla and salt.
  • Dip each bread slice in the egg mixture and allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side. Transfer to a baking sheet to allow the mixture to soak all the way through the bread.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a non-stick griddle pan over medium high heat. Place four slices of the bread in the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2-3 minutes. Flip the bread over and continue cooking for an additional 2-3 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining bread slices.
  • Serve immediately with powdered sugar, fruit or maple syrup, if desired.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • To make a double or triple batch, preheat oven to 300 degrees and warm a baking sheet in the oven. Transfer cooked French toast to the baking sheet with a wire rack in a single layer to keep warm until the whole batch is ready. 
  • Leftover French toast can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can mix up the flavors in this easy french toast recipe easily to match your tastes:
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice in place of the maple syrup
  • Brown sugar in place of maple syrup gives it a caramel flavor
  • 1 tsp ground ginger for a peppery, sweet bite
Calories: 224kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 18g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 167mg, Sodium: 292mg, Potassium: 141mg, Fiber: 0g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 655IU, Vitamin C: 0.6mg, Calcium: 98mg, Iron: 0.6mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American