This is the best french toast recipe ever. This simple french toast recipe is easy to make in 20 minutes and is one of our family's favorite breakfasts!
Have you ever wondered why French toast is so delicious? I mean, it's just bread dipped in eggs and milk, and it magically transforms into one of the best breakfast foods ever. It's a true testament to the fact that there is so much beauty in simplicity.
This best French Toast recipe is one of our absolute favorite special breakfasts! I make it on Christmas morning, for birthday breakfasts for my kids, and it would be perfect to make for Mom this Mother's Day! Serve it with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and a drizzle of pure maple syrup!
How to make French Toast
I'm going to walk you through all my tips and tricks to making the best french toast recipe ever!
Choose great bread
I used to be one of those crazy people who made literally everything from scratch. The thought of making this easy French toast with store-bought bread would've made my former-self die a little inside.
Thank goodness I am not who I once was, and now see the full joys of choosing high-quality store bought breads at the appropriate times, like in this French toast recipe.
Every time we make this easy French toast I use Kneader's Chunky Cinnamon Bread. We received a loaf as a gift when we first moved to Utah and I've been hooked ever since.
If you don't live in Utah (or another state with a Kneaders), then I recommend going to your favorite local bakery and purchasing a loaf of their cinnamon swirl or chunky cinnamon bread.
Make the egg/milk mixture
Be sure to mix the eggs, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon together before adding the milk. This ensure that all the sugar, salt and cinnamon dissolves and prevents what you see in the photo below from happening.
Use a rectangular baking dish
Using a rectangular baking dish (pictured above) to dip the bread into the egg mixture allows you to evenly soak two pieces of bread at the same time, which is a huge time saver when making this recipe.
Soak the bread
Letting the bread soak in the milk/egg mixture gives the french toast the best texture ever! I recommend soaking the bread for at least 30 seconds (and up to 1-2 minutes) on each side.
Obviously, thicker bread will require more soaking, while thinner bread will only need to be soaked for a short time.
Butter the griddle (or pan)
I cook all stovetop breakfast foods on a griddle (like these pancakes, and these, and these) for two reasons.
- I can cook large batches at a time when using a large griddle.
- The temperature can be set and is maintained evenly throughout cooking!
Between each batch of this French Toast recipe, melt ½ TBS salted butter on the griddle, being sure to move it around so that it covers the entire surface area of the griddle. Because that crispy, buttery, golden-brown toasting makes this recipe extra special!
No griddle, no problem
If you don't have a griddle, simply use a large, non-stick fry pan instead! Just note, every cooktop is different, so you will need to play with the amount of heat you use until you get it just right.
- Turn the heat on to medium and place the fry pan over the flame/heating element to let it warm up.
- Add the french toast pieces and cook until golden-brown on one side!
- Flip and cook until golden-brown on the second side!
- Serve immediately or place on a baking sheet in a warm oven to keep until all the pieces are cooked!
Keep it warm
If you would like to serve all of your French toast at the same time, I recommend keeping it warm in the oven. Simply turn the oven on to it's "warm" setting. Then, as you finish each batch of french toast, put the pieces on a large baking sheet in the warm oven until you are finished and ready to serve.
Serve
Serve warm with maple syrup, homemade whipped cream or a slather of this cinnamon honey butter.
French toast: Ingredients & Substitutions
Here are a few possible substitutions that could be made in this recipe!
- Cinnamon bread. I absolutely swear by Kneader's Chunky Cinnamon Bread. I think it makes the best french toast ever. However, feel free to use your favorite bread variety!
- Brown sugar. Dark or light brown sugar, or coconut sugar, can be used in this recipe with great results!
- 2% Milk. This is what we always have on hand, so it's our milk of choice for this recipe. Any milk would work well, including non-dairy milk. Just remember that the higher the fat content, the richer and tastier this Easy French Toast will turn out!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use two loaves of bread and double this recipe easily.
Our family usually doesn't finish an entire recipe in one sitting. If that's the case for you as well, you can freeze the leftovers.
Flash-freeze the leftover pieces on a baking sheet, then put the frozen French toast in a freezer-friendly container or ziplock bag and save them for another day.
To reheat simply warm in the microwave for 60-90 seconds per piece (depending on how thick the slices are) or in the oven set to warm until heated through.
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Easy French Toast Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 loaf bread We use Cinnamon Crunch Bread from Kneaders
- 4 eggs
- 1 TBS brown sugar
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups 2% milk
- butter for skillet
Instructions
- preheat griddle to 350 degrees F. (see notes for stovetop instructions)
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together eggs.
- Add brown sugar, sea salt, vanilla and cinnamon and whisk until combined.
- Add milk and whisk until combined.
- Pour into a shallow baking dish (9x9)
- Place bread in the egg mixture and let it soak in the mixture for 15-30 seconds.
- Flip bread over and repeat on the other side.
- Melt ½ TBS butter on the preheated electric griddle (or fry pan).
- Remove bread from egg/milk mixture and place on the heated, buttered cooking surface.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes on the first side or until golden brown.
- Flip the bread over and repeat on the second side.
- Continue dipping/cooking until all the bread has been used.
- Serve immediately with a glug of pure maple syrup!
Video
Notes
Cooking French Toast on the stovetop:
If you don't have a griddle, simply use a large, non-stick fry pan instead! Just note, every cooktop is different, so you will need to play with the amount of heat you use until you get it just right.- Turn the heat on to medium and place the fry pan over the flame/heating element to let it warm up.
- Add the french toast pieces and cook until golden-brown on one side!
- Flip and cook until golden-brown on the second side!
How to keep French toast warm:
If you would like to serve all the French toast warm at the same time, simply preheat your oven to “warm” and place each finished piece of French toast on a baking sheet or oven-safe serving dish and put it in the warm oven until ready to serve!Ingredient Substitutions:
- Cinnamon bread. I absolutely swear by Kneader's Chunky Cinnamon Bread. I think it makes the best french toast ever. However, feel free to use your favorite bread variety!
- Brown sugar. Dark or light brown sugar, or coconut sugar, can be used in this recipe with great results!
- 2% Milk. This is what we always have on hand, so it's our milk of choice for this recipe. Any milk would work well, including non-dairy milk. Just remember that the higher the fat content, the richer and tastier this Easy French Toast will turn out!
How to freeze French toast:
- Flash-freeze the leftover pieces on a baking sheet, then put the frozen French toast in a freezer-friendly container or ziplock bag and save them for another day!
- To reheat simply warm in the microwave for 60-90 seconds per piece (depending on how thick the slices are).
Nutrition
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Jayden Ramos
made this for my family they loved it added an extra topping of jelly and mixed berries with a side of eggs bacon and oatmeal.
Talya
This was a hit I used egg bread from Publix bakery and it was delicious 😋. The brown sugar made a difference normally I would only use vanilla and cinnamon!! Can’t wait to make more!!!
Laura
I'm so glad you loved it! 🙂 This is one of our favorite recipes!
Alison
I love French Toast and my Husband makes the best I have ever had! Safeway-the grocery chain-used to carry their own version of Cinnamon Raisin Bread with walnuts. When used to make French Toast it tasted like Bread Pudding and was so delicious! Can't find it anymore-and have tried all sorts of bread-cheap to fancy and have found that "crappy white bread" as my Mother calls it-works the BEST! It just soaks up the luscious eggy-ness and is amazingly delish! Thanks for the great recipe and al the good ideas! P.S. You have a lovely Family! So cute!!
mary rios
Made these this morning, they were very delicious! Never thought of making french toast using cinnamon bread or brown sugar, good combination. 10 out of 10, best french toast recipe!!
Laura
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Mary! I think the cinnamon bread gives it an extra special (and delicious) touch!
Cara simon
Really good! I never knew to soak it in a rectangular dish and I feel silly about that!
Laura
It makes it easier to get two pieces soaking at one time! 😉