This Easy French Toast Recipe is a classic breakfast recipe that’s ready in just 25 minutes! Crusty slices of French bread are doused in a lightly sweetened batter and cooked until soft in the middle and golden-brown and crispy on the outside.
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This French toast recipe is a breakfast classic that results in heart, delicious, perfectly sweet, and golden-brown French toast. It’s made with pantry staples, comes together in under 30 minutes, and is a guaranteed hit at the breakfast table.
My kids love it topped with Strawberry Sauce (or this Rhubarb Sauce in the summer!) and homemade Whipped Cream!
It’s an extra special breakfast that is perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas or a lazy weekend at home.
When dragging myself out of bed to cook breakfast is not super high on my list of priorities, I try to plan ahead with recipes like crockpot breakfast casserole, overnight peach cobbler French toast casserole, or classic French toast casserole.
Love your air fryer? Try this Air Fryer French Toast next!
Ingredients needed:
This recipe is made up of ingredients you probably already have in your fridge and pantry!
- French Bread: I love to use thick slices of French bread for French toast. It holds up nicely even when soaked in the batter. If it’s a few days old, even better!
- Granulated Sugar, Cinnamon, Eggs, Milk, and Vanilla Extract: the ingredients needed for the batter to give the bread that sweet golden-brown and crispy exterior.
- Butter: be sure to use unsalted butter. Sweet breakfast doesn’t need to be salty!
How to make French toast
- Prep the ingredients: Slice the French bread into 1″ slices. Mix together cinnamon, sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla.
- Dip in batter: Take each slice of bread and dip them into the egg mixture until coated on both sides.
- Cook and serve: Cook on a hot, greased griddle for 5 minutes on each side then serve with the toppings of your choice!
French toast FAQs
I love to use a thick, soft French bread for this recipe. It’s heartier than other types of bread so it holds up nicely next to the wet batter. You can also use sourdough, challah, or brioche if preferred.
For best results, grab your French bread a day or two in advance, take it out of the paper bag and place in a completely sealed plastic bag (you can also freeze up to 3 months). This way, the crust will soften and you won’t have tough edges.
Absolutely! I usually use regular milk, but you can use heavy cream or half-and-half for a richer flavor or use any plant-based milks for a non-dairy option.
If your French toast didn’t get crispy, it likely had too much moisture. Make sure you let any excess batter run off the bread before you cook it or you’ll end up with soggy toast.
Totally! You can prep the batter ahead of time and store it in the fridge up to a day in advance.
You can also cook and cool the French toast, then freeze it for 30 minutes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Once it’s frozen, transfer the slices to a ziplock bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, bake at 350ºF for 10 minutes or until heated through or reheat in the toaster!
Leftovers will last in the fridge for 3-5 days. To reheat, simply warm in the microwave or toast in the oven until heated through.
Tips and tricks:
- Use day old bread. Stale bread will soak up the egg mixture better, and the crust has time to soften. Be sure to place it in a plastic bag (you don’t want to leave it in a paper bag or wrapping that doesn’t seal) so that it doesn’t dry out and the crust softens.
- Cut 1″ slices of bread. This is the perfect thickness for French toast. It’s soft but still has enough structure to not get soggy in the batter.
- Keep the already cooked French toast warm while you cook the rest by keeping it in the oven set to 250ºF.
Serving suggestions
French toast makes the perfect addition to a brunch spread with all your favorite breakfast recipes! Serve it up next to bacon and eggs, a breakfast skillet, peanut butter banana smoothies, crustless quiche, you name it.
You can also serve French toast on its own with a simple pat of butter and maple syrup or dress it up with fresh fruit, jam, strawberry sauce, powdered sugar, whipped cream, sprinkles, Nutella, peanut butter, chopped nuts, caramel sauce, or chocolate drizzle.
More French toast recipes to try
- Overnight Caramel French Toast
- Baked Overnight Pumpkin French Toast
- Baked Overnight Lemon French Toast
- Overnight Peanut Butter French Toast Casserole
- S’Mores Overnight French Toast Casserole
Love breakfast? We do, too!
Easy French Toast recipe
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread*
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar (or another sweetener)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 eggs
- ⅔ cup milk** (any kind)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- Slice French bread into 1" slices (I get about 12-14 slices)
- Stir together sugar and cinnamon.
- Whisk together eggs, milk and vanilla until combined, then add in cinnamon sugar (this helps to prevent clumps of cinnamon).
- Heat a large griddle to medium heat. Spray with non stick spray or melt 2 tablespoons of butter on the hot griddle (If you have to cook in batches, save some butter to add to the pan later).
- Dip each bread slice in egg mixture on both sides. Remove from the egg mixture and allow excess to run off, then place on the hot griddle.
- Repeat with all of the bread slices (you may have to do more then one batch).
- Cook each slice until golden brown (about 5 minutes) before flipping and cooking until the other side is golden brown (about 5 minutes).
- Serve.
Notes
- Use day old bread. Stale bread will soak up the egg mixture better, and the crust has time to soften. Be sure to place it in a plastic bag (you don’t want to leave it in a paper bag or wrapping that doesn’t seal) so that it doesn’t dry out and the crust softens.
- Cut 1″ slices of bread. This is the perfect thickness for French toast. It’s soft but still has enough structure to not get soggy in the batter.
- Keep the already cooked French toast warm while you cook the rest by keeping it in the oven set to 250ºF.
Nutrition Information
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Leslie says
This is THE BEST french toast I have ever eaten. My husband and children loved it, which is saying a lot as they are very particular eaters. Thank you for making breakfast fun again!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Leslie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Wendy says
Yummmmm!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Wendy! It really is!! Thanks!