There is an art to making the best French toast and I will share tips and tricks for achieving the perfect balance of buttery, crisp edges and custardy centers. These tips will elevate your French toast at home.

Growing up, breakfast was a big deal in our home. To this day, we love making breakfast for dinner because we love it so much.

I have worked for years experimenting to perfect French toast and I am sharing all of my secrets with you.

What is French Toast?

French toast is sliced bread soaked in a creamy custard batter of whisked eggs and often milk or cream, sugar, and spices then pan fried in butter.

It is usually topped with a sprinkling of powdered sugar, sweet cream butter, fresh fruit, or maple syrup.

French Toast Ingredients:

It all starts with the right ingredients. Since french toast is made with simple ingredients, it all about the quality and ratio of the ingredients.

• Challah Bread or Brioche Bread — since the bread is the star ingredient in french toast, you want it to be a thick, sturdy bread. I suggest using challah bread (or brioche).
• Cream or Half-n-Half — for a creamy custard, I suggest using half-n-half or heavy cream. If you need to use milk, I only suggest whole milk.
• Eggs — use large sized eggs
• Vanilla Extract — for extra vanilla flavor, add more vanilla extract.
• Sugar — may reduce sugar to 2 Tablespoons if you desire it to be less sweet.
• Cinnamon — add more cinnamon than recipe calls for if you prefer a cinnamon sugar french toast.

What is the best bread to use for making French Toast?

Choosing the right bread will make or break your homemade French toast. I suggest using thick, sturdy bread like challah or brioche bread. Sturdy bread absorbs the custard mixture without becoming soggy. 

I like to cut the challah bread into thick slices.

How to make the Best French Toast:

Here are tips to master the art of making the perfect French Toast. See the recipe card below for ingredient amounts and instructions.

2. Make the custard mixture by whisking together cream/milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until all combined. A tip would be to blend it with an immersion blender or blender to ensure the cinnamon gets fully mixed into the custard. 

3. Dip each slice of bread into the custard mixture. Allow to fully soak both sides for about 20 seconds. Carefully pull the bread out of the custard and allow the excess custard to drain off of the bread.

4. Cook low and slow. Since the bread is soaked in an egg and milk/cream mixture, it needs time to fully cook through. Cook on a medium-low for low heat to allow the center to fully cook through without the exterior becoming too brown. 

5. Add a generous amount of butter to the skillet. This is what helps to create the perfect, golden brown outside crust on the French toast and adds so much flavor. 

6. Cook each side for about 3-5 minutes. If the exterior is browning too fast, reduce the heat to low. 

7. Serve right away with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, salted butter, and real maple syrup.

How do I know when French Toast is done cooking?

You want that perfect custardy center with buttery edges so let me share a secret for knowing when French toast is done cooking. 

Gently press the center of the French toast. If it feels firm, it is done. If it still feels jiggly, it needs more time. Keep cooking it low and slow until it is no longer jiggly.

What flavors to add to homemade french toast?

There are so many ways and variations to change up the flavor of homemade French toast.

You can add extra vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, or fresh orange zest to the egg and cream mixture to add freshness and or warmth to the French toast custard.

What toppings to put on French Toast:

There are so many delicious ways to top French toast. Here are some French toast combinations:

Maple Syrup + Butter: Sweet cream butter, real maple syrup, and a sprinkling of powdered sugar. 

Strawberries + Cream: Fresh Strawberries and Homemade Sweet Whipped Cream.

Chocolate + Cream: Dark Chocolate Shavings and Whipped Cream.

Ricotta + Pistachio + Orange: Sweetened Ricotta Cream, Fresh Orange Zest, and Pistachios (may add chocolate shavings).

Mascarpone + Berries: Sweetened Mascarpone + Fresh Berries or Berry Syrup.

You can also make cream cheese-stuffed French toast. You can find the recipe HERE. 

Top Tip:

Cook low and slow with lots of butter, which allows the center to fully cook without becoming too brown on the outside.

How to keep French toast warm:

If cooking in batches, keep the French toast warm in an oven set to a low temperature, about 180 degrees while you finish cooking the rest.

More French Toast Recipes:

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• Start by slicing challah or brioche bread into thick slices. If you can, use stale, day old bread as it is sturdier and is able to soak up the custard mixture

• Make the custard mixture by whisking together cream/half-n-half, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until all combined. A tip would be to blend it with an immersion blender or blender to ensure the cinnamon gets fully mixed into the custard. 

• Dip each slice of bread into the custard mixture. Allow to fully soak both sides for about 20 seconds. Carefully pull the bread out of the custard and allow the excess custard to drain off of the bread.

• Cook low and slow. Since the bread is soaked in an egg and milk/cream mixture, it needs time to fully cook through. Cook on a medium-low for low heat to allow the center to fully cook through without the exterior becoming too brown. 

• Add a generous amount of butter to the skillet. This is what helps to create the perfect, golden brown outside crust on the French toast and adds so much flavor. 

• 6. Cook each side for about 3-5 minutes. If the exterior is browning too fast, reduce the heat to low. 

• Serve right away with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, salted butter, and real maple syrup.

What toppings to put on French Toast:

Calories: 406kcal, Carbohydrates: 48g, Protein: 14g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 191mg, Sodium: 384mg, Potassium: 242mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 625IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 177mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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