French Toast

At a glance

What stands out: Learn how to make a house standby French toast. We're sharing all our best tips below! This from-scratch French toast recipe has everything you want for a classic breakfast entrée.

How long it takes: less than 20 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: a shallow bowl, griddle or flat skillet
Servings: 8 slices, but it’s straightforward to mix more (or less!)

No Cinnamon Clumps!

We'll admit it — we're a bit of a French toast snob. If we're going to take the time to make it, it has to be worth it. Soft, fluffy bread, a custardy center, just the right amount of cinnamon and vanilla, and a golden, caramelized crust that’s pure breakfast perfection.

Once you taste truly great from-scratch French toast, you’ll never go back to frozen or diner versions again.

What makes this one special:

• Cinnamon-sugar magic: Dusting the bread before dipping gives it a caramelized crust you’ll love. Doing this instead of mixing cinnamon into the egg mixture (causing it to clump) is a game-changer.
• Restaurant-quality, at home: Straightforward enough for weekends, impressive enough for guests.
• Simple ingredients: Just six pantry staples you probably already have.

Kiana Said:

This recipe is the first french toast we've made at home and enjoyed. We will definitely be making these again, they were a hit.

See More Reader Reviews

Bernice D. Said:

Best French toast we've ever made… per our husband.

See More Reader Reviews

Ashley Said:

Our husband and we made it together for dinner tonight. It was fantastic! We've always put the cinnamon in with the egg and mixed it together. We prefer your method. Awesome flavor.

See More Reader Reviews

What goes in

We'll go over the key ingredients needed to make reliable French toast from scratch.

• Bread: French toast is all about the bread. Our go-to bread of choice for French toast is Texas toast. It’s fluffy, soft, and tender. You’ll find Texas toast bread in the packaged bread aisle of your grocery store. See below for more bread ideas.
• Eggs and Milk: This combo is what sets French toast apart from regular bread. Bread soaked in eggs and milk has a custardy texture that is just plain wonderful. Use a higher fat milk (whole milk or 2%) for a standby results. Nondairy milk, such as almond milk, works too.
• Vanilla: Don’t use fake or imitation stuff. This is the time for pure vanilla extract. (For the record, there isn’t ever a time for the imitation vanilla flavor.) We also love using vanilla bean paste!
• Cinnamon Sugar: Instead of adding cinnamon to the egg mixture where it has a tendency to clump up, we’ll use cinnamon sugar to coat the outside of the bread. It’s a simple tip that makes a big difference!
• Toppings: There are so many ways that you can top your French toast! Maple syrup is always a classic, or you can get creative with whipped cream and add-ons. We include some straightforward topping ideas further on in the post.

Which Bread Should we Use?

A standby bread for French toast is slightly dry, day old bread. Texas toast is evenly soft, has the right texture to soak up the egg mixture, and it’s the classic square French toast shape. Texas toast is unmistakable in appearance and reliable in taste. Not a fan of Texas toast bread? Other types of bread work well. Brioche or challah is popular, as is sliced Italian bread and French baguettes. If you can get some memorable, thick-sliced cinnamon-swirl bread, that’s also an memorable option.

How it comes together

Ready to make the reliable fluffy, rich, and caramelized French toast ever? This is our tried-and-true, never-fail method:

Combine the eggs and milk with vanilla and salt. Beat the mixture until there are no visible egg pieces. Add the eggs to a shallow dish that’s large enough to fit your bread for dipping.

Next, coat the bread with cinnamon sugar. Give both sides a generous, even sprinkle.

Soak. Soak the bread in the egg mixture until it’s soft and squishy but not falling apart, about 10 to 15 seconds per side. Let the excess drip off before lowering the toast onto your griddle.

Cook. Cook each slice of French toast on a buttered griddle for 3 to 4 minutes per side. Cooking your slices low and slow is key to evenly golden French toast that doesn’t burn.

Tips for the Best French Toast

What’s the secret to good French toast? As you can probably tell, we have strong opinions on this. Here are our tips:

Use day-old bread. Why is slightly stale bread better for French toast? Dry, stale bread soaks up more of the egg and milk mixture than moist fresh bread does. If your bread is fresh, just let it set out, unwrapped, for a couple of hours or even overnight. If a French toast craving hits when you don’t have stale bread, give fresh bread a speedy bake at 300°F for 10 to 15 minutes, or until dry, flipping once. Cool the bread completely before dipping it into the egg mixture.

Mix the eggs and milk thoroughly. There shouldn’t be any separation of egg whites and egg yolks. Beat the eggs and milk until they are evenly combined and uniform. Otherwise, you’ll end up with fried egg on the outside of your French toast, and no one wants that.

Don’t forget the vanilla. Adding vanilla to your milk and egg mixture adds so much flavor. The more the better, in our opinion! Check the recipe card below for our recommended amount.

Coat the bread with cinnamon sugar first. Dust the outside of each bread slice with cinnamon and sugar before dipping it into the egg mixture. It keeps the cinnamon from clumping up and sticking to the side of the bowl instead of the bread.

Avoid soggy French toast. Don’t soak the bread too long. Soaking time can depend on the bread. Dry bread and/or thinly sliced bread absorb the liquid more quickly. Another tip to avoid soggy French toast is to cook it low and slow which ensures that the inside gets done and the outside turns crisp and golden brown. A bit of butter on the griddle also helps to crisp up the French toast.

Can we Make French Toast Ahead?

If you are serving a large crowd, keep the French toast warm and crisp in a low oven (200°F). Put the cooked French toast in a single layer on a wire rack set on a baking sheet for good air circulation.

How to Serve French Toast

Toppings are totally personal, and up to you! We grew up eating a mixture of butter and brown sugar on French toast, and you can’t go wrong with that.

Our latest obsession is a drizzle of Trader Joe’s vanilla bean maple syrup, plus a handful of fresh berries on our French toast. So good. Maybe you like a strawberry sauce (or from-scratch strawberry freezer jam), or whipped cream, or just a light dusting of powdered sugar. Go crazy or keep it simple, you’re the boss.

We love serving classic French toast for brunch with a reliable mimosa. It pairs great with other breakfast favorites like baked bacon and boiled eggs (check out our list of brunch ideas).

Ways to change it

Here are some straightforward ways that you can change up this recipe to suit your family’s tastes:

• Try different kinds of bread. As we mentioned above, thick sliced cinnamon bread is memorable! If you prefer a richer bread, try our brioche French toast.
• Make it nondairy (lactose free). Substitute almond milk or another type of nondairy milk. Flavored almond milk is fine, too, if you don’t mind the added sugar. Fry the French toast in coconut oil.
• Swap out vanilla for another flavor. Almond extract, honey, maple extract, or whiskey are all fun choices!
• Use your air fryer. Make ultra crispy French toast sticks in your air fryer. Freeze them for a speedy breakfast later.
• Baked French toast: Try this rich overnight French toast casserole. It’s always a hit and especially handy when you have guests.
• French toast muffins: For individual-sized French toast, try our French toast muffins. Kids love ’em and they’re reliable for a grab-and-go breakfast.
• Stuffed French toast: We love this strawberry cream cheese stuffed French toast for special occasions, or just when we're feeling the need for a little extra treat. It’s surprisingly straightforward to mix, too!

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Store leftover French toast in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. minutes. A microwave is okay but the French toast tends to become soggy and a bit tough.

Freeze: Cooked French toast can be frozen for up to two months in a freezer safe container or resealable freezer bag.

Reheat: To reheat single slices, whether refrigerated or frozen, the easiest way is to use your toaster or toaster oven. The toast will crisp up again and be tasty. An air fryer works great, too. Set it at 350°F and your French toast will be ready in just a few minutes.

• Yield: 4
• Prep: 10 minutes
• Cook: 8 minutes
• Total: 18 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 slices Texas toast (see note)
• 4 large eggs
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• butter for the pan
• Topping suggestions: maple syrup, powdered sugar, fresh berries, brown sugar, whipped cream, fruit sauce, anything you like!

Method

1. Beat eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt very well in a medium mixing bowl or a large measuring cup. Beat until appearance is uniform, with the yolks and whites completely blended together. Pour into a shallow bowl that's large enough to dip a piece of bread into.
2. In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle each side of the bread evenly with cinnamon sugar mixture.
3. Heat a flat skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place butter on pan for more flavor, to encourage a golden brown color, and to prevent French toast from sticking to the pan.
4. Dip a piece of bread into the egg mixture and let it soak up egg and milk mixture for 10 to 15 seconds on each side. Let excess egg mixture drip off before placing French toast on heated griddle.
5. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through.
6. Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.

Notes

Nutrition information does not include butter for the pan or toppings.

Bread notes: Texas toast is thick sliced soft white bread that can be found in the packaged bread aisle of the grocery store. Do not use garlic seasoned frozen Texas toast. If preferred, substitute brioche, challah, or a French baguette. Day old bread works best.

Keep it warm: If you are serving a large crowd, keep the French toast warm and crisp in a low oven (200°F). Put the cooked French toast on a wire rack set on a baking sheet for good air circulation.