There's a certain kind of weekend morning that calls for brioche French toast. The kids are still in their pajamas (or in bed if you have teenagers), you've just made your second cup of coffee and you want breakfast to feel a little bit more special. This is the recipe that I make on those mornings. After years of testing in my own kitchen, it's become one of my favorite breakfast recipes that I keep coming back to. Brioche bread makes this recipe decadent, with its high butter and egg content, it soaks up the custard without falling apart and turns golden brown and tender in the frying pan.
My favorite trick is a quick sprinkle of cinnamon sugar across each slice right after I flip it. The sugar melts into the surface just a bit as the second side cooks, leaving behind a thin, sweet layer of cinnamon and just a little bit of crunch. Serve French toast with warm maple syrup and our tropical smoothie for a perfect weekend breakfast.
Quick Look: Brioche French Toast
- Ready In: 20 minutes
- Serves: 4 people (2 slices each)
- Calories: 491 kcal (per serving)
- Add to Your Shopping List: brioche, real maple syrup and fresh berries
- Dietary Info: contains eggs, gluten and dairy
- Baker's Note: Day old or dry brioche works best here. If your loaf is fresh, slice it and let the slices sit out for a few hours. When the bread is slightly dry, it soaks up the custard evenly without turning soggy in the middle. The bread needs to be on the dryer side to make a good brioche bread French toast.
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Jump to:
- Quick Look: Brioche French Toast
- Ingredients for Brioche French Toast
- Where to Buy Brioche Bread for French Toast
- How to Make Brioche French Toast
- Brioche French Toast Substitutions and Variations
- Notes from My Test Kitchen
- How to Store Brioche French Toast
- Brioche French Toast FAQs
- Recipes to Serve With Brioche French Toast
- 📖 Recipe
Ingredients for Brioche French Toast
Brioche - 8 slices of bread, sliced ¾ to 1 inch thick. Day old or slightly dry brioche soaks up the custard best.
Whole milk - Whole milk gives the custard the right richness without making it heavy. I recommend whole milk but 2% will work in a pinch.
Pure maple syrup - I like to add a splash of maple syrup to the custard and then save the rest for serving. Definitely use the real stuff, not pancake syrup.
Vanilla - Pure vanilla extract is a small ingredient that does a lot of work in this French toast recipe. It softens the eggy flavor and ties the cinnamon and maple together.
Cinnamon sugar - The star of the show! A simple mix of sugar and ground cinnamon, sprinkled on each slice right after the flip. Mix it up before you start cooking and keep it close to the stove while you're making the French toast.
Where to Buy Brioche Bread for French Toast
The brioche you choose matters more than any other ingredient in this recipe, so reach for a high quality loaf. Most grocery stores carry a loaf of brioche in the bread section. I've found a loaf made by Brioche Gourmet at my local Wegmans. It's great for making French toast because it's already a little dry but made with high-quality ingredients. Trader Joe's also carries a reliable sliced loaf at a great price. Your local bakery is always a fantastic option for a fresh loaf. If you can get your hands on a whole loaf, that's going to make a delicious French toast. Slice the bread yourself, ¾ to 1 inch thick is the sweet spot.
How to Make Brioche French Toast
- Mix up the cinnamon sugar. Whisk together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Set it next to the stove.
- Whisk the custard. In a large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
- Soak the brioche. Dip each slice of bread into the custard for 5-10 seconds per side.
- Cook over medium heat. Melt butter in a nonstick frying pan. Cook the French toast slices for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until nice and golden brown.
- Flip and sprinkle. Flip the French toast and sprinkle each slice with cinnamon and sugar. Use about 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and sugar per slice. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve right away with pure maple syrup and fresh berries.
Brioche French Toast Substitutions and Variations
Substitutions
Milk - Whole milk is what I recommend, but 2% will work in a pinch. Half-and-half makes the custard a little more rich. It's a fine substitute if you have it in the refrigerator.
Bread - If you can't find brioche, challah is the closest substitute. It's also made with eggs and butter and has a similar texture. A sturdy sandwich loaf will work too, but the texture won't be quite the same.
Maple syrup in the custard - A tablespoon of brown sugar or honey works in place of maple syrup if needed.
Variations
Eggnog French Toast - One of my favorite flavors to add to French toast. Simply swap the whole milk for an equal amount of eggnog. Still add the vanilla and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg too! The perfect Christmas morning breakfast!
Citrus French Toast - Add the zest of one orange or lemon to the custard for a bright, fresh twist.
Maple French Toast - For a French toast with some serious maple flavor, add ½ teaspoon of maple extract to the custard along with the vanilla. Serve with extra warm maple syrup for a true maple lover's breakfast.
Notes from My Test Kitchen
The cinnamon sugar sprinkle is my favorite addition to this French toast recipe. When I was a kid, my dad always sprinkled cinnamon sugar on our French toast and I've done it ever since. The sugar melts into the warm French toast just a little bit and gives you that light crunch when you bite into it.
The bread needs to be on the drier side to make a good French toast. I tested this recipe with fresh, day-old, and fully stale brioche so I had the full picture. Fresh slices fell apart in the custard, stale pieces didn't soak up the custard evenly and day-old was the sweet spot.
Make sure that your heat is just a little lower than medium so that you don't burn the brioche. The soak in the custard only needs to be for 10 to 15 seconds. Anything more than that and the bread expands and fills up with too much custard. This will make your French toast turn out eggy and not set in the middle.
How to Store Brioche French Toast
Leftover French toast keeps beautifully. It's honestly one of the easier breakfasts to make ahead and reheat.
Refrigerator - Layer leftover slices between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight bag or container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Freezer - For longer storage, freeze the slices on a baking sheet until firm, then transfer them to a freezer bag with parchment paper between the layers. They'll keep for up to 2 months.
To reheat - Warm slices in a 350°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes, straight from the fridge or freezer. The oven will revive those crisp edges. Skip the microwave on this one.
Make-ahead trick - You can whisk the custard the night before and keep it covered in the refrigerator. I even sometimes store the custard in a Mason jar. In the morning, give it a quick whisk and you're ready to dip and cook.
Brioche French Toast FAQs
Why is my French toast soggy in the middle? Soggy centers are usually because the bread soaked for too long or the heat was too high. You only need to soak the brioche for 10 to 15 seconds per side in the custard. Cook just below medium heat so that the custard has time to set before the outside browns.
Day-old or slightly dry brioche works best. Fresh brioche is too soft and will fall apart in the custard and if the bread is too dry, it doesn't soak evenly. If your loaf is fresh, slice it and let the slices sit out for a few hours.
You can make the custard the night before and keep it covered in the refrigerator. The French toast itself is best made and served fresh, but you can hold the cooked slices on a wire rack in a 200°F oven for up to 20 minutes if you're cooking for a crowd.
Both are breads made with eggs. Challah is made with oil and brioche is made with butter. The brioche is rich, tender and is slightly more sweet than challah. Both work well, making French toast with brioche bread is my first choice, but challah works well if you can't get your hands on a loaf.
Soggy centers are usually because the bread soaked for too long or the heat was too high. You only need to soak the brioche for 10 to 15 seconds per side in the custard. Cook just below medium heat so that the custard has time to set before the outside browns.
Recipes to Serve With Brioche French Toast
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Brioche French Toast
Equipment
- glass measuring cup
- whisk
- shallow bowl
- large frying pan
- spatula
Ingredients
For the Cinnamon Sugar Sprinkle
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
For the French Toast
- 8 slices of brioche
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1 to 2 tablespoons butter for cooking
Instructions
For the Cinnamon Sugar Sprinkle
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon. Set the bowl right next to the stove so it's easy to reach when you start cooking.¼ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon
For the French Toast
- If your brioche is fresh, slice it ¾ to 1 inch thick and let the slices sit out for a few hours, or dry them in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.8 slices of brioche
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt until smooth.4 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, pinch of salt
- Pour the custard into a shallow bowl or pie plate.
- Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter. Let it melt and foam.1 to 2 tablespoons butter
- Dip each slice of brioche into the custard for 10 to 15 seconds per side.
- Add the brioche slices to the pan, leaving a little space between each one. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the bottoms are deeply golden brown.
- Flip each slice and immediately sprinkle a generous pinch of cinnamon sugar across the top. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, until the second side is golden and the centers feel springy when you press them gently.
- Transfer to plates and serve right away with pure maple syrup and fresh berries. Add more butter to the pan as needed between batches.
Amanda Smallwood says
Such a great weekend breakfast or breakfast for dinner option! The cinnamon sugar sprinkled on after the flip is a game changer. Everyone loved it!