Easy French Toast
This easy French toast is a breakfast or brunch classic served with a mountain of fresh strawberries and a healthy drizzle of maple syrup.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Bread. I used thick slices of white bread but brioche, Challah, sourdough, French bread are all good options.
- Eggs.
- Milk. I use whole milk/full cream milk but a splash of heavy cream is also delicious and makes for a more indulgent breakfast – perfect for the holidays.
- Salt.
- Optional: I added some lemon zest but vanilla extract or ground cinnamon is also a great way to add more flavor.
How to make French toast
- Make the custard: Whisk fresh eggs, milk, a pinch of salt and lemon zest together and pour into a shallow dish or bowl suitable for soaking the bread.
- Soak: Use thick slices of bread and soak in the egg mixture for 30 seconds-1 minutes per side (depending on thickness).
- Fry: Carefully remove the bread and cook in a large skillet, griddle or pan set over medium heat until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. You can add a knob of butter to add richness as well. Serve the French toast warm with a generous drizzle of syrup and fresh fruit.
Can I make this ahead?
I definitely prefer serving French toast fresh, directly after cooking but any leftovers can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a pan or the air fryer for a few minutes.
Serving Suggestions
This easy French toast recipe is versatile in that it can be served with a variety of toppings. In summer we love a mountain of macerated strawberries or fresh berries (raspberries, blueberries, etc). Other fruit like peaches and cherries are also delicious. In the colder months, stewed apples or pears and bananas with a dusting of cinnamon sugar are absolutely delicious.
- Fresh fruit: Keep it simple by slicing the fruit fresh or macerate them with a little sugar for an even more delicious topping.
- Lemon curd or passion fruit curd.
- Peanut butter.
- Honey, maple syrup or pancake syrup.
- Crispy bacon.
Ingredients
- 4 thick slices bread
- 4 eggs
- 4 tbsp milk
- zest of 1 lemon
For the macerated strawberries
- 2 cups strawberries sliced
- 2 tbsp sugar
For serving
- maple syrup
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, a pinch of salt and lemon zest.
- Soak the bread in the egg mixture.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and add a knob of butter/splash of oil.
- Fry the bread for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Combine the strawberries and sugar in a separate bowl and set aside.
- When the French toast is cooked, serve with the strawberries and a drizzle of maple syrup.
Nutrition
FAQ
Yes, day-old bread works much better for French toast than fresh bread. Fresh bread won’t be able to absorb the egg custard as well as stale bread and can result in soggy French toast.
If your French Toast is soggy, your bread could be too fresh or you left the bread in the egg mixture too long. The bread should absorb a lot of the custard but not be impossible to transfer to the pan. Also make sure that your pan is warm enough so the bread has a chance to toast and form a golden brown crust on both sides.
Yes you can reheat French toast. If you have leftover French toast, wrap well in parchment paper and foil then refrigerate up to 3 days. To re-heat, pop the slices in the toaster or heat a pan and quickly re-heat the toast in the pan.
More breakfast and brunch recipes:
So. Good. A full lemon zest seemed like a lot to me but it just gave the best essence of lemon. Will definitely make again.
Delicious! Served them with the strawberries but added chocolate syrup and bananas. My kids loved it.
Who wouldn’t? Chocolate and bananas are a match made in Heaven!
This is my kind of breakfast Alida! Can’t wait to grab some fresh, juicy strawberries!
Thanks Mary Ann! Strawberry season is just around the corner for you guys! 🙂
I can’t even believe how badly I want this in front of me right now! I am crazy addicted to French toast and just had some for Easter brunch, but I would throw down on a pile of these today, because…YUMMMM! Pinning and sharing!
You and me both Traci. Thanks for your lovely comment. 🙂
I haven’t made French toast in so long – you’ve inspired me to try again very soon! Such beautiful photos.
Thanks so much Thanh.
I was drooling even before I read your description! Your pictures make me want to reach through the screen. I can’t wait until the local strawberries come out so I can do this recipe justice. 🙂
Thanks so much Annemarie! 🙂
Haha! Yes, I was drooling after the description of your French toast…in fact, I was drooling just looking at them. Looking forward to making these someday soon!
Mission accomplished! 🙂 Thanks Leslie!
That looks heavenly. I’ve just had lunch, but I think I still have space!
Haha thanks Jacqueline! It’s definitely something to keep space for. 😉
It really is. Quite decadent too!
Nasheta, we also had it with tomato sauce often but I promise this syrupy version is just to die for!
We grew up eating it with tomato sauce – and now so do my kids. I have never tried it with syrup but now that I’m drooling at your pics, I will have to give this a try 🙂
OMG, this looks really awesome and like the bestest french toast – really decadent and delish!
It really is! 🙂 Such a nice treat over a weekend.
French toast with beetroot sounds peculiar but I can imagine it can be delicious!
I cannot wait to try this, thanks you. Ps… my husband loves french toast with beetroot. Its actually quite yummy, I like mine with syrup.
This looks so so so so SO good and these pictures are a work of art in themselves 🙂
Thanks so much Medha!
My oh my this looks super delicious.
Thanks Rochelle!
Heidi, I prefer to think of French Toast as calorie-less. Especially when I add whipped cream as a topping…
This sounds & looks SOOOOO delicious. I do love your idea of adding lemon zest in it.
I guarantee that I am human because I am drooling while looking/reading at this post 🙂
Haha! I’m glad you’re human! 😉 Thanks for the lovely comment Pang.
Sheesh, so simple, but they look so utterly decadent. French toast with berries can’t be beat. I really like to make a baked french toast with bananas and chocolate chips :). Yep, no calories there.
Damn, your pics are sooo gorgeous, I’m defs going to indulge in some french toast this weekend!