Basic French Toast Recipe

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

This is a delicious, basic French toast recipe made with eggs, milk, and bread. Serve this popular breakfast dish with butter and maple syrup. Round out a delicious savory and sweet brunch menu with bacon or sausage. Fruit or berries are delicious alternatives, too.

French toast is very easy: Soak thick slices of bread in an egg and milk batter, then fry them to crisp up the outside and cook the egg custard center. It cooks fast and is a great way to use up stale bread. This recipe uses just a few basic ingredients you likely have in the kitchen already, and it freezes incredibly well, so it’s economical too.

Add a little sugar to sweeten the egg batter if you like, or add cinnamon and vanilla extract for a comforting twist. For a richer French toast, use thick slices of brioche bread or challah, along with whole milk, light cream, or half-and-half. Or make a French toast dessert with sturdy slices of pound cake.

Click Play to See This Incredible French Toast Recipe Come Together

“This French toast recipe is perfect for a Sunday brunch. You can utilize any bread you have left over from the week to make this breakfast treat. Feel free to customize the recipe with different toppings, or keep it simple with the items you may already have in your fridge.” —Tracy Wilk

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs

• 1 cup milk

• 1 dash salt

• 1 teaspoon sugar, optional

• 2 tablespoons butter, for the pan

• 8 to 10 slices bread, preferably stale or day-old bread

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients.

   The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

2. Break the eggs into a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate and beat them lightly with a fork or whisk.

   The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

3. Stir the milk, sugar, and salt into the beaten eggs.

   The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

4. Coat a skillet or griddle with a thin layer of butter. Place it over medium-low heat.

   The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

5. Place the bread slices, one at a time, into the bowl or plate. Let the bread soak up the egg mixture for a few seconds and then carefully turn to coat the other side. Coat only as many slices as you will be cooking at one time to prevent soggy French toast.

   The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

6. Transfer the egg-coated bread slices to the hot skillet or griddle. Heat slowly until the bottom is golden brown. Turn and brown the other side.

   The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

7. Serve French toast hot with butter and syrup, or your preferred toppings. Enjoy.

   The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

• Use thick slices of bread and soak it just long enough to absorb the egg mixture but not so long that it becomes saturated.
• Shortening or oil can be used instead of butter when cooking the French toast. The amount needed will depend on the size of pan; use just enough to coat the bottom.
• If you’re serving the French toast all at once, keep slices warm in the oven set on the 200 F or “warm” setting while you make subsequent batches.

Recipe Variations

• Add an extra teaspoon or two of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and a teaspoon of cinnamon to the egg mixture for cinnamon-spiced French toast.
• Use part light cream, half-and-half, or heavy cream to create a silkier, richer egg batter.
• For a change of pace, use toppings instead of syrup for your French toast. Powdered sugar, chocolate chips or nuts, berries, or a streusel mixture or fruit compote are just a few tasty alternatives.
• Up your French toast game and make pain perdu. Meaning “lost bread,” this French-influenced New Orleans recipe uses allspice, cinnamon, and vanilla, with thick French baguette slices.

Why Does French Toast Taste Too Eggy?

To create the classic custard taste that makes French toast great, the ratio of eggs to milk is important. If the balance is off and you include too many eggs or not enough milk, the finished French toast will have a scrambled egg-like flavor. When scaling this recipe up or down, keep in mind that you need 1/4 cup of milk for every egg.

Why Is Stale Bread Best for French Toast?

Beyond getting the soaked bread into the frying pan right away, using dry, stale bread is key to avoiding soggy French toast. Fresh bread already has a good deal of moisture, but the drier a bread is, the more room it has to soak up the egg custard. If you only have fresh bread that’s still soft, dry it out before soaking it in the batter. You don’t want to toast it, though. Instead, lay slices on a baking sheet and place it in the oven at 275 F for just about 10 minutes, or until the center is dry.

How to Freeze French Toast

Did you know you can freeze French toast? Make big batches and freeze French toast for easy breakfasts: Arrange the cooked and cooled French toast on a baking sheet, freeze for 1 hour, then transfer to freezer bags and seal. It will keep for up to two months. Reheat the French toast in the toaster or skillet.

Helpful Links

Recipe Tags: