Only 6 ingredients stand between you and this easy, crowd-pleasing brioche French toast. Perfect for a quick weekday breakfast or a relaxed weekend brunch. Both kids and adults will devour it!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
This is a brief summary of the recipe. Jump to the recipe to get the full details.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
15 minutes
Servings
8 slices
Difficulty
Easy
Calories *
250 kcal per serving
Technique
Whisk custard, soak brioche, and fry until golden.
Flavor Profile
Buttery, crisp edges and soft vanilla-maple center.
* Based on nutrition panel
I loved how few dishes this one used! Letting the brioche soak just long enough before cooking made the centers custardy without falling apart, which is exactly what I want from French toast. I stacked it on a platter, set out syrup and fruit, and the kids grabbed slices while the adults kept saying, “Okay wait…this is really good.”⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Lauren
Why You Will Love This
- Flavorful custard base. Using maple syrup and vanilla extract to flavor the custard base means a flavorful French toast breakfast.
- Freezer-friendly. I like to make French toast sticks for my kids and freeze them in Ziploc bags for an easy weekday breakfast.
- Perfect French toast texture. The exterior is crispy and golden from being pan-fried in butter, and the inside is soft and custardy!
Table of Contents
Let’s start this morning off on the right foot with this thick sliced brioche French toast! This easy recipe makes buttery and sweet toast that you and your kids will love. With only 6 ingredients and 20 minutes of preparation time, it is perfect for busy mornings.
While this is the perfect everyday French toast, be sure to check out this crunchy French toast or pumpkin French toast for a fun twist on a classic. For an even easier treat, you can make this cinnamon toast recipe.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Whole Eggs: The eggs make this a cooked custard just like this easy bread pudding recipe!
- Maple Syrup: Use Grade A: dark amber color and robust flavor. It has the best flavor and is thicker than the lower grades. It will give you the best flavor, and then you can use it to make my maple donuts!
- Whole Milk: You can use almond milk or any of your favorite milk substitutes. However, they are truly decadent and delicious when made with whole milk. I use whole milk for the additional fat and nutrition for my kids. It is perfect with 1 cup of milk, but you can use up to 1 ½ cups to stretch the batter.
- Brioche Bread: Use this brioche loaf and cut into thick slices for the best French toast!
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations for Brioche French Toast
- Add some spice or extracts. Add in different extracts, such as almond or coffee. You can also add some spices to the batter, like this pumpkin spice recipe or apple pie spice. Take inspiration from these chai gingerbread pancakes!
- Bake in the oven. Use this overnight French toast casserole as inspiration for a baked French toast!
- Different breads. This is absolutely divine when made with sourdough raisin bread! It would also be great with potato bread or this multigrain bread.
- Add fruit or citrus. Add some zest or juice of a lemon or orange to the batter before soaking the bread. The French toast would also be great served with apple pie filling, cherry pie filling or fresh berries.
- Add some crunch! Serve this with some toasted or candied walnuts or pecans!
Professional Tips
- Soaking time: Depending on the thickness and age of your bread, the soaking time may vary. I prefer to let the bread absorb the mixture for at least 5-8 minutes. If your bread is more stale or thicker, it could take longer. It will take less time for thinner or fresher bread.
- Cooking time and temperature: Keep an eye on your French toast. Like when making sourdough pancakes, you don’t want your skillet too hot, you will have a burned outside and undercooked insides. A good indication of a too-hot pan is that your butter is browning before your bread is cooking.
- Don’t take it too seriously! Yield is influenced by the bread: its variety, age, and slice thickness, as well as the soak time. That said, don’t overthink it, just splash in a little more milk and keep going.
How to Make Brioche French Toast
Use these instructions to make easy brioche French toast! Further details and measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Slice the brioche bread into slices that are ½ to ¾ inch thick.
Step 2: Whisk the custard. In a shallow bowl or baking dish, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and maple syrup until smooth and homogenous. Whisk the milk into the egg mixture.
You can also make it in a blender or with an immersion blender. This is particularly helpful for larger batches.
Step 3: Soak each slice. Depending on the size of your bowl and pan [I find a square baking dish works very well for this task], place 1-3 pieces of bread in the batter. Let it absorb for 5 minutes and then flip.
Step 4: Preheat a skillet, griddle, or cast-iron pan over medium-low heat. Add about 2 teaspoons of butter and swirl to coat.
Step 5: Cook the French toast. When the pan is warm but not smoking hot, transfer the soaked bread from the bowl to the pan, allowing the excess to drip off before cooking.
Step 6: While the first batch cooks, begin soaking the next batch. Cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown, and flip each slice of French toast.
If the toast browns too quickly or starts to burn, lower the stove’s heat and move the pan for a minute, if necessary. Cooking French toast too quickly does not give the batter enough time to cook, which can result in an unpleasant texture and is potentially unsafe.
Step 7: Continue cooking on the second side until the centers feel set when lightly touched with your finger and both sides are a golden brown. Add more butter to the pan if needed. Think of this like cooking bread pudding or this breakfast casserole with bread.
Step 8: Move the French toast to a wire rack set on a baking sheet. Keep warm in a warm oven until ready to serve, or serve immediately! Continue with the remaining slices of bread.
Recipe FAQs
Store leftover French toast in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also store them in a zip-top baggie in the freezer for up to a month.
I prefer to use brioche for my French toast. Though French toast is also lovely when made with sourdough sandwich bread, whole wheat bread, French bread, or this challah recipe.
You can serve French toast with warm maple syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar, homemade maple butter, or this applesauce recipe. Fresh fruit and breakfast meats are perfect with this French toast.
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If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments below! I love hearing from you and your comments make my day!
Brioche French Toast
Ingredients
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 cup milk
- 8 slices brioche bread
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, for cooking
Instructions
- Slice the brioche bread into slices that are ½ to ¾ inch thick.
- In a shallow bowl or baking dish, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and maple syrup until smooth and homogenous. Whisk the milk into the egg mixture.
- Depending on the size of your bowl and pan [I find a square baking dish works very well for this task], place 1-3 pieces of bread in the batter. Let it absorb for 5 minutes and then flip.
- Preheat a skillet, griddle, or cast-iron pan over medium-low heat. Add about 2 teaspoons of butter and swirl to coat.
- When the pan is warm but not smoking hot, transfer the soaked bread from the bowl to the pan, allowing the excess to drip off before cooking.
- While the first batch cooks, begin soaking the next batch. Cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown, and flip each slice of French toast.
- Continue cooking on the second side until the centers feel set when lightly touched with your finger and both sides are a golden brown. Add more butter to the pan if needed. Think of this like cooking bread pudding or this breakfast casserole with bread.
- Move the French toast to a wire rack set on a baking sheet. Keep warm in a warm oven until ready to serve, or serve immediately! Continue with the remaining slices of bread.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!Before You Go
I hope you enjoyed this easy breakfast recipe. Check out our other delicious breakfast and brunch recipes like these pumpkin pancakes or this English muffin egg bake!
This French toast feels like something straight from a fancy brunch restaurant! The vanilla-maple custard soaks perfectly into the thick brioche slices, giving every bite that irresistible crispy, golden edge with a soft, custardy center. I made a big batch, stacked it on a platter with fresh fruit and warm maple syrup, and it was gone before I even got to sit down!
I loved how few dishes this one used! Letting the brioche soak just long enough before cooking made the centers custardy without falling apart, which is exactly what I want from French toast. I stacked it on a platter, set out syrup and fruit, and the kids grabbed slices while the adults kept saying, “Okay wait…this is really good.”