Ditch the boring toast! This recipe unlocks the secrets to the best French toast, a fluffy and flavorful breakfast that’s easier than you think.

The Best French Toast Ever \ Get the recipe on PassTheSushi.com

Looking for the best French toast recipe?

We all get stuck in a rut sometimes, same old cereal or toast getting a little, well, boring. But what if you could take that basic bread and turn it into something truly epic? Enter French toast, the breakfast champion that’s about to level up your mornings.

French toast is one of our favorite things to make for breakfast. We love jazzing up basic French toast recipes and making delicious desert-like breakfast creations like Grand Marnier French toast and Apple Pie French toast. However, we’re keeping things simple for this recipe. Not basic, but simple. This fluffy French toast recipe is what breakfast dreams are made of. 

What Is French Toast?

French toast, also known as pain perdu (which translates to “lost bread” in French), is a breakfast (or sometimes brunch) classic that’s both delicious and incredibly easy to make. It transforms ordinary bread into a special breakfast treat by dipping it in a rich egg custard mixture and then cooking it until golden brown.

The result? Fluffy, eggy bread with crisp edges, bursting with flavor from the sweet custard. French toast can be enjoyed plain with a simple drizzle of maple syrup or dressed up with a variety of toppings like fresh fruit, whipped cream, powdered sugar, or even a sprinkle of brown sugar for a caramelized crunch.

The best part is that you can use whatever type of bread you like for French toast. We love using challah bread to make thick, fluffy French toast!

The Best French Toast Ever \ Get the recipe on PassTheSushi.com

What you’ll love about this recipe:


  • SIMPLE – This easy recipe uses simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry (we’re looking at you, day-old bread). 
  • CLASSIC – This classic recipe uses classic French toast ingredients like an egg mixture, bread, and half and half, creating the perfect French toast.

What You Need to Make the Best French Toast

  • Half-and-Half: This creamy mixture creates a luxurious base for the custard. It provides richness and a touch of fat, which helps the French toast brown beautifully while remaining moist on the inside.
  • Eggs: These are the binding agents that hold the entire dish together. The eggs create a custardy coating around the bread, producing an eggy flavor and a soft, fluffy texture.
  • Honey: This natural sweetener adds a touch of sweetness to the custard. Warming the honey beforehand helps it incorporate more smoothly, avoiding any sugary clumps. Honey also offers a subtle floral note compared to granulated sugar.
  • Salt
  • Bread: The choice of bread plays a crucial role in French toast. While fresh bread can work, day-old or stale bread is actually preferable. Stale bread absorbs the custard more evenly, resulting in a less soggy outside and a crispier inside when cooked. Thick-sliced bread like challah bread, brioche bread, or country loaf are great options as they can hold more of the rich custard.
  • Butter: This adds richness and flavor to the French toast as it cooks. The butter helps brown the bread slices, creating those beautiful golden edges that are so visually appealing.

How to Make Homemade French Toast

  • Whisk the Custard (Make Ahead Optional): In a medium bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and a pinch of salt. If you’re short on time, you can do this step the night before and store the mixture in the fridge.
  • Preheat the Oven: While you’re getting ready to cook, preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. This will help keep your cooked French toast warm while you finish the rest of the slices.
  • Prepare the Bread: Pour the custard mixture into a shallow dish or pie pan. Now, it’s time to prep your bread! Dip each slice of bread into the custard, letting it soak for about 30 seconds on each side.
  • Let the Bread Rest: This is a key step! After soaking, transfer the bread slices to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Let them sit for 1-2 minutes. This allows the excess custard to drip off, preventing your French toast from becoming soggy.
  • Cook the French Toast: Melt a tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat in a large non-stick skillet. Once the butter is melted and starts to sizzle gently, add two slices of bread at a time. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and delicious.
  • Keep Warm and Serve: As each batch of French toast cooks, transfer it to a wire rack placed in the preheated oven. This will keep your French toast warm while you cook the remaining slices.
  • Enjoy! Once all the bread is cooked, it’s time to enjoy your delicious French toast! Serve immediately with your favorite toppings like warm maple syrup, whipped cream, or fresh fruit.

Expert Recipe Tips


  • Medium-low heat is your friend when cooking French toast. This ensures even cooking and prevents burning the outside before the center is cooked through.
  • Looking for extra crispness and a deeper caramel flavor? Add a tablespoon of brown sugar to the melted butter in your pan. It will melt and bubble as the French toast cooks, creating a caramelized crust.
  • French toast is a blank canvas for creativity! For a decadent twist, try using a mixture of brown sugar and maple syrup in your custard. Or, explore different toppings – sliced bananas sautéed in butter and brown sugar, a dollop of mascarpone cheese with fresh berries, or a drizzle of fruit compote are all fantastic options.
The Best French Toast Ever \ Get the recipe on PassTheSushi.com

How to Store Leftovers & Reheat

Store leftover French toast in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. You can also freeze it for up to one month. To freeze, place leftover French toast on a baking sheet in a single layer and flash freeze for 1-2 hours. Then, transfer to a plastic bag. 

Before reheating, make sure you allow frozen French toast to thaw in the fridge overnight. 

To reheat, place French toast slices in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the slices for a minute or two on each side to warm them up. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup or any other toppings you like. 

What to Serve With French Toast

Create the ultimate brunch feast by pairing your French toast with other breakfast dishes like a potato frittata and biscuits with gravy and sausage.

Ditch the boring bowl of cereal and whip up this amazing French toast recipe instead! If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment down below to help out the next reader! 

The Best French Toast Ever \\ Get the recipe on PassTheSushi.com

The Best French Toast Ever

Does Alton Brown have the formula for the best French Toast ever? The short answer, yes.
4.86 from 7 votes
Print Pin Rate
Breakfast
American
Author: Kita Roberts
35 minutes
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons honey - warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 8 1/2-inch slices day-old or stale country loaf, brioche or challah bread
  • 4 tablespoons butter

Instructions

  • In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before.
  • When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.
  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan.
  • Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side.
  • Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices.
  • Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 222mg | Sodium: 423mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 13g

Nutritional informations provided as a courtesy and is only an approximatation. Values will changes based on ingredients used.

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Recipe FAQs

Absolutely! Prepare the custard mixture the night before and store it in the fridge. In the morning, simply soak and cook your French toast as usual. Leftovers can also be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and reheated in the oven or pan for a quick and delicious breakfast the next day.

  • Classic: Maple syrup, powdered sugar, and fresh fruit (berries, bananas, peaches)
  • Decadent: Drizzle with chocolate sauce and top with whipped cream and chopped nuts.
  • Savory: Use savory cheese like parmesan or cheddar in your custard and top with sliced ham and a fried egg.
  • Fruity: Top with a dollop of mascarpone cheese and fresh berries, or drizzle with a homemade fruit compote.

Half-and-half is the classic choice, offering a balance of richness and creaminess. However, you can also use whole milk (for a slightly lighter option) or even almond milk or coconut milk for a dairy-free twist. Experiment and see what you prefer!

There are a few culprits for soggy French toast:

  • Over-Soaking: Aim for 30 seconds per side in the custard mixture. Any longer and your bread will become saturated.
  • Skipping the Rest: Let your soaked bread slices rest on a wire rack for a minute or two. This allows excess custard to drip off, preventing sogginess.
  • Too High Heat: Medium-low heat is key! High heat will burn the outside before the center cooks through, leading to a soggy interior.

19 Comments

  1. Blog is the New Black says:

    I agree- I don’t love breakfast. But, I love indulgent, sweet stuff like this! 😉

  2. breakfast is my favorite time to eat, and lunch, oh and dinner too. he he! I’m going to try my hand a brioche I’ve been inspired. I want to take a bite of those french toasts!

  3. You sound a lot like me when it comes to (not) eating breakfast, except for the egg part. 🙂 I love eggs! However, those beautiful slices of French toast would make a breakfast eater out of anyone, including me.

  4. I LOVE breakfast food…I can have it morning, day, and night. I could have all those 8 slices of french toast right now…looks so good! Alton knows his stuff, that’s for sure. 🙂

  5. SharleneT says:

    These look delicious and Alton is right, the best bread is a brioche or challah! There’s body to it and the bread doesn’t disappear in the process. Glad you were able to overcome two things in the recipe — eggs and sweetness! Congratulations! Come visit when you can.

    Just posted on my other blog, Rockin’ Chair Reflections, Are Bullies Any Different From Gossips? https://bit.ly/hWLEiN

  6. I couldn’t eat this for breakfast, unless breakfast was after 12, which is best time of breakfast, in my opinion! Looks gorgeous can’t wait till the weekend to try it, thanks!

  7. This is right up my alley! I am a breakfast freak and love me some french toast! My fiance actually woke me up at 1:30 am last night because he made french toast and put a big ole scoop of Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream on it 🙂 I’ll have to give him this recipe

  8. I’m with you on the eggs thing. I do not want a big plate of scrambled eggs for breakfast, yuck. But I LOVE french toast, thanks for sharing an amazing sounds recipe!

  9. Christina says:

    Yum! I’d eat this any time of day!

  10. I do love most all breakfast dishes but french toast is my absolute favorite!! I will be making this soon. Thanks for the recipe!

  11. French toast is my favorite FOOD, let alone breakfast! I love making french toast with brioche! Awesome recipe.

  12. Beautiful french toast!

    I wish I didn’t adore breakfast….there is just so many sweet, heavenly items I have a weakness for. 😉

  13. I don’t care of this is not traditional french toast, it looks damn good! I love breakfast, especially a slow one at the weekend with all kinds of treats!

4.86 from 7 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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