Learn how to make perfect French toast two delicious ways! Whether you prefer the classic stovetop method with a crisp, golden exterior or an easy baked version for feeding a crowd, this foolproof recipe delivers a soft, custardy center every time. It's the perfect breakfast or brunch for weekends, holidays, or special occasions. If you're looking for another make-ahead breakfast favorite, try my Brioche French Toast Casserole
Master homemade French toast with two easy cooking methods that deliver delicious results every time. Whether you cook it on the stovetop for crispy, golden slices or bake it in the oven for a hands-off breakfast, this recipe creates a rich, custardy center with simple pantry ingredients. It's perfect for busy mornings, weekend brunches, holiday breakfasts, or feeding a crowd.
Quick Look: French Toast
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 15 minutes (stovetop) or 30–35 minutes (baked)
- ⏲️ Total Time: 25 minutes (stovetop) or about 45 minutes (baked)
- 🍽️ Servings: 6
- 🥞 Calories: About 319 per serving
- 🍯 Flavor: Rich, buttery, lightly sweet, and warmly spiced with cinnamon and vanilla
- ✨ Texture: Crispy and golden outside with a soft, custardy center
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- 🥛 Dietary: Vegetarian; easily adapted with dairy-free milk and butter substitutes
- 🍳 Equipment: Large skillet or griddle for the stovetop method, or a baking dish for the oven method
- 💡 Why This Recipe Works
- This recipe gives you two foolproof ways to make French toast, so you can choose the method that best fits your schedule. The rich egg custard, flavored with cinnamon and vanilla, soaks into thick slices of bread for a soft, creamy interior, while cooking over medium heat (or baking in the oven) creates a beautifully golden exterior. Whether you're making breakfast for two or brunch for a crowd, both methods deliver consistent, delicious results.
- 🍽️ Serving Idea: Top your French toast with fresh berries, maple syrup, whipped cream, toasted pecans, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
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Ingredients
- Bread – Thick-cut brioche, challah, Texas toast, or French bread works best because it absorbs the custard without falling apart. Day-old bread produces the best texture.
- Eggs – The base of the custard, giving the French toast its rich, creamy center.
- Whole milk – Creates a smooth custard. Half-and-half or heavy cream will make it even richer, while dairy-free milk also works.
- Vanilla extract – Adds warm, sweet flavor to the custard.
- Ground cinnamon – Gives the French toast its classic cozy flavor. A pinch of nutmeg is a delicious addition.
- Granulated sugar – Lightly sweetens the custard without overpowering the toppings.
- Salt – Enhances the overall flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Butter – Used for cooking, creating a crisp, golden-brown exterior with rich flavor.
- Maple syrup and toppings – Finish with pure maple syrup, fresh berries, sliced bananas, whipped cream, chopped nuts, or a dusting of powdered sugar. If you have leftover berries, they're also delicious in my Berry Fruit Salad
How to Make French Toast
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until smooth and well combined. Dip each slice of bread into the custard, coating both sides. Let thick slices soak for about 20–30 seconds per side, then allow any excess custard to drip off.
2. Oven Method: Arrange the soaked bread in a buttered baking dish or on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dot the tops with butter and bake at 350°F (180°C) for 30–35 minutes, flipping halfway through if baking on a sheet pan, until golden and cooked through.
3. Stovetop Method: Melt butter in a large skillet or on a griddle over medium heat. Cook the soaked bread for 2–4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crisp on the outside while remaining soft and custardy in the center. Transfer to a warm oven if cooking in batches.
4. Serve: Serve warm with maple syrup, fresh berries, sliced bananas, whipped cream, chopped nuts, or a dusting of powdered sugar. Enjoy immediately while the French toast is crisp on the outside and soft inside.
FAQ about French Toast
Thick-cut brioche, challah, Texas toast, or French bread are the best choices because they absorb the custard without falling apart. Slightly stale bread works even better since it holds its shape while developing a soft, custardy center.
French toast usually becomes soggy when the bread is too fresh, soaked for too long, or cooked over heat that's too high or too low. Thick, day-old bread and medium heat produce the best texture.
Yes. You can prepare the custard the night before or cook the French toast and refrigerate it for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a skillet, oven, or air fryer to restore its crisp exterior.
Absolutely! Let the slices cool completely, then freeze them in a single layer before transferring them to a freezer-safe bag. Reheat directly from frozen in a toaster, oven, or air fryer.
Yes. You can substitute dairy-free milk such as oat, almond, soy, or coconut milk. The texture will be slightly different, but the French toast will still be delicious.
Yes! This recipe includes both the classic stovetop method and an easy baked method, making it simple to prepare breakfast for a family or a crowd without standing over the stove.
Use thick slices of slightly stale bread, don't oversoak them, cook over medium heat, and let the bread develop a deep golden crust before flipping. These simple techniques create a crisp exterior with a soft, custardy center.
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How To Make French Toast (2 Ways)
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream (or half-and-half )
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar or more if desired
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (or almond extract)
- ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 10 slices of STALE Texas Toast or French bread (¾ - 1 inch thick) Leave bread out on the counter overnight to dry
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until no whites are showing. Then, whisk in heavy cream, milk, sugar, vanilla, and spices until homogeneous.
- FRENCH TOAST 2 WAYS: If deep-frying, use French bread (better size for deep-frying) and follow soaking time and cooking method in this RECIPE. This is my favorite because it is custardy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. If pan-frying, follow method below.
- Preheat oven to 200 F (solely for keeping cooked French Toast warm)
- Dip bread into mixture and soak for about 30-60 seconds on each side. Then, place slices on a rack set onto a sheet pan and let sit for about 2 minutes to drain off excess liquid..
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Cook in batches. Place slices of bread into the pan in a single layer and cook until golden brown (1-2 minutes per side).
- Remove from pan and place on a sheet pan in the preheated oven to keep them warm while cooking the remaining toasts. Repeat with all slices.
- Serve warm with maple syrup, berries, or any other topping of your choice.
Recipe Notes
- Room-temperature eggs and milk blend more smoothly into the custard, helping it coat the bread evenly.
- A shallow dish works better than a deep bowl because it allows the bread to absorb the custard evenly on both sides.
- If making a large batch, place cooked slices on a wire rack set over a baking sheet instead of stacking them. This keeps the exterior crisp until serving.
- Pure maple syrup makes a noticeable difference. Its richer flavor complements the vanilla and cinnamon without making the French toast overly sweet.
- For an extra-special finish, add a small pat of butter over the warm French toast just before serving so it melts into the crisp, golden crust.
Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
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I remade this French toast while updating the recipe, and both methods turned out beautifully. The stovetop version had a perfectly crisp, buttery exterior with a soft, custardy center, while the baked version was incredibly convenient for serving a larger group without sacrificing flavor or texture. Using thick, slightly stale bread made all the difference, and the cinnamon-vanilla custard created a classic homemade taste that everyone loved. This is a recipe I'll happily make again for weekend breakfasts and holiday brunches. — Valentina
Very interesting! I enjoyed all the historical and cultural info. I love French toast. Not long ago, I made some with a rustic wheat bread, and I really liked it. I realize that it's not traditional, and may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I felt the wheat balanced the sweetness of the syrup in a really nice way.
Ty, Jeff! I bet it gave the toast a great balanced and was delicious too.
Haven't had French toast in so long...must make soon. Your first photo is amazing, it is perfect!
So informative! Would love a slice or two smothered in maple syrup. Recently I enjoyed a French Toast casserole, where the slices of bread were piled 3 deep. More eggy custard was pored over the entire dish, it was just divine.