Cinnamon French toast is the perfect sweet treat to make for breakfast. Thick slices of french toast are fluffy, tender, and coated in sweet cinnamon sugar flavor!
While I love a stack of buttermilk pancakes or applesauce pancakes as a weekend treat, sometimes a batch of homemade French toast is what really hits the spot.
Today I'm sharing my favorite recipe for cinnamon French toast. It's simple and easy to make on a lazy Saturday morning at home. This recipe starts with a standard base of milk and eggs that's lightly sweetened and flavored with vanilla and cinnamon.
Serve cinnamon French toast as a sweet breakfast treat any time of year. I like to top mine with a bit of maple syrup or fresh fruit and confectioner's sugar.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Bread - Thick-cut brioche is the ideal option for French toast, but any standard sandwich bread you have on hand (like shown above) works in this recipe. This recipe makes enough custard to coat about 6-8 slices. French toast works best with bread that's slightly dry or stale because it more readily soaks up the custard. If you've got fresh bread on hand, I'll share my favorite way to quickly dry out your bread in the recipe card below.
- Eggs - You'll need three large eggs for this recipe. Eggs serve as the base of the custard mixture that coats your bread slices.
- Milk - I used whole milk, but any kind of milk will work when making French toast (even dairy free varieties). Keep in mind that higher fat content milk makes a creamier custard.
- Granulated sugar - I like to add a small amount of granulated sugar to the custard mixture because it helps with browning and crisping while cooking and adds a hint of sweetness.
- Flavor - Vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon add flavor to your French toast. I don't recommend omitting any of these ingredients for best results.
- Butter - I add a small amount of butter to the pan while cooking for flavor and browning.
Tips and tricks
Use a wide, shallow dish - For easy coating, use a wide, shallow dish for your custard mixture. I used a 7x11 pyrex dish, which fits two slices of bread at a time.
Cook in a nonstick skillet - For easy cooking and flipping, I recommend using a nonstick skillet.
Don't leave bread soaking in the custard - Wait to coat your bread until you're ready to fill the skillet. Place the bread in the custard, flip, and immediately remove it, shaking off excess custard before transferring to the skillet. Leaving bread to soak in the custard can cause soggy French toast.
Use medium to medium-low heat - French toast needs time to cook the custard through in the center. Using too high a heat can cause the outside to cook through before the center is done. If your toast is browning quickly on the outside, turn the heat down slightly.
Serve with toppings - I like to add a drizzle of maple syrup to my cinnamon French toast. Fresh berries, whipped cream, and confectioner's sugar also make great additions to a plate of French toast.
Storage
Leftover French toast will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and can be reheated on the stovetop in a nonstick skillet.
French toast can also be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
Frequently asked questions
It sounds like you're cooking your French toast at too high a heat or not cooking it long enough. French toast needs time to cook not only the outsides of the bread, but all the way to the center where that custard has soaked in. I recommend using medium to medium-low heat for cooking French toast on the stovetop. This allows time for the center to cook through without burning the outside.
Soggy French toast can happen for a few reasons:
- Using fresh, very moist bread
- Leaving the bread soaking in the custard too long
- Not cooking it long enough on the stovetop
- Cooking at too high a heat (cooking the outside without allowing the inside to cook through)
First, use dry bread, or take a few minutes to dry out your bread before beginning. I offer a few suggestions in the recipe card below. Second, quickly dip your bread into the custard mixture, then immediately place it in the pan to cook. Don't leave the bread sitting in the custard mixture too long. This can cause it to break down and get soggy. Third, allow your bread to cook through all the way on the stovetop. Not allowing time for that custard to cook through in the center can make your bread soggy.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon French Toast
Ingredients
- 6-8 slices dry bread, see notes below
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- In a shallow dish, whisk together custard ingredients: milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
- Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium to medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter and allow to melt.
- Dip three slices of bread (or however many slices will fit into your skillet at once) into your custard mixture. Once coated on the first side, flip, and coat the second side. Lift, shake excess custard off, and transfer into your preheated skillet in a single layer.
- Cook bread slices until golden brown and crisp, then flip to cook second side. If bread is browning too quickly, turn heat down slightly to allow the center to cook through.
- Transfer to a plate and lightly cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining bread slices.
- Serve with maple syrup or a dusting of confectioner's sugar and fresh fruit.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- How to dry out bread for French toast: Preheat oven to 285 degrees Fahrenheit and place bread on a wire rack on a sheet pan (the wire rack allows for better circulation). Bake for up to 10 minutes, or until slightly dry to the touch but not toasted/browned. Alternatively, bread can be left out on the countertop for several hours (or overnight) to dry out. Bread can also be very lightly toasted in a toaster using the lowest setting.
- Best bread for French toast: Thick cut brioche bread is ideal for French toast. However, any standard sandwich bread works great. Depending on the thickness of your bread, you can make about 6-8 slices with this recipe.
- Leftovers: Leftover French toast will keep for 3 to 4 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator, or frozen for up to 3 months. To reheat, place French toast in a skillet over medium heat or in the oven at 350F for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Dairy: Any type of milk works to make French toast (even dairy free varieties). I recommend whole milk for the creamiest custard.
I had so much fun creating this recipe! I hope you give it a try and love it as much as I do. If you have a question, check out the post above, which is packed with information about the recipe. Tried the recipe? I'd love to hear your thoughts — leave a comment and a star rating to share your feedback!