Brioche French Toast Recipe is a hit with almost any crowd. It's rich, tender, light, and lightly sweetened. Make it for weekend mornings, brunch, and even holiday breakfasts.
This recipe was originally published on September 3, 2020. It was updated on April 21, 2022.
Table of contents
Today we are saying "buy bye!" to boring French toast.
You know, the kind that's too eggy, doesn't have much flavor, and gets soggy from the amount of syrup needed to compensate on flavor?
Instead, this French toast is crisp on the outside, fluffy on the inside, lightly sweetened, accented by notes of orange, and still so simple to make. It's the kind of breakfast that, once you try it, you'll regularly be adding it to your rotation.
So, let's grab that tender brioche and get cooking!
Save this brioche bread french toast for later on Pinterest:
This french toast with brioche bread is...
- Rich
- Buttery
- Custardy
- Citrusy
- Full of flavor
While still straightforward to make, this Brioche French Toast delights with a depth of flavors and rich mouthfeel. It's simply one-of-a-kind!
What is brioche bread?
Brioche bread is an enriched bread; that is, it is made with butter, milk, sugar, and/or eggs. Because of the dairy, eggs, and sugar, the bread has a light and flexible texture, a golden color, and has an eggy, buttery, and lightly sweet flavor.
Where do you buy brioche bread?
You can find brioche bread at more major grocery store chains here in the United States. I found my loaf (which says it was baked in France) at Trader Joe's for under $4. You may also be able to purchase brioche at a local bakery. Just ask for it thick-sliced.
Recipe ingredients
- Milk - almond or dairy milk; if you use dairy milk, I recommend 1 or 2%
- Coconut oil - preferably unrefined and virgin oil, as it will add the best flavor
- Maple syrup - offers a bit of natural sweetness to round out this recipe
- Salt
- Ground cinnamon - I recommend Vietnamese cinnamon (also known as Saigon cinnamon) if you have it. Otherwise, traditional ground cinnamon is great for this recipe.
- Eggs
- All-purpose flour - a secret ingredient. Whisking all-purpose flour into the egg soak keeps the texture light and fluffy.
- Orange zest - a second, must-have secret ingredient. Adds a light and sweet note to the French toast
- Brioche bread - thickly sliced bread is best
Ingredient substitutions
- Bread - brioche makes this recipe, but you can substitute thick-cut Texas toast bread or standard sandwich bread in its place. If using sandwich bread, don't soak it as long as the thick-cut bread.
- Oil - melted unsalted butter can work in place of the coconut oil
- Maple syrup - 2 tablespoons honey can replace the maple syrup
- Orange zest - ¼ teaspoon orange extract can substitute for the orange zest
- Cinnamon - apple pie spice blend can replace the ground cinnamon for a festive take on french toast
How to make brioche French toast
- Whisk together the egg soak ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Soak the slices of bread in the mixing bowl for 3-5 minutes.
- While the bread soaks: preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle. Grease the pan with coconut oil or non-stick spray.
- Add part or half of the soaked bread (depending on the size of your pan), spacing 1-2 inches apart.
- Cook the french toast for 3.5-5 minutes, flipping it halfway through.
- Remove the cooked french toast from the pan and repeat steps 4 & 5 (greasing between batches, if needed) until all the toast is cooked.
- Serve the french toast warm with your favorite toppings!
Recipe pro-tips
- Remove any pastry paper from your bread - if your bread has thin paper attached to the bottom of the loaf, gently remove the paper before making the recipe.
- Soak the bread evenly - make sure all sides of the bread get thoroughly and evenly soaked in the egg mixture. To make soaking even easier, pour the egg mixture into a cake pan and lay the bread slices evenly out in the egg mixture.
- Using stale vs. fresh bread - if you have stale bread and want to use it, go for it. The stale may absorb a bit more of the egg wash than will fresh, but it's not required for this recipe to succeed. I almost always make this bread with fresh bread and the resulting texture is perfect.
- Use a hot skillet - a hot skillet creates that beautiful french toast finish. Make sure your skillet is nice and toasty and your oil has melted before you add the slices of bread.
- Keep your cooked french toast warm while cooking the rest (if desired): to serve all the toast warm at the same time, keep cooked pieces of the french toast on an oven-safe plate in an oven preheated to 200 degrees Fahrenheit while you cook the remaining French toast.
Serving suggestions
Top the French toast with all of your favorite toppings, such as:
- Butter
- Maple syrup
- Berries
- Bananas
- Chocolate chips
- Pecans
- Whipped cream
And serve it with any of your desired breakfast dishes for a complete brunch spread:
- Scrambled eggs
- Breakfast sausages
- Canadian bacon
- Sliced fruit
- Whipped cream
- Hot coffee, tea, or an iced coffee boba latte
- Mimosas
Storage Directions
- Refrigeration: french toast lasts covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.
- Freezing: leftovers can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Re-heating Directons
- In the toaster oven: heat the toast on low heat for 1-2 minutes, or until it re-crisps and is warm through the center
- If in the microwave: heat individual or small servings of the toast at 40-50% heat in 30-45 second increments or until heated through.
Tools needed to make this recipe
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Non-stick skillet or non-stick griddle
- Heat safe spatula or turner
More breakfast and brunch recipes
- Fluffy Whole Wheat Pancakes
- Banana Waffles
- Breakfast Casserole with Tater Tots
- Double Chocolate Chip Banana Pancakes
- Mountain Breakfast Skillet
- Oatmeal Blender Pancakes (Without Bananas or Flour!)
- Black Bean Breakfast Enchiladas
- Oven Hash Browns
- Whole Wheat Waffles
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Recipe Card
Brioche French Toast Recipe
Email FacebookIngredients
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or 2% dairy milk
- 4 teaspoons unrefined coconut oil melted
- 2 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 9-10 thick pieces brioche bread
- additional coconut oil or non-stick spray
- Favorite toppings: maple syrup butter, fruit, whipped cream, nut butter, powdered sugar, diced dates, or chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the almond milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon, eggs, flour, and orange zest until combined.
- Add the slices of brioche to the egg mixture, making sure to penetrate all of the pieces of bread with the egg. Let the bread soak for 3-5 minutes.
- Preheat a large non-stick skillet or griddle to medium-high heat. Grease the pan with coconut oil or non-stick spray and brioche to the skillet, spreading the pieces out 1-2 inches apart.
- Cook the toast for 3-5 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the toast is golden brown and cooked throughout. Move the toast to a platter and keep warm in a preheated oven, if desired. Repeat steps 4 & 5 until all of the french toast is cooked.
- Serve the french toast hot with your favorite toppings.
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