Tender and buttery Brioche French Toast: a breakfast the whole family will love!

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This recipe was originally published on September 3, 2020. It was updated on May 17, 2021.

Delicious yet being easy to make, this Brioche French Toast Recipe is a hit with almost any crowd. It's perfect for weekend mornings, brunches with friends, and even holiday breakfasts.

Orange zest and coconut oil make this french toast ultra-memorable and brioche bread proves to be the world's most perfect bread for French toast. Whip up a batch of this French toast for your crew today!

What is your go-to weekend breakfast or brunch food?

Is it bacon and eggs, pancakes or french toast; breakfast burritos, or hash browns? Or do you prefer something a bit more fancy, like huevos rancheros, or eggs benedict; coffee cake, or french toast casserole?

Maybe you're like me and your preferences change based on how much time you have to cook, what the occasion is, or what ingredients you have on hand.

Because even though I'll eat pretty much anything for one of my favorite meals, my go-to's are eggs and hashbrowns for time-crunched weekend breakfasts and pancakes or french toast for lazier Sunday mornings.

Actually, let me rephrase that: it's eggs and hashbrowns for those mornings I come in from a run starving and need to eat right now. (#hangry!) It's french toast and pancakes for the days I grab a snack after my run, hop in the shower, and then have adequate blood sugar -- and therefore, patience -- to cook my meal. 😊

But, it's not like this french toast recipe -- which is now, by far my favorite french toast recipe -- is really that hard or takes that much time to make. It's ready in under 25 minutes (see? #hangry)!

It's just that there's something that seems so much easier about whisking some eggs and throwing some frozen potatoes in a skillet when I'm ready to eat my arm off.

For those days, though, where I have the clarity of thought and more balanced blood sugar levels to make good decisions, this brioche french toast recipe is my undeniable go-to.

After a simple whisk together of almond milk, eggs, flour, orange zest, and a few seasonings, I can soak the bread in the custard mixture while I heat up the skillet.

Next, it's just a quick pop on the skillet (we're talking only 3-5 minutes here, folks) and this french toast is ready to go.

See? I gotta get my blood sugar back in check, because this french toast is most likey just as easy as an option as my scrambled eggs and potatoes.

And when it means just as easy for something as delicious as this silky and custardy french toast, I'm 100% down. I hope you are, too. 💓

This french toast brioche recipe 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!

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
• 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:

1. Whisk together the egg soak ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
2. Soak the slices of bread in the mixing bowl for 3-5 minutes.
3. While the bread soaks: preheat a non-stick skillet or griddle. Grease the pan with coconut oil or non-stick spray.
4. Add part or half of the soaked bread (depending on the size of your pan), spacing 1-2 inches apart.
5. Cook the french toast for 3.5-5 minutes, flipping it halfway through.
6. Remove the cooked french toast from the pan and repeat steps 4 & 5 (greasing between batches, if needed) until all the toast is cooked.
7. Serve the french toast warm with your favorite toppings!

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Easy french toast recipe pro-tips:

• Remove any pastry paper from your bread - the brioche loaves at Trader Joe's often have the thin paper attached to the bottom of the loaf. If your loaf has the paper too, just gently remove the paper before making this 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.
• 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 rest of the toast.

Recipe FAQs:

How is brioche french toast different from traditional french toast?

Brioche french toast is more tender, buttery, and custardy than classic french toast, thanks to the eggs butter in the brioche bread. These same ingredients also add more dimension and flavor complexity to the recipe.

When to serve this french toast:

This french toast is perfect for any breakfast or brunch. It definitely impresses when you have company over or are hosting a special brunch with friends and family.

I also recommend serving this french toast for holiday breakfasts. It's fantastic for Christmas and it would also be great for Mother's Day.

Serving suggestions:

This french toast would be perfect with almost any of your favorite breakfast spreads. Here are some of my favorite dishes to serve it with:

• Scrambled eggs
• Breakfast sausages
• Canadian bacon
• Sliced fruit
• Whipped cream
• Hot coffee or tea
• Mimosas

French toast toppings:

Top your French toast with any of your favorite toppings:

• Butter
• Maple syrup
• Berries
• Bananas
• Chocolate chips
• Pecans
• Whipped cream

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 directions:

You can reheat this bread two different ways:

• 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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