An easy french toast recipe starring dusky, sweet cinnamon: Cinnamon French Toast! A decadent and special breakfast made with 6 simple ingredients: bread, eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Make it extra special with THICK-sliced milk bread (or Texas toast, sourdough, brioche, or challah). The method is easy: make the custard, soak the bread, and cook in a hot pan until golden brown. Make one serving — just for yourself! — or a larger portion for a crowd. A special brunch or midnight snack that takes less than thirty minutes to make.

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What is Cinnamon French Toast?

Cinnamon French Toast is a classic breakfast featuring thick white bread soaked in a sweet custard with plenty of cinnamon. Adding lots of sweet and spicy cinnamon makes it truly spectacular! The soaked bread is cooked with butter in a hot pan until browned and delicious. Pour maple syrup on top and enjoy a decadent meal made from basic ingredients.

Cinnamon French Toast is an easy breakfast and tasty midnight snack. Or dinner, if you are a fan of breakfast for dinner. It’s even fancy enough for Christmas morning with bacon, scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, and hot coffee. A versatile meal that’s simple and fast.

The key is to use thick-cut, good-quality bread, preferably stale. In fact, the better the bread, the better the french toast. Good bread will absorb the eggy custard but still hold its shape. I also recommend toasting the bread beforehand so it’s extra stiff and firm.

The seasoning comes from a rich, creamy custard that becomes quite heady with vanilla, sugar, and enough cinnamon to provide that dusky, sweetly spiced bite. Make sure to soak the bread into the eggy custard. The bread will act like a sponge, absorbing all that cinnamon sugar goodness down to its center.

Finish with a simple strawberry syrup made from macerated strawberries. Their bright acidity adds freshness.

Ingredients:

• Milk bread. Thick slices of stale bread are ideal. If you don’t have milk bread, swap it with any thick white bread, such as Texas toast, challah bread, sourdough, or brioche. *The type of bread doesn’t matter as much as the quality.

NOTE: Find the best bread you can. I buy milk bread from a specialty bakery in Japan Town. My second favorite option is good quality sourdough.

• Cinnamon. Ground cinnamon adds a spicy, sweet bite. If you can find it, Saigon Cinnamon has a stronger, bolder flavor than regular cinnamon.
• Eggs + Milk. Organic eggs and whole milk combine to make a creamy custard. *If you don’t have whole milk, I recommend equal parts heavy cream and water.
• Sugar. A little sweetness.
• Vanilla. Pure vanilla extract (imitation vanilla works, too) adds depth of flavor, aroma, and sweetness.
• Strawberries. *Optional.* Make a simple strawberry syrup with strawberries, sugar, and vanilla. The macerated strawberries will become very juicy and syrupy.
• Butter + Oil. A mixture of melted butter and oil works best. The butter adds good flavor while the oil ensures the butter does not burn.

How to make French Toast

1. Toast the bread. In a toaster or oven, toast the bread until dry and light golden brown. Leave in the toaster or set aside on a wire rack until completely cool.
2. Make strawberry syrup. Wash and remove the stems of the strawberries. Chop into 1/2-inch chunks and add to a clean bowl. Sprinkle sugar on top and add vanilla. Mix well with a spoon. Set aside to rest. The strawberries will become syrupy and sticky as they sit in the sugar.
3. Make custard or french toast batter. In a large shallow dish, combine the eggs, vanilla, sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Whisk until well combined. The eggy mixture should be thick and evenly speckled with cinnamon. Add the milk and whisk again. *Whisking the eggs and cinnamon first, before adding the milk, will avoid lumps.
4. Soak bread. Dip bread slices into the french toast batter. Make sure to dredge the bread on both sides so it soaks up the eggy mixture like a sponge. There should be no custard left in the bottom of the bowl.
5. Cook french toast. Heat a skillet or large griddle over medium heat. When it is hot but not smoking, add a pat of butter and a little vegetable oil. Swirl around to coat the bottom of the pan. Carefully add the soaked bread to the hot skillet. Cook on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and slightly firm. Transfer slices of french toast to a warm serving platter, in a shingled row.
6. Serve. Garnish with powdered sugar. Serve with strawberry syrup, warm maple syrup, and bacon or breakfast sausages. Orange juice and hot coffee also make nice additions. Enjoy immediately!

PRO Tips for the BEST French Toast:

• Stale bread works best. Do not use fresh bread, as the moisture will create soggy french toast. Instead, for the best french toast — use stale bread that has dried out a little.
• Toast the bread! For good french toast, make sure to toast the bread. The goal is to remove any excess moisture from the bread so it can absorb all the flavor from the custard instead.
• Make sure the pan is hot. To prevent the egg from pooling and forming a crust on the surface of the bread, cook on a hot skillet.

Helpful Kitchen Tools

• Large Skillet or Grill Pan. For 1-2 servings, a large skillet works well. For more servings, use a grill pan to cook multiple french toast slices simultaneously. Non-stick skillets are easy to use and the french toast will not stick to the pan. When used correctly, stainless steel skillets will provide a crispier surface to the french toast.
• Spatula. Use a large, bendable spatula to turn and flip the french toast slices.
• Large shallow dish. Makes it easy to dip bread slices into the egg-milk mixture.

FAQ

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