Easy Homemade French Toast

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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and
Emma Christensen
Emma Christensen
Emma Christensen

Emma Christensen is the General Manager for Spruce Eats and Simply Recipes, the author of three books on home brewing, and a graduate of The Cambridge School for Culinary Arts. 

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/2/24
Tested by
Tracy Wilk
Photo of Tracy Wilk
Tested by Tracy Wilk
Tracy Wilk is a professional pastry chef, recipe developer and chef instructor, and, most importantly, a firm believer in sprinkles.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
French toast served with butter, syrup, and berries

The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 5 mins
Total: 10 mins
Servings: 4 servings

You don't need much to make yourself a stack of crispy-on-the-outside, soft-in-the-middle French toast! Just eggs, milk, bread — and don't forget the maple syrup to pour over top!

How to Make French Toast

French toast is very easy: whisk together eggs and milk, add thick slices of bread for a quick soak, then fry them up in a hot buttered pan.

This recipe uses just a few basic ingredients you likely have in the kitchen already. Bonus: French toast freezes incredibly well, so make a big batch of easy breakfasts during the week.

The Best Bread for French Toast

Any soft, thick bread will work for making French toast. Go for challah or brioche if you're feeling decadent, or keep it simple with white sandwich bread or Texas toast. Rustic country loaves or crusty sourdough loaves can also be used, but will tend to be chewier.

Regardless of which bread you choose, cut it into thick slices if possible. This will give you the best ratio of crispy outsides to creamy middles. If your bread is pre-sliced, use what you have — the french toast will still be great.

Classically, French toast is made with stale bread that's been sitting on the counter for a few days. If you only have fresh bread, lay slices on a baking sheet and place it in the oven at 275 F for about 10 minutes, or until the center is dry.

Fresh bread can also be used, but won't soak up the milk-egg mixture quite as well and can sometimes fall apart during cooking.

Why Stale Bread is Best for French Toast

Using dry, stale bread is key to avoiding soggy French toast. Fresh bread already has a good deal of moisture, but the drier a bread is, the more room it has to soak up the egg custard — like a sponge.

Ways to Top Your French Toast

  • Keep It Classic: A sprinkle of cinnamon, a dash of powdered sugar, and a drizzle of maple syrup
  • Go Nuts: Sprinkle with toasted and chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds.
  • Fruit-tastic: Blueberries, raspberries, sliced strawberries, or any other fresh, seasonal fruit can go on top of French toast. If you're feeling fancy, whip up a quick fruit compote.
  • Swap the Maple: Instead of maple syrup, try honey, date syrup, boiled cider, or fruit syrup.

French Toast for a Crowd?

If you'd like to serve your French toast all at once instead of in batches as they come off the stove, warm your oven to 200 F (or the "Warm" setting) and set a sheet pan on a middle rack. Transfer the French toast to the sheet pan as they're cooked to keep warm until you're ready to serve.

What You'll Need To Make This Easy French Toast Recipe
Great-jones-sweetie-pie-ceramic-pie-pan
A Shallow Pie Plate
Winco 12-Inch Stainless Steel Piano Wire Whip
A Good Whisk
Lodge Cast Iron Reversible Grill/Griddle
A Griddle

"This French toast recipe is perfect for a Sunday brunch. You can utilize any bread you have left over from the week to make this breakfast treat. Feel free to customize the recipe with different toppings, or keep it simple with the items you may already have in your fridge." —Tracy Wilk

Basic French Toast Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1 cup milk (whole or 2%)

  • 1 dash salt

  • 1 teaspoon sugar, optional

  • 2 tablespoons butter, for the pan

  • 8 to 10 slices bread, preferably stale or day-old bread

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients to make basic french toast

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  2. Break the eggs into a wide, shallow bowl or pie plate and beat them lightly with a fork or whisk.

    A shallow bowl of beaten eggs with a whisk

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  3. Stir the milk, sugar, and salt into the beaten eggs.

    A bowl of whisked eggs, milk, sugar, and salt

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  4. Coat a skillet or griddle with a thin layer of butter. Place it over medium-low heat.

    A pad of butter in a large skillet

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  5. Place the bread slices, one at a time, into the bowl or plate. Let the bread soak up the egg mixture for a few seconds and then carefully turn to coat the other side. Coat only as many slices as you will be cooking at one time to prevent soggy French toast. 

    A piece of bread soaking in the whisked egg and milk mixture

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  6. Transfer the egg-coated bread slices to the hot skillet or griddle. Heat slowly until the bottom is golden brown. Turn and brown the other side. Exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of your bread, but it shouldn't take more than a few minutes per side.

    Three pieces of French toast cooking in a pan

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

  7. Serve French toast hot with butter and syrup, or your preferred toppings. Enjoy.

    A plate of French toast served with butter, syrup, and berries

    The Spruce Eats / Julia Hartbeck

Tips

  • Use thick slices of bread and soak it just long enough to absorb the egg mixture but not so long that it becomes saturated.
  • Shortening or oil can be used instead of butter when cooking the French toast. The amount needed will depend on the size of pan; use just enough to coat the bottom.

Recipe Variations

  • Add an extra teaspoon or two of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and a teaspoon of cinnamon to the egg mixture for cinnamon-spiced French toast.
  • Use part light cream, half-and-half, or heavy cream to create a silkier, richer egg batter.
  • Up your French toast game and make pain perdu. Meaning "lost bread," this French-influenced New Orleans recipe uses allspice, cinnamon, and vanilla, with thick French baguette slices.

Why Does French Toast Taste Too Eggy?

To create the classic custard taste that makes French toast great, the ratio of eggs to milk is important. If the balance is off and you include too many eggs or not enough milk, the finished French toast will have a scrambled egg-like flavor. When scaling this recipe up or down, keep in mind that you need 1/4 cup of milk for every egg.

How to Freeze French Toast

Did you know you can freeze French toast? Make big batches and freeze French toast for easy breakfasts: Arrange the cooked and cooled French toast on a baking sheet, freeze for 1 hour, then transfer to freezer bags and seal. It will keep for up to two months. Reheat the French toast in the toaster or skillet.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
366 Calories
15g Fat
42g Carbs
15g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 366
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 207mg 69%
Sodium 562mg 24%
Total Carbohydrate 42g 15%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 15g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 210mg 16%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 249mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)