This Brioche Bread French Toast recipe makes the most delicious breakfast or brunch. The sweet, buttery brioche bread is dipped in a mixture of milk, egg and cinnamon before being cooked in a pan. It is fluffy, soft with slightly crispy edges. Irresistible!
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Why we love this recipe
This Easy Brioche French Toast recipe simply makes the most perfect breakfast. It is decadent, it is delicious, it is full of texture... and it's a breakfast or brunch recipe that the whole family loves!
The buttery brioche loaf bread slices are dipped in a mix of eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla before being cooked in a skillet until the edges are crispy but the centre is soft. Brioche bread is simply the best kind of bread to make french toast because of its natural sweetness, soft texture and and rich flavours.
Top it with the classic Maple Syrup or go all in with a Blueberry or Strawberry Compote, some Stewed Pears or tangy Lemon Curd - this brioche French toast is a recipe you will never get tired of!
Wanna try something different? Make my Brioche French Toast Casserole instead!
Ingredients
The basic French Toast recipe is made from 3 basic ingredients, with the addition of two used for extra flavours.
- Brioche: you can use store-bought or homemade Brioche loaf. A lightly stale bread will give you the best results. It is to use leftover bread that French Toast were invented!
Challah Rolls will also make a delicious Dairy-Free alternative to Brioche!
- Eggs: medium size and at room temperature.
- Milk: use Full Cream / Whole Milk for the best flavours - but any type of milk will work too.
- Cinnamon: optional, but such a delicious addition to Brioche French Toast!
- Vanilla: simple Vanilla Extract or Essence; also optional.
- Butter: used to grease the skillet when cooking the french toast. It can be replaced with oil if preferred, but butter will give a nicer flavours to the toasts.
Optional Additions & Substitution
- Sugar: brioche bread is already quite sweet so I personally do not feel the need to add extra sugar to this recipe - but you could absolutely add one or two tablespoons of white or brown sugar if you want!
You could add a little bit of salt as well - about 1/4 to 1/3 teaspoon - to balance the sweet flavors.
- Dairy Free Milk: this recipe can be made with your choice of plant-based milk to make the french toast dairy free. Simply note that using a flavoured milk like almond or coconut will change the overall flavours of the breakfast.
How to make French Toast with Brioche
- If using a whole loaf of brioche, start by cutting it into thick slice. The thickness will affect the overall texture of the breakfast, from crispy to soft (see FAQs section below).
Make the custard mixture:
- Photo 1: place the eggs and cinnamon in a large bowl.
I use a pasta bowl (large but shallow) that will make the dipping of the bread easier. You could also use a large, shallow baking dish.
- Photo 2: whisk until combined. Cinnamon tends not to blend with liquid ingredients so don't worry if it doesn't look smooth.
- Photo 3: Add the Milk and Vanilla.
- Photo 4: Whisk to combine. Again, you will notice that the cinnamon isn't incorporated that well - that's normal!
Soak the slices of bread in the mixture and cook them on the stove:
Preheat a large skillet or non-stick pan on medium heat. I use a Crêpe Pan. Lightly grease it with a little bit of butter or oil.
- Photo 5: dip one slice of brioche in the custard batter. Let it soak for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side (depending on the texture you are after).
- Photo 6: once dipped on both sides, the bread should feel quite heavy and slightly soft and soggy. If it starts to break, you soaked it for too long or the slices are cut too thinly.
- Photo 7: place the brioche bread slice in the preheated skillet and cook for a minute or two on each side (the exact time will depend on your stove heat and the texture you are after). They should be golden brown and nicely caramelised on each side.
For a softer brioche french toast, cook it for a little bit longer on a lower temperature. For a crispier french toast, cook it more quickly at a higher temperature.
- Remove the cooked french toast slices from the stove and place on a plate. Repeat until you have cooked all the brioche bread slices. You might need to re-whisk the custard between each toast to blend in the cinnamon.
- Serve straight away while still warm with your choice of breakfast topping.
Recipe FAQs
Brioche is known as an "enriched bread"; a bread that is rich in fat thanks to the addition of butter (or oil), eggs and sometimes the use of milk instead of water. Brioche breads are also sweetened.
Absolutely, challah and brioche breads are very similar and can be interchanged. Most challah bread are dairy-free, which is the main (and often only) difference with a brioche.
Definitely, I always try to go for homemade when I can! You can use my classic Brioche Bread Loaf recipe or try sometimes fun like this Chocolate Chip Brioche or Chocolate Swirl Brioche. I recommend using a brioche that is a few days old as it will hold its shape better when dipped in the custard.
That is up to you - you will get different texture from a thinly sliced brioche french toast vs a thick french toast. A thick slice will need to soak for a little bit longer to absorb all the custard, and will also need to cook for longer. A slice that is too thin might get soggy.
What to serve with French Toast
You could use a classic Maple Syrup or Honey drizzle, some fresh Berries or make a sauce such as:
- a berry compote like Raspberry Compote (what I use here!), Mixed Berry Compote or Blueberry Compote.
- a fresh fruit sauce like Strawberry Coulis, Passion Fruit Coulis, Mango Coulis or Blueberry Coulis.
- an indulgent Vanilla Pastry Cream, a Whipped Ganache Frosting, Passion Fruit Ice Cream or a simple whipped cream!
Tips for Success
- How to avoid soggy french toast: don't cut the slices too thinly, don't let the bread soak for too long in the custard mixture, make sure to use a medium heat (not too low, not too hot) and serve straight away for the best texture!
- To get a super crispy brioche french toast, lightly toast the bread before dipping it in the milk and egg mixture, or place it under the grill (or griddle) for a couple of minutes.
- It is best to use a brioche bread that is a few days old. That is exactly what French Toast were invented: to use leftover stale bread or "pain perdu" (literally "lost bread") in French!
- This recipe will make 6 to 8 slices of French Toast. Depending on the brand of brioche you use, how thick it is cut and how long you soak them for, you might use all the custard before you've cooked all the slices.
- You can simply double or triple this recipe to feed more people.
Storing & Freezing
To store leftovers brioche french toast, let them cool down first then place in an air-tight container and store in the fridge. I recommend serving within a day or the french toast will be quite soggy.
Reheat it in the oven or on the stove for the best crispy texture, or in the microwave if you don't mind a slightly more soggy texture. I don't recommend freezing french toast; they tend to loose all shape and texture in the freezer.
More Breakfast Recipes
- 3 Ingredients Banana Pancakes
- Triple Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls
- Cinnamon Roll Bread Loaf
- Cinnamon Babka
- Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
Made this recipe?
Let us know if you liked it by leaving a comment below, and tag us on Instagram @a.baking.journey with a photo of your creation!
Recipe
Brioche Bread French Toast
Ingredients
- 3 Eggs - medium size
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) Full Cream / Whole Milk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract - optional
- 8 slices Brioche Bread
- 1 teaspoon Unsalted Butter - for greasing the pan
Disclaimer
I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.
Instructions
- If using a whole brioche loaf, start by cutting it into thick slice (see note 1).
- Whisk together the eggs and cinnamon in a large shallow bowl or baking dish for a minute or two - or until the egg yolks and whites are well blended (see note 2). Add the Milk and Vanilla and whisk until combined.
- Preheat a large skillet or non-stick pan on medium heat and grease it with a little bit of butter (or oil).
- Dip the brioche slice in the custard batter one at a time. Let it soak for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side (see note 3).
- Place the soaked slice on the preheated skillet and cook for a minute or two on each side (see note 4). They should be golden brown and nicely caramelised on each side. I don't recommend cooking more than 2 slices at a time.
- Remove the cooked french toast slice from the skillet and place on a serving dish. Repeat until you have cooked all the brioche bread slices. Re-whisk the custard between each toast to insure the cinnamon is well blended.
- Serve straight away while still warm with your choice of topping.
Tried this recipe? Make sure to leave a comment and star rating below!
Notes
- brioche bread is already quite sweet so I personally do not feel the need to add extra sugar to this recipe - but you could absolutely add one or two tablespoons of white or brown sugar if you want!
- depending on the brand of brioche you use and how long you soak them for, you might run out of custard before you make 8 french toast slices.
- The thickness of the slices will affect the overall texture of the dish, from crispy to soft. A thick slice will need to soak for a little bit longer to absorb all the custard, and will also need to cook for longer. A slice that is too thin might get soggy.
- Cinnamon tends to not blend with liquid ingredients so don't worry if it doesn't look smooth.
- The time you let it soak will change the texture. I personally find that a quick but thorough soak gives a french toast that is still soft in the middle bit nice and crispy on the edges.
- The exact time will depend on your stove heat, the thickness of the bread slice and the texture you are after. For a softer brioche french toast, cook it for a little bit longer on a lower temperature. For a crispier french toast, cook it more quickly at a higher temperature.
Nutrition
Brioche Bread French Toast Story.
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