This French toast recipe is a delicious, easy breakfast. The thick slices are fluffy, tender, and warmly spiced with cinnamon. Serve with maple syrup!

Jeanine Donofrio

Phoebe Moore

Updated Feb 3, 2025

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This French toast recipe is one of my favorite things to make for brunch. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a holiday or a regular old lazy weekend morning: just thinking about French toast makes my mouth start watering. What could be more crave-worthy than thick slices of bread with tender, fluffy middles, crisp edges, and a mound of fresh fruit on top?

This French toast recipe is delightfully quick and easy, so I make it whenever we have day-old bread in the house. Still, it has the flavor of a special occasion treat. An egg batter makes it nice and rich, and vanilla and cinnamon fill it with warm, spiced flavor. Top it with a drizzle of maple syrup and whatever fresh fruit happens to be in season. Then, dig in!

French Toast Ingredients

If you’re learning how to make French toast for the first time, you’ll be shocked by how simple it is! To start, you’ll need these basic ingredients:

Eggs and milk – They create the custardy batter. Feel free to use whatever type of milk you keep on hand. Regular whole milk or a dairy-free milk like almond milk or oat milk would be great.
Ground cinnamon and vanilla extract – For warm depth flavor.
A pinch of sea salt – It enhances the custard’s rich flavor.
Good bread – Thick-sliced, day-old bread is best! The stale bread will soak up the egg mixture like a sponge, yielding really flavorful French toast. See the callout below for my favorite types.
Maple syrup – For serving. Many French toast recipes call for granulated sugar in the egg mixture, but I find that it’s not necessary. The syrup on top adds plenty of sweetness, perfectly accenting the slightly savory French toast.
And butter – For the pan. Coconut oil works too!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

What is the best bread for French toast?

Soft, thick-sliced bread is the best bread for French toast. It’s a plus if the bread is slightly stale, as it really soaks up the batter, but in a pinch, fresh bread works too. The most important thing is that the slices are thick. If they’re too thin, they can become soggy and fall apart after you dip them in the batter.

I especially like to make this recipe with brioche, but these types of bread are great choices too:

Challah
Ciabatta
Sourdough
French bread
Good-quality sandwich bread

How to Make French Toast

My method for how to make French toast is simple! Here’s how it goes:

First, make the custard. In a large bowl or shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon with a pinch of salt.

Next, dip the bread. Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, making sure both sides are fully coated.

Then, cook. Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat, and brush it with butter. Add as many slices as will fit in a single layer and cook for 1 to 3 minutes per side. They’re ready when they’re nicely golden brown on both sides. Cook additional batches as needed.

Top with fresh fruit and a drizzle of maple syrup, and enjoy! Yep, it’s that easy.

Recipe Tips

Work in batches if necessary. Depending on the size of your skillet or griddle, you’ll likely need to work in batches. To keep early batches warm while you cook the rest, place them on a baking sheet and tent them with foil. Hold in a 200°F oven until you’re ready to serve.
Adjust the heat as needed. When I make this recipe, I start with my pan over medium heat. But after a batch or two, I typically reduce the heat to medium-low. At that point, the pan has started to hold some residual heat, and the slices begin to brown more quickly. I reduce the heat to prevent them from browning too much on the outside before they cook through in the middle. Don’t hesitate to turn down the heat if your slices are over-browning!
Don’t skip the toppings. Maple syrup is a must, but no need to stop there! Top slices with fresh fruit like strawberries or raspberries or even homemade blueberry compote. They would also be wonderful with peanut butter, honey butter, or a dusting of powdered sugar.

How to Store French Toast

Allow leftover French toast to cool to room temperature. Then, seal it in an airtight container or bag.

Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the toaster or microwave.
Or stash it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds!

More Breakfast Recipes to Try

If you love this easy French toast recipe, try one of these breakfast dishes next:

French Toast

rate this recipe:

4.95 from 68 votes

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 20

Serves 4

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This classic French toast recipe is an easy, delicious breakfast. I love it with fresh fruit and maple syrup on top!

Ingredients

4 large eggs
⅔ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Sea salt
Butter or oil, for the pan
8 thick slices bread, I like this thick-sliced brioche
Maple syrup and/or powdered sugar, for serving

Instructions

In a shallow dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt.
Heat a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and brush with butter.
Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. Place into the skillet and cook for 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Reduce the heat to low as needed to cook thoroughly without burning. Work in batches if necessary, brushing the skillet with more butter between batches.
Serve with maple syrup and/or a dusting of powdered sugar.

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4.95 from 68 votes (26 ratings without comment)