With only five ingredients, French Toast is the answer to all breakfast conundrums, whether it be a casual morning or an elegant brunch. Stale bread dipped in a simple mixture of egg, milk, vanilla and cinnamon caramelizes in a pan and becomes an appealing first meal for any adult or child.
Five Ingredient French Toast is just about the simplest, most satisfying breakfast I can think of. Dry and otherwise unappealing bread transforms in a hot skillet after briefly soaking up a bath of eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon. What emerges from the pan is like creme brulรฉe for breakfast. The irony of this economical recipe is just how elegant is actually is when a thick and tender bread like challah or brioche is used. The choice of bread is what brings the French Toast experience to a whole new level. Challah and brioche are already soft around the edges but dense and sturdy enough to generously soak up the custard that will ultimately create the kind of crust that makes French Toast great.
INGREDIENTS NEEDS TO MAKE FRENCH TOAST
- 1. Bread: I highly recommend challah or brioche for French Toast. Both breads have a denser yet still tender crumb that soaks up custard beautifully. The thinner crusts on these breads will also not become hard or overly crunchy when toasted in a pan.
- 2. Eggs: Whole eggs form the base of the custard that the bread will briefly soak in. They are lightly scrambled with the remaining ingredients.
- 3. Milk: I recommend whole milk for the best results. But feel free to experiment with other milks. Just take note that a lower fat milk or non-dairy milk will yield different results from this recipe.
- 4. Vanilla extract: Real vanilla extract or even vanilla bean paste makes a meaningful difference in the flavor of the French Toast. Don’t skip it!
- 5. Ground cinnamon: Adding spice to the custard really adds tremendous depth of flavor.
TIPS FOR MAKING FIVE INGREDIENT FRENCH TOAST
- – Use stale or day old bread. If the bread you use it just slightly dried out, it soaks up the custard much better and results in a very tender texture.
- – Don’t skip any of the ingredients! There are only five of them, so they all count.
- – Soak the bread on each side. Before putting the slices of bread into a pan, make sure to dip each side of the bread generously into the custard so it has a moment to soak in.
- – Use pan spray instead of butter. I prefer to grease the pan with non-stick pan spray instead of using melted butter. The butter tends to get overly browned before the toast cooks. Use any non-stick pan spray you prefer.
- – Cook each side on medium low heat. Resist the urge to cook the toast on a higher heat. Medium low heat is the maximum. Allow the French Toast to caramelize and cook through slowly for at least 3-4 minutes on each side.
OTHER BREAKFAST OR BRUNCH RECIPES
- How To Make A Quiche
- Raspberry Almond Cake
- Honey Almond Granola
- Banana Bread Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Scones
Five Ingredient French Toast
Equipment
- 1 shallow baking dish or pan
- 1 set of measuring spoons or cups
- 1 fork or whisk
- 1 frying pan or electric skillet
- 1 heat proof spatula
Ingredients
For the batter
- 2 whole eggs
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
For the French toast
- 4-6 thick slices challah or brioche bread
- pan spray of choice
- maple syrup, powdered sugar, fruit for serving
Instructions
Make the batter
- Crack the eggs into a shallow dish and whisk them well. Add the milk, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Whisk all to combine.2 whole eggs, 1/3 cup whole milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Cook the French toast
- Preheat a frying pan on medium low heat. Grease it well with pan spray of choice.
- Dip both sides of each slice of bread into the batter. Cook each slice in the preheated pan for 3-4 min on each side until golden brown. Make sure not to cook the bread on too high of a heat so that the batter inside the bread can cook through properly.
- Serve warm with maple syrup or your toppings of choice.
