This is a straightforward French toast made with pantry staples — bread, eggs, milk, butter, and a few optional add-ins like cinnamon and vanilla. It comes together in 20 minutes, serves two, and scales up easily if you need to feed more people. The honest reason to make it: it’s one of the most useful things you can do with bread that’s a day or two old.
Why this recipe works
Two things actually matter here. First, the ratio of egg to milk keeps the custard thick enough to coat the bread without making it soggy — three eggs to half a cup of milk gives you slices that are set in the middle, not wet. Second, starting with a properly heated pan and then lowering the heat before the bread goes in means you get a golden crust without burning the outside while the inside is still raw. Butter helps with browning and flavor, but it burns fast on high heat, which is exactly why the heat comes down before it hits the pan.
Keeping and reheating
Cooked French toast keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days — stack the slices with a small piece of parchment between them so they don’t stick together. For longer storage, freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet first, then transfer to a zip-lock bag; they’ll keep for up to 2 months. To reheat from the fridge, a dry skillet over medium heat for about 2 minutes per side brings back the crisp exterior better than a microwave does. From frozen, go straight into a 350°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, flipping once — skip the garnish at this stage, not worth the extra dish.
What can go wrong
- Bread falls apart in the custard: Fresh sandwich bread soaks through too fast if you leave it in the egg mixture more than 20 to 30 seconds per side. Use thicker slices or briefly dip rather than soak.
- Custard doesn’t stick and slides off: This usually means the pan wasn’t hot enough before the butter went in. The butter should foam immediately on contact — if it just sits there, wait longer.
- Slices are golden outside but still eggy and wet inside: The heat is too high. Drop it to medium-low after flipping and give the second side an extra minute. Thick bread especially needs more time than you’d expect.
- Too sweet or grainy texture from the sugar: The quarter cup of sugar in the custard is the upper end — if you’re serving with syrup already, cut it back to one or two tablespoons. Undissolved sugar can also leave a slightly gritty coating on the finished slice, so make sure it’s fully mixed in before dipping.
- Butter browns and smokes before the bread is done: Add a small splash of neutral oil to the pan along with the butter. It raises the smoke point enough to give you more working time without losing the buttery flavor.
Easy Classic French Toast
Equipment
- 10-inch non-stick skillet or cast-iron pan
- Shallow dish or baking tray (for soaking bread)
- Whisk or Fork
- Wide spatula
- Wire cooling rack (for keeping cooked slices warm)
Ingredients
- 6 slices bread about ¾-inch (2cm) thick — white sandwich bread, brioche, or challah
- 3 medium eggs 1 egg per 2 slices of bread
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract optional, 2.5ml
- ½ cup whole milk 120ml
- ¼ cup granulated sugar 50g, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon or to taste, optional
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 30g, for frying
Instructions
- Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and beat well with a whisk or fork until the yolks and whites are fully combined.3 medium eggs
- Add the milk (120ml) and sugar to the eggs and whisk until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.½ cup whole milk, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Whisk in the cinnamon and vanilla extract, if using.¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the custard mixture into a shallow dish or baking tray wide enough to lay a slice of bread flat.
- Place a non-stick skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat and allow it to heat for 2-3 minutes while you prepare the bread.
- Once the pan is hot, reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add about 1 tablespoon (15g) of butter to the pan and swirl it around until it melts and begins to foam.2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- If using a non-stick pan, you can reduce the butter to 1 teaspoon per batch, but a small amount of butter still improves browning and flavour.2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Dip one slice of bread into the custard, letting it soak for about 15-20 seconds per side. The bread should be saturated but not falling apart.6 slices bread
- Gently lift the soaked bread, let the excess custard drip off for a moment, then place it in the hot buttered pan.6 slices bread
- Cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes until the underside is golden brown, then flip with a wide spatula and cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
- Both sides should be evenly golden brown with a slightly crisp surface. Adjust heat down if the bread is browning too quickly.
- Transfer the finished French toast to a wire rack set over a baking sheet in a 200°F / 95°C oven to keep warm while you cook the remaining slices.
- Serve warm, topped with maple syrup, fresh berries, a dusting of powdered sugar, or your favourite toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I make a big batch and keep it warm while I cook the rest?
Yes — place finished slices on a wire rack set over a baking sheet in a 200°F oven. This keeps them warm for up to 30 minutes without steaming them soft the way a covered plate would.
What kind of bread works best?
Any sturdy bread works — sandwich bread, brioche, or Texas toast are all reliable. Avoid very thin sliced bread; it soaks through before you can get it to the pan without tearing.
Can I make the egg mixture the night before?
Yes, whisk it together, cover it, and refrigerate overnight. Give it a quick stir in the morning before using, since the sugar can settle to the bottom.
Is there a dairy-free option that actually works?
Oat milk and unsweetened almond milk both substitute well at a 1:1 ratio for the regular milk. The texture of the finished toast is nearly identical — oat milk gives a very slightly richer result.
Excellent French Toast recipe!! Thank you so much for sharing this!!
Excellent French Toast recipe!! Thank you so much for sharing this!! 5+ stars!!