Fill your home with an irresistible weekend aroma—this cinnamon-and-vanilla infused French toast will quickly become a family favorite. The recipe is simple: pick up a loaf of precut brioche and gather five basic ingredients.
I’ve made French toast this way for as long as I can remember: plenty of eggs, extra cinnamon, a pat of whipped butter and warm pure maple syrup on top. It’s one of my children’s favorite weekend breakfasts alongside buttermilk waffles and fluffy pancakes, and for good reason—it’s easy, comforting, and delicious.
Using brioche elevates the dish, giving it that brunch-at-a-café feel. Challah is a great substitute if you prefer. On busy weekdays I sometimes use plain sandwich bread—just reduce the recipe size so you don’t make more than you need.
For this recipe you need five ingredients plus the brioche: half-and-half, eggs, vanilla extract, brown sugar and cinnamon. I keep the sugar modest since the toast gets maple syrup on top.
If you enjoy this version, try a seasonal twist with pumpkin French toast in the fall.
How To Make French Toast
The bowl. Use a wide, shallow bowl with low sides so you can coat the bread easily. A flat-bottomed casserole or a shallow mixing bowl works well.
Making the custard. Whisk the eggs first until fully blended with no streaks of white. Stir in the half-and-half, vanilla, brown sugar and cinnamon until smooth.
Heating the pan. A large, flat griddle or square pan lets you cook several slices at once. Heat the pan over medium-low — medium is often too hot and will brown the outside before the center cooks through, while low takes too long. Adjust as needed; stoves vary, and gas burners can run warm.
Dipping. Sprinkle a bit of extra cinnamon over the custard before dipping to create pretty freckling and extra flavor. Dip each slice for a few seconds per side, ensuring it’s coated but not oversaturated, then place it on the preheated pan.
Cooking. Cook until the first side is golden, then flip and brown the other side. If browning happens too quickly, lower the heat and continue cooking. Check doneness by cutting into the center; it should no longer be wet.
FAQ
Yes. Milk works, but the custard will be thinner, so use a little less liquid than the recipe calls for to avoid oversaturating the bread.
Brioche is ideal for its richness and texture, but challah is an excellent substitute. If using regular sandwich bread, day-old slices hold up better to the custard than a very fresh loaf.
More Breakfast Recipes
- Buttermilk Biscuits
- Great Grandma’s Apple Dutch Baby
- Blueberry Coffee Cake
- Crepes
- Waffles with Strawberries and Cream
French Toast
15 pieces
10 minutes
5 minutes
15 minutes
Fill your house with the most amazing sweet smell on the weekend. This cinnamon-and-vanilla French toast is simple to make and always a crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
- 5 eggs
- ½ cup half-and-half
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp cinnamon, plus more to taste
- 1 brioche loaf
Instructions
- Whisk the eggs until fully combined with no streaks of white.
- Add the half-and-half, brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; mix until smooth.
- Sprinkle a little extra cinnamon into the custard before dipping the bread.
- Heat a pan over medium-low heat.
- Dip each brioche slice in the custard, coating both sides briefly.
- Butter the pan and place the coated slices down to cook.
- When the first side is golden, flip and cook the other side until set.
- Check doneness by cutting into the center; it should not be wet.
- Serve with butter and warm maple syrup.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 15
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 115
Total Fat: 6g
Saturated Fat: 3g
Trans Fat: 0g
Unsaturated Fat: 3g
Cholesterol: 94mg
Sodium: 114mg
Carbohydrates: 10g
Fiber: 0g
Sugar: 3g
Protein: 4g
Nutrition estimates are approximate and provided for reference.
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