Brioche french toast is a simple french toast made from thick slices of buttery brioche bread soaked in a rich vanilla custard, fried to golden perfection. The french brioche toast can be topped with maple syrup and berries for the perfect quick, easy and decadent breakfast or brunch dish.
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Why Should You Make This Recipe
I love wonderfully indulgent french toast inspired recipes. My Croissant French Toast, Brioche French Toast Casserole and Banana French Toast are just a few of many that I love making when I want an extra special, but quick breakfast or brunch. This brioche french toast recipe is another french toast recipe I know you’ll reach for again and again.
- Easy to make, bake and eat: This buttery brioche french toast tastes like you just bought it from the best restaurant in town, but is so simple to make at home. Simply mix the rich custard, soak the stale slices of brioche bread, fry until golden, top and serve.
- Perfectly cozy and made for holiday breakfast and brunch. There’s nothing more satisfying than enjoying a deliciously indulgent breakfast everyone will love and that’s also easy to make. This french toast using brioche bread is endlessly adaptable and is equally perfect for a special weekend brunch or holiday breakfast.
Ingredients
This easy brioche bread french toast requires only a handful of simple ingredients to make and you probably already have them in your pantry and fridge. Here’s what you need.
Gather stale or day old slices of brioche bread, eggs, milk, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, cinnamon and butter for cooking. To serve the brioche toast as shown in the recipe, gather powdered sugar, maple syrup and fresh berries.
Substitutions
This rich and golden brioche french toast recipe is as easy to make as it is delicious. Should you need them, here are my recommended substitutions for this recipe.
- Brioche Bread: This french toast brioche recipe works well with any thick and buttery bread in place of brioche bread. Texas toast, challah bread, french bread or even cinnamon swirl bread all work well in place of the brioche bread.
- Eggs: While eggs are essential to the custard, they can be substituted using an egg replacement like Just Egg. Substitute 3 tablespoons (45 ml) egg replacement for every 1 egg in the recipe.
- Milk: Whole milk is preferred, but feel free to use any milk you like.
- Vanilla Extract: This gives a lovely flavor boost to the french toast with brioche bread. Omit if you don’t have this ingredient.
- Ground Cinnamon: I love ground cinnamon with vanilla. Feel free to use ½ - 1 teaspoon of any ground spices or spice blends you like.
- Butter: Feel free to use any butter or cooking oil you like.
- Sugar: Maple sugar or light brown sugar will also work well.
- Flour: This may seem a bit unusual in a french toast recipe. However, adding flour to the custard gives the brioche bread a lovely, crisp exterior when fried in the butter.
- Berries: Use any fresh and in season fruit you like.
Variation
Overnight Brioche French Toast: Use my recipe for Brioche French Toast Casserole.
How To Make
Learn how to make brioche french toast in a few easy steps.
- Allow slices of brioche bread to sit out, uncovered, overnight to help dry out the bread. If the bread is still soft and fresh, arrange the slices of brioche bread on a lined baking sheet. Bake the slices in a 300 F (149 C) oven for about 15 minutes. In a large mixing bowl whisk in the eggs, milk, sugar, flour, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon until smooth and well combined.
- Heat the pan over medium-low heat until the butter fully melts and begins to sizzle. Swirl the butter around the pan to fully coat the bottom of the pan. Dip each side of sliced brioche bread in the vanilla custard for 30 seconds right before frying on the skillet or griddle. Place 2 - 4 slices of custard coated brioche bread onto the hot pan. Fry one side of the bread for 3 - 4 minutes or until the toast is golden brown. Flip the toasted brioche bread and repeat frying on the other side for 3 - 4 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the french toast brioche slices to a serving plate or lined baking sheet.
3. When its time to serve the brioche french toast, top the slices with a light dusting of powdered sugar and fresh mixed berries. If you would like, heat up maple syrup to serve alongside the french toasted brioche bread.
How To Store, Freeze and Thaw
- Store: Fully cool the brioche bread french toast. Transfer the toast to an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 days.
- Freeze: Fully cool the french toast brioche bread slices to room temperature. Wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Transfer the slices of french toast to an airtight and freezer safe container. Keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- Thaw: Transfer slices of frozen french toast to the fridge to thaw overnight. Heat in a microwave in 30 second intervals until heated through, top with your desired toppings and enjoy.
M’s Expert Tips
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature: This allows the ingredients to mix together more evenly and easily resulting in a smoother custard filling.
- Add some flour. Adding some flour to the custard helps to thicken the overall texture. This allows the custard to stick more easily to the bread and creates a lighter, fluffier exterior texture for the french toast.
- Use “day old” bread: French toast more easily absorbs the egg and vanilla custard when the bread is a bit dried out. Alternatively, dry the bread out the same day by baking slices in a 300 F (149 C) oven for about 15 minutes.
- Use the oven. To keep multiple slices of french toast warm, keep them in a warm 200 F oven in s single layer on a foil lined baking sheet until it’s time to serve.
- Top the french toast with your favorite toppings. Although this recipe for brioche french toast tastes amazing without toppings, I love topping mine with a light dusting of powdered sugar, maple syrup and berries. I also love serving the french toast with maple butter or whipped honey butter.
FAQs
This recipe for french brioche toast is just like classic french toast, just made with slices of buttery brioche bread.
Yes, the key to great french toast is to use dried out bread. The easiest way to get dried out bread is to use day old bread that’s been left out overnight. To achieve the same affect, fresh bread can be toasted in the toaster or in the oven until dried out.
Lay the slices of brioche bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake the bread in a 300 F (149 C) for about 15 minutes, flipping halfway through the baking time.
This happens when too much liquid is used to make the custard. Use slightly dried out bread, allow the bread to soak for 1 minute, shake off the excess custard, then fry until golden brown.
Other Decadent Breakfast Recipes to Try
If you try this Brioche French Toast recipe please rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Doing so helps other readers decide if this is a great recipe to bake. Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram using @olivesnthyme so I can see what you’re baking! Happy Baking! -M
Brioche French Toast Recipe
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 baking sheet optional
- 1 large pan or griddle
Ingredients
- 12 slices stale or day old brioche bread
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- ¼ cup (30 g) all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 - 4 tablespoons (12 - 57 g) unsalted butter for cooking, as needed
Instructions
- Allow slices of brioche bread to sit out, uncovered, overnight to help dry out the bread. If the bread is still soft and fresh, arrange the slices of brioche bread on a lined baking sheet. Bake the slices in a 300 F (149 C) oven for about 15 minutes.12 slices stale or day old brioche bread
- In a large mixing bowl whisk in the eggs, milk, sugar, flour, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon until smooth and well combined.4 large eggs, room temperature, 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk, ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, ¼ cup (30 g) all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract , 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Heat the pan over medium-low heat until the butter fully melts and begins to sizzle. Swirl the butter around the pan to fully coat the bottom of the pan. Dip each side of sliced brioche bread in the vanilla custard for 30 seconds right before frying on the skillet or griddle.1 - 4 tablespoons (12 - 57 g) unsalted butter for cooking, as needed
- Place 2 - 4 slices of custard coated brioche bread onto the hot pan. Fry one side of the bread for 3 - 4 minutes or until the toast is golden brown. Flip the toasted brioche bread and repeat frying on the other side for 3 - 4 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the french toast brioche slices to a serving plate or lined baking sheet.
- When its time to serve the brioche french toast, top the slices with a light dusting of powdered sugar and fresh mixed berries. If you would like, heat up maple syrup to serve alongside the french toasted brioche bread.
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