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brioche french toast in a vintage blue serving plate with blueberries and drizzled with maple syrup
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5 from 1 vote

The Ultimate Brioche French Toast

The best French toast? Brioche French Toast! Think brioche soaked in vanilla custard, fried until golden in butter. Ready in 35 minutes with six ingredients, plus tips to keep it warm in the oven for a crowd-pleasing breakfast bash!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: French
Diet: Vegetarian
Servings: 8 Brioche French Toast
Calories: 225kcal
Author: Ninon Michels

Ingredients

  • 4 free-range eggs
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup or any sweetener of your liking
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter per batch, preferably cultured butter
  • 8 brioche slices about ¾-inch / 2 cm thick

Serving suggestions:

  • maple syrup
  • dulce de leche
  • fresh berries
  • whipped cream
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 285°F (140°C).
  • If not using pre-sliced brioche, cut the brioche into ¾-inch (2 cm) slices.
  • In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons (30 g) of butter over medium-low heat.

Meanwhile, prepare the custard.

  • In a mixing bowl, add eggs, maple syrup, vanilla bean paste, flaky sea salt, and milk.
  • Whisk thoroughly until well blended and homogenous.

Soak the brioche slices.

  • Pour the custard mixture into a baking dish big enough to hold two slices at a time.
  • Submerge two slices of brioche into the custard mixture and let them sit until moist and spongy: 30 seconds per side for fresh brioche / 40 seconds per side for day-old brioche / 50 seconds per side for stale brioche.
  • With a spatula, take the slices out of the mixture and let the excess drip.
  • Immediately transfer to the skillet and cook on each side over medium-low heat until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Keep the toast warm.

  • As soon as a batch is cooked, transfer it to a baking tray.
  • Place it in the oven and start making the next batch.
  • Repeat the process until all the toasts are cooked.
  • It's ready; enjoy immediately! I recommend serving these with dulce de leche or maple syrup and topping them with blueberries and optional whipped cream.

Notes

  1. Follow the soaking time instructions by setting a timer, and do not let the brioche slices sit for too long in the mixture, or they will get soggy.
  2. Cook the brioche French toast over medium-low heat. This way, they won't brown too quickly, leaving the center soggy and undercooked (the center needs time to set).
  3. Transferring the just-cooked toast onto a baking tray and placing them in the oven at 285°F (140°C) keeps them warm and crispy. This step ensures they stay warm while you bake the other batches and allows the center of the toast to set even more. Warm and fresh toast, ready to serve!
  4. I do not recommend using heavy cream or half-and-half for brioche French toast. Brioche being already rich (hello, beautiful butter!), I find it makes them less fluffy and too heavy. Whole milk yields the best results.

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 276mg | Potassium: 93mg | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 468IU | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 1mg