The Best Brioche French Toast – Easy Breakfast Recipe

This Brioche French Toast is the perfect addition to breakfast or brunch. It is cooked low and slow in clarified butter until golden brown, which creates a crispy exterior and custardy interior. 

Editor’s Note: Originally Published on January 7, 2021.  Updated with full process shots and expanded info.

Growing up, I was never a big french toast fan. It always seemed to be too eggy or too dry for my liking. I also am generally not a sweets-for-breakfast type of person. However, this all changed once I started culinary school and we got to the breakfast module. My culinary instructor showed us the best way to make Brioche French toast, and I felt like I was transported into another world. He made the most delicious French toast I had ever tasted, and I used this method to create the recipe I’m sharing with you today.

Table Of Contents

Ingredients Breakdown

Brioche bread is the star of the show in this recipe. It’s the best type of bread for making French toast. It is usually thick cut and the dough base is made up of tons of butter and eggs. Who doesn’t love a little extra butter?! You can find this bread in most grocery stores, but my favorite store-bought brioche bread can be found in Trader Joe’s! It is pre sliced, so the pieces are about an inch thick, and each slice comes wrapped in parchment around the edges. The thick slices are a great vehicle for that custardy interior. A brioche loaf from Trader Joe’s is also usually cheaper than in other grocery stores. I keep this bread in the refrigerator, and it lasts for two weeks, sometimes even longer.

Egg Mixture. In the egg or custard mixture, I combine whole milk, eggs, an extract of my choosing (sometimes I like to switch it up between vanilla extract and almond extract, depending on how I’m feeling that day), sugar, and spices. If you don’t end up using all of the custard, you can reserve any that’s leftover in an airtight container for up to a week.

Clarified Butter. We’re using enough clarified butter just to coat the bottom of a skillet. If you do not have clarified butter, you can also use regular butter with a little touch of olive oil, just be careful to watch for any burning.

Make sure to check the recipe card for a complete list of ingredients and quantities.

Brioche French Toast Step-by-step Instructions

Here are the steps you’ll need to make the best brioche french toast ever:

Combine eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, sugar, and vanilla in a shallow dish and whisk together to form a custard.

Preheat a large skillet with clarified butter over a low flame.

Dip the brioche slices into the custard and let the bread soak some of it up until it feels spongey (about 5-10 seconds per side).

Let excess custard drip off of the bread and place it in the preheated skillet. Cook for 7 and 1/2 minutes per side, or until the bread becomes golden brown. Don’t touch it while it’s cooking! Just flip it once after 7 and 1/2 minutes.

Remove French toast from the skillet after both sides are golden brown, and the custard has cooked all the way through, and serve with your favorite toppings.

How Can I Make Brioche French Toast For A Large Gathering?

Brioche French toast is a delicious breakfast or brunch option for a crowd. After your French toast pieces are finished cooking, you can place them on a wire rack on a baking sheet and leave them in a low oven (about 170F) to keep them warm while waiting for your guests to arrive. You can also save time by making the custard mixture the night before, and using that to quickly cook off the toast first thing the next morning. This easy recipe for French toast simple, but also luxurious enough to make for the whole family on special occasions like Christmas morning.

Brioche French Toast Tips & Tricks

My culinary instructor taught us a few key tips that helped me learn how to make brioche french toast the proper way.

Tip 1: Use Clarified Butter

Clarified butter has a higher smoke point than regular butter since all of the milk solids are removed in the clarifying process. This means that it performs better under higher heat and will not burn as easily. Clarified butter also had a deeper butter flavor.

Tip #2: Let The Bread Soak Up The Custard

Dip the bread into the custard and let it absorb some until the bread feels spongey. This will give your brioche french toast a fluffy and creamy texture, and prevent it from being dry.

Tip #3: Cook French Toast Over Low Heat for 15 Minutes Total

The mistake most often made with brioche french toast, especially when using thicker-cut slices of bread, is not cooking it long enough so that the custard inside is cooked thoroughly. We’re going to be working over low heat here, so it is important to let it cook for 7 and 1/2 minutes per side.

Tip #4: DFWI!

My chef instructor used to yell “DFWI!”, which stands for “don’t F with it!” We are often tempted to move things around or press on our brioche french toast, but the best way to cook it is to leave it alone & just let it do its thing. I promise it’ll be worth it.

Frequently asked questions

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