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Home / Blog / The Best Brioche French Toast – Easy Breakfast Recipe

The Best Brioche French Toast – Easy Breakfast Recipe

September 10, 2024 · Speshyl · 5 Comments

This article may contain affiliate links, from which I receive a small commission as an Amazon Associate.

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe· 4.3 from 3 reviews

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. 

A stack of Brioche French Toast being drizzled with syrup, with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.

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 French Toast Step-by-step Instructions
  • How Can I Make Brioche French Toast For A Large Gathering?
  • Brioche French Toast Tips & Tricks
    • Frequently asked questions
      • Try These Brunch & Breakfast Recipes To Please A Crowd

      Ingredients Breakdown

      Ingredients for brioche french toast laid out: eggs, milk, brioche bread slices, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, sugar, and clarified butter.

      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:

      Milk and two eggs in a shallow pie dish.
      Sprinkling sugar into brioche french toast custard.

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

      Melting clarified butter in a large stainless-steel skillet.
      Two slices of brioche sitting in french toast 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).

      Closeup of Brioche french toast being cooked in a stainless-steel skillet.
      Flipping a piece of brioche french toast in a large skillet.

      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.

      A stack of Brioche French Toast with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.

      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.

      A stack of Brioche French Toast drizzled with syrup, with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.

      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.

      A stack of Brioche French Toast drizzled with syrup, with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.

      Frequently asked questions

      What can you serve with Brioche French Toast?

      The topping choices are endless when it comes to brioche french toast. You can top French toast with an array of items, such as fresh fruit (fresh berries are my preferred fruit),  fresh whipped cream (made from cold heavy cream), warm maple syrup, and dust with confectioner sugar or cinnamon streusel.

      How long should you soak French toast?

      Depending on the thickness of the bread, you should soak french toast in the custard mixture for 5-10 seconds per side, just until the custard is even spread through and the bread feels spongey. You don’t want to over soak it to the point where it’s falling apart.

      Should I lightly toast my bread before making French toast?

      Most recipes call for day-old or stale bread, but I don’t think it’s necessary if you are using thick brioche bread.

      What is the best bread for French toast?

      You have many options when it comes to bread for French toast. This recipe calls for brioche, but you can substitute French bread, challah bread, regular white bread, or even sourdough bread. As long as it is thick sliced bread, you’re good to go.

      How do you make brioche French toast that is not soggy?

      Don’t soak your bread slices for too long! 5-10 seconds is the sweet spot.

      Try These Brunch & Breakfast Recipes To Please A Crowd

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      A stack of Brioche French Toast being drizzled with syrup, with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.

      The Best Brioche French Toast


      5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

      4.3 from 3 reviews

      • Author: Speshyl Smith
      • Total Time: 20 minutes
      • Yield: 6 slices of French Toast 1x
      Print Recipe
      Pin Recipe

      Description

      This French Toast is cooked low & slow in clarified butter, which makes for a crispy exterior and custardy interior. The most perfect addition to Breakfast or Brunch.


      Ingredients

      Units Scale
      • 1 cup whole milk
      • 2 large eggs
      • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
      • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
      • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
      • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
      • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
      • 6 slices thick cut brioche or challah bread
      • clarified butter, or unsalted butter

      Instructions

      1. Combine eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, sugar, and vanilla in a shallow dish and whisk together to form a custard.
      2. Preheat a large skillet with a tablespoon of clarified butter over a low flame.
      3. 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).
      4. 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.
      5. 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.

      Notes

      • Please read full blog post for tips and tricks
      • If you do not have clarified butter, you can use regular butter with a touch of olive oil. Leave heat on a low flame to avoid burning.
      • Prep Time: 5 minutes
      • Cook Time: 15 minutes
      • Category: Breakfast

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      Blog, Breakfast, Culinary School, Recipes

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      Comments

      1. Aniyah says

        February 6, 2021 at 3:32 am

        I absolutely love your recipes, but this one… the eggs kind of overpowered every other ingredient. I followed all of the measurements, used 2 medium eggs instead of large but it came out tasting just like eggs.

        Reply
        • Speshyl says

          February 6, 2021 at 4:00 pm

          Hi, Aniyah! Thank you so much for giving my recipe a try! I’m unsure as to why it came out eggy, because I myself am definitely not a fan of eggy French Toast, which is why this recipe usually works for me. Did you beat the eggs until thoroughly combined, keep your pan on very low heat, & use clarified butter (not regular butter)? If so, maybe try using only one egg and see if that makes a difference. Again, thank you so much for giving it a try!

          Reply
      2. Samantha Wilson says

        June 10, 2021 at 7:19 am

        How many calories does 1 have ?

        Reply
      3. Brooklyn Hall says

        December 27, 2021 at 7:45 pm

        Im not much of an cook at all but I made these delicious French Toast this morning! Chefs Kiss (literally) thank you so much!!

        Reply
      4. Jen says

        May 8, 2022 at 2:50 am

        I’ve tried one other time to make French toast…I used this two weeks ago and it was the most incredible tasting French toast!!! My kids ADORED IT!! 11yrs & 16yrs old! They’re going to make it fit for Mother’s Day breakfast for me tmrw!! 🙏🙏🤞🤞

        Reply

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      Welcome To The Daily Speshyl

      Speshyl Smith is a Michelin Star trained chef and an Institute of Culinary Education graduate (graduating with highest honors). Speshyl is based in New York City and works as an in-home Personal Chef to a high profile family, and cooking for private dinner parties; & a Food Blogger, sharing recipes and kitchen techniques with her online community of 50,000+ foodies across all social media platforms. Read More…

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      A stack of Brioche French Toast drizzled with syrup, with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.
      A stack of Brioche French Toast drizzled with syrup, with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.
      A stack of Brioche French Toast drizzled with syrup, with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.
      A stack of Brioche French Toast being drizzled with syrup, with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.
      A stack of Brioche French Toast drizzled with syrup, with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.
      A stack of Brioche French Toast drizzled with syrup, with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.
      A stack of Brioche French Toast drizzled with syrup, with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.
      A stack of Brioche French Toast being drizzled with syrup, with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.
      A stack of Brioche French Toast being drizzled with syrup, with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.
      A stack of Brioche French Toast with strawberries, blueberries and a pat of butter.