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Our Best French Toast Recipes

Our Best French Toast Recipes

Updated September 03, 2009

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Credit: John Montana; Styling: Elizabeth Blake

Enjoy an ooey-gooey treat for breakfast that will make your sweet tooth sing.

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Basic French Toast

Credit: Lee Harrelson; Styling: Jan Gautro

Basic French Toast Recipe

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Copycat IHOP Strawberry Banana King's Hawaiian French Toast

Credit: Photographer: Antara Sinha; Food Stylist: Briana Riddock

Copycat IHOP Strawberry Banana King's Hawaiian French Toast Recipe

A partnership between IHOP and King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread led to the creation of the ultimate breakfast mashup—Hawaiian sweet bread French toast… Yeah, we are just scratching our heads wondering why we hadn’t thought of this first. This dish has transformed the classic, cult favorite dinner rolls into a morning must-have, that may just replace basic sliced bread forever. The pillowy rolls are dunked in a rich vanilla custard and pan-fried with butter to golden perfection. The French toasts are then topped with a simple strawberry syrup made from fresh berries and sugar, simmered for just a few minutes, followed by a handful of banana slices for a sweet finish.

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Cinnamon-Apple Stuffed French Toast

Credit: Oxmoor House

Cinnamon-Apple Stuffed French Toast Recipe

The buttter and brown sugar cook with the apples to create a delicious syrup for serving over the French Toast.

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How to Make the Best Hot Chocolate French Toast

Credit: Photos by Kirsten Nunez

How to Make the Best Hot Chocolate French Toast Recipe

Dear the human being who invented French toast: I think I love you. While you can’t go wrong with simple French toast, there’s so much room for personalization. You can eat cookies for breakfast by making a gingersnap-crusted French toast. Or you can whip up a crème brulee French toast that’s fancier than your nicest shirt. And then there’s Ayesha Curry’s cereal-crusted peanut butter and jelly French toast, a recipe so good it’s sinful. Basically, French toast knows no boundaries—and neither does my stomach. This is why hot chocolate French toast had to happen.

Usually, a typical custard in a French toast recipe calls for plain milk. A custard made with hot chocolate, however, is anything but basic. Why should milk get all the fun, anyway?

When you are making the hot chocolate, ditch the water and make it with milk. If possible, make it super chocolatey. This way, you’ll have a rich custard for your French toast creation. And if you’d like to take it up a notch, skip the powdered stuff and use real melted chocolate. You can even use red wine hot chocolate instead. Now we’re talking.

Hot Chocolate French Toast

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Creme Brulee French Toast Is Lit

Credit: Photo by Tony Pullaro

Creme Brulee French Toast Is Lit Recipe

When it comes to French toast, Keith Williamson, executive chef of Datz in Tampa, Florida, prefers custardy slices of challah bread coated in crackling, hard sugar. This creme brulee French toast takes him back to when he was a child. “Nothing reminds me of home and family as much as a simple, hearty French toast,” says Williamson. “It warms the soul and fills your heart with breakfast guilty pleasure.” Don’t forget the brulee torch, though—that’s what makes this dessert-inspired French toast recipe so impressive. Torches are available at many local retailers and online at very reasonable prices. You could also just place the creme brulee French toast under preheated broiler, sugar side up, until it's golden brown and caramelized.

Creme Brulee French Toast

Ingredients

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Focaccia French Toast Is Freaking Fantastic

Credit: Photos by Teresa Sabga

Focaccia French Toast Is Freaking Fantastic Recipe

Fact: Stale bread is the secret to all exceptional French toast recipes, like this focaccia French toast. If you’re craving French toast, but you’re not willing to putz around while waiting for your bread to get stale, this focaccia bread recipe will swoop in and save the morning. The Italian bread is similar in feel to pizza dough and traditionally baked with herbs and other spices. Its dense texture is also ideal for soaking up the egg and milk mixture (bye-bye, soggy bread). Serve this sweet and savory focaccia French toast with a generous pour of rosemary-infused maple syrup for an extra pop of herbaceousness.

Focaccia French Toast

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French Toasted Waffles

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French Toasted Waffles Recipe

Two breakfast favorites merge for one epically crispy and delicious, maple syrup covered masterpiece.

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French Toast with Maple-Apple Compote

Credit: Gentyl & Hyers; Styling: Kendra Smoot

French Toast with Maple-Apple Compote Recipe

This decadent french toast recipe will have you quickly out of bed and into the kitchen. Sweet Pink Lady apples hold up well to being sautéed for the compote.

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Banana-Stuffed French Toast

Banana-Stuffed French Toast Recipe

Get a serving of fruit in with your sticky-sweet breakfast by layering cinnamon-raisin bread with thinly sliced bananas. A dose of warm maple syrup rounds out the weekend-friendly dish.

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French Toast Bites

Credit: Leigh Beisch

French Toast Bites Recipe

This bite-sized recipes is kid-friendly and a crowd pleaser, to boot. Because the pieces are smaller, they're less likely to get soggy like full-sized French toast. Plus, because it's cut into smaller pieces, the bread slices cook faster and are easier to manage.

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Pound Cake French Toast

Pound Cake French Toast Recipe

When regular French toast isn't sweet enough, substitute slices of store-bought pound cake to up the flavor quota. A zesty two-ingredient homemade raspberry sauce brings out the rich flavor of the cake, while the Maple-Mint Cream adds an extra dose of richness.

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Toffee French Toast with Pecans

Toffee French Toast with Pecans Recipe

The luscious sauce makes this French toast taste like sticky toffee pudding. If you have any sauce leftover, reserve it for a decadent ice cream drizzle.

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Croissant French Toast With Fresh Strawberry Syrup

Croissant French Toast With Fresh Strawberry Syrup Recipe

Day-old croissants are the perfect foil to the sweet whipped cream and strawberry syrup. They hold up well to the short cook time and infuse rich flavor into the colorful dish.

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Overnight Caramel French Toast

Credit: Jan Smith

Overnight Caramel French Toast Recipe

You'd never guess that this make-ahead dish, with it cinnamon-sugar sprinkle, was a lightened version of your childhood favorite. Mark this recipe for the holidays, or weekends when you have guests staying over. It's quick to prepare, sits overnight, and cooks for less than an hour in the morning while it fills your house with a warm, delicious scent.

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Cheese-Stuffed French Toast with Strawberry Sauce

Cheese-Stuffed French Toast with Strawberry Sauce Recipe

From top to bottom, this French toast recipe boasts flavor-packed accents that are sure to leave guests raving. Candied lemon curd and a sweet strawberry sauce top vanilla-scented French bread that conceals pockets of rich cream cheese. It's decadent, indulgent, and delicious all at once.

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Strawberry-Filled French Toast with Caramel and Pecans

Credit: Randy Mayor

Strawberry-Filled French Toast with Caramel and Pecans Recipe

Fill slices of French bread with sweet strawberry preserves and top with cinnamon, nutmeg, and chopped pecans. This recipe bakes in the oven, which means less time flipping the slices and more time enjoying your guests.

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Pumpkin-Stuffed French Toast

Credit: Kate Sears; Styling: Gerri Williams for James Reps

Pumpkin-Stuffed French Toast Recipe

This fall-inspired recipe is stuffed with serious pumpkin flavor and infused with cinnamon, nutmeg, and light brown sugar, taking traditional french toast up a notch.

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Overnight Apple French Toast

Credit: Gooseberry Patch Recipes

Overnight Apple French Toast Recipe

This savory breakfast treat is definitely worth the overnight wait. Taking a crazy spin on traditional french toast, this recipe yields a drool-worthy outcome. Soaked with brown sugar, apple jelly, and freshly sliced apples, this french toast recipe will soon become a family favorite.

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Baked French Toast

Credit: Oxmoor House

Baked French Toast Recipe

Don't be surprised to hear your kids bolt out of bed when they smell this delicious dish cooking. Use French bread to cut down on the calories.

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Banana-Chocolate French Toast

Credit: Johnny Autry; Styling: Leigh Ann Ross

Banana-Chocolate French Toast Recipe

This Banana-Chocolate French Toast recipe will please even the pickiest of eaters. Make breakfast, brunch, or breakfast for dinner a combination of sweet and savory.

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Overnight Peaches-and-Cream French Toast

Overnight Peaches-and-Cream French Toast Recipe

Jazz up traditional French toast with sweet peaches and heavy cream in this make-ahead breakfast casserole dish. It's perfect for holiday mornings, birthday celebrations, or any day you want to make extra special.

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Guiltless French Toast

Credit: Southern Living

Guiltless French Toast Recipe

This lightened version of French toast is made with egg whites instead of whole eggs, orange juice and whole wheat bread and has less than 5 grams of fat per serving.

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One-Dish Blackberry French Toast

Credit: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Marian Cooper Cairns

One-Dish Blackberry French Toast Recipe

Perfect for a holiday breakfast or a weekend brunch, this french toast recipe is loaded with tasty, sweet ingredients. Of course, you can always add a little extra sweetness with maple syrup or whipped cream.

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Peach French Toast

Credit: Mikkel Vang

Peach French Toast Recipe

The succulent flavor of ripe peaches shines in this memorable breakfast recipe. Make today's morning meal special; you deserve it.

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French Toast Soufflé

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

French Toast Soufflé Recipe

The only thing better than French Toast is turning it into a soufflé. Make this dish for brunch or surprise your kids with this treat in place of the standard French Toast. A firm white bread produces the best texture in this make-ahead breakfast casserole.

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Orange-Pecan French Toast Casserole

Credit: Karry Hosford

Orange-Pecan French Toast Casserole Recipe

This overnight French toast casserole saves you the trouble of standing over a griddle flipping individual slices of French toast. For more great breakfast casseroles, see our complete collection of breakfast and brunch recipes.

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Baked Caramel-Banana French Toast

Credit: John Montana; Styling: Elizabeth Blake

Baked Caramel-Banana French Toast Recipe

Decadent, easy-to-serve Baked Caramel-Banana French Toast is great for family brunches. It's a tasty dessert option, too, for parties or dinner.

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Our Best French Toast Recipes

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Basic French Toast

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Copycat IHOP Strawberry Banana King's Hawaiian French Toast

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Cinnamon-Apple Stuffed French Toast

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How to Make the Best Hot Chocolate French Toast

Hot Chocolate French Toast

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Creme Brulee French Toast Is Lit

Creme Brulee French Toast

Ingredients

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Focaccia French Toast Is Freaking Fantastic

Focaccia French Toast

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French Toasted Waffles

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French Toast with Maple-Apple Compote

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Banana-Stuffed French Toast

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French Toast Bites

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Pound Cake French Toast

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Toffee French Toast with Pecans

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Croissant French Toast With Fresh Strawberry Syrup

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Overnight Caramel French Toast

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Cheese-Stuffed French Toast with Strawberry Sauce

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Strawberry-Filled French Toast with Caramel and Pecans

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Pumpkin-Stuffed French Toast

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Overnight Apple French Toast

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Baked French Toast

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Banana-Chocolate French Toast

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Overnight Peaches-and-Cream French Toast

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Guiltless French Toast

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One-Dish Blackberry French Toast

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Peach French Toast

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French Toast Soufflé