French toast is a breakfast food that satiates the hungriest appetites. Where can you find a deliciously easy French toast recipe? Click here to download now.

It’s warm. It’s gooey. It’s covered in powdered sugar and maple syrup. And it’s so popular and beloved that it appears on more than 10% of all restaurant menus.

What is it? You guessed it: It’s French toast!

You don’t have to wait until the next trip to your favorite brunch restaurant to enjoy this sweet treat. Chances are you already have most of what you need to make delicious French toast at home.

All that’s missing is a great French toast recipe, which is where we come in. Keep reading below and we’ll teach you exactly what to do to replicate this tasty dish at home.

But first…

What Is French Toast Anyway?

Spoiler alert: French toast isn’t actually French. In fact, it’s not really toast, either. And in many parts of the world, it’s not considered breakfast food — it’s served as dessert!

So what is, exactly?

It’s based on a French dish called pain perdu, which means “lost bread.” In other words, it’s prepared from stale, day-old bread that would otherwise be tossed out. The idea of dipping it in milk and egg helps to revive it and give it a second life — or at least prevent it from getting “lost.”

There’s also research to suggest the origin goes back much farther than France. In ancient Roman times, it was popular to soak crustless bread in milk and eggs, fry it, and drizzle it in honey. So, in reality, we should be calling it “Roman toast” — although that doesn’t have quite the same ring to it.

Ingredients for Making French Toast

Its origins may be unclear, but one thing we can all agree on is that French toast tastes delicious. And once you see how easy it is to make, you’ll wonder why you didn’t start cooking it sooner!

To make your own version at home, all you’ll need to get started are these basic ingredients:

Bread
Eggs
Milk
Butter

Yes, that’s it! Of course, there are a million variations of French toast, from the type of bread you use to any toppings or fillings you prefer. But don’t worry — we’ll get to all that in our step-by-step recipe.

The Best French Toast Recipe

Along with your basic ingredients, you’ll need a mixing bowl, a frying pan, a whisk, and a spatula. Once you have everything you need, here’s how to make delicious French toast in your own kitchen.

Step 1: It's All in the Bread

The success of your French toast depends much on the bread you choose. Skip the pre-sliced sandwich bread (it’s too thin and soft and it will turn into a soggy mess) and opt for something heartier instead.

You might choose:

Classic French baguette
Brioche bread
Texas toast
Challah bread
Sourdough bread

If you want fluffier, creamier French toast, use brioche or Challah bread. For something with a little more crispiness and texture, stick with sourdough or baguette bread.

Whichever type of bread you choose, it should ideally be a few days old to better soak up the batter. Slice it into pieces about 3/4 of an inch thick. If you’re planning to make stuffed French toast (yum), slice it a little thinner — 1/2 inch should do the trick.

Step 2: Prepare Your Batter

Batter’s up! In your mixing bowl, combine the eggs and milk and whisk into a smooth, creamy, custard-like batter. To get the perfect consistency, aim for a ratio of:

1/4 cup of milk to one egg, and
One egg per two slices of bread

For example, if you’re making eight slices of French toast, you’ll need eight slices of bread, four eggs, and one cup of milk. Easy, right?

If you like your French toast on the sweet side, you might also stir in a bit of vanilla extract, maple syrup, brown sugar, or ground cinnamon into your batter. For a more savory version, add salt and pepper instead.

Step 3: Slather & Dip

If you’re making stuffed French toast, spread your chosen filling across the bread. Common fillings include Nutella, jam, honey, sweetened cream cheese, or peanut butter, but you can experiment and try anything you like.

Whether you’re stuffing your French toast or keeping it plain, dip the bread into the milk and eggs mixture. Be sure to flip it onto both sides to get a nice even coating. Bonus tip: Don’t soak it too long or it might get soggy!

Step 4: Fry Your French Toast

Melt butter in your frying pan over medium-high heat and get ready to make the magic happen. Place each slice of soaked bread in the pan (undisturbed) for about three minutes, or until the bottom becomes crispy and golden-brown.

Use your spatula to flip and fry on the other side for an additional two or three minutes. It’s best served fresh out of the pan, but you can always keep it warm in the oven — especially if you’re making a big batch for a large gathering!

Step 5: Add Your Favorite Toppings

Just like another favorite breakfast item — pancakes — there’s an endless amount of toppings and variations you can try on your homemade French toast.

If powdered sugar and maple syrup aren’t your things, you could experiment with sliced fruit, fresh berries, yogurt, mascarpone cheese, and the list goes on. For a unique twist, you could also go the savory route and top your French toast with melted gruyere cheese, bacon, or poached eggs.

Your Favorite Breakfast Foods (And Much More)

No matter how you slice it or what you top it with, French toast is a delicious treat at any time of the day. Now that you have this easy-to-follow French toast recipe, you can start whipping it up at home anytime you like!

Our food savvy doesn’t end at French toast. We know you love food as much as we do, so we’ve collected the best recipes and foodie tips together in one place to make it easy for you.

Click here to browse our other recipes and then get ready to start cooking!