Simple 20-Minute Brioche French Toast

My Brioche French Toast recipe is easy and delicious! Ready in only 20 minutes, this thick and fluffy French toast is a perfect dish that everyone will love for breakfast and brunch. Make it using just a few simple ingredients and cook in a skillet until perfectly golden!

I am typically a savory breakfast kinda gal, but every once in awhile you’ll catch me craving something sweet- and 9 times out of 10 I’m making (or ordering) a BIG plate of french toast! Especially if it’s made with brioche bread! There’s something so comforting about warm, pillowy stack of french french toast to start your morning off on the right foot.

When testing this recipe, I wanted to make sure the egg to milk ratio was perfect so that the custard would soak into the brioche bread evenly, without leaving too much egg on the surface after being cooked. I also wanted to make sure there was enough flavor in the custard, which is where the cinnamon and vanilla extract make all the difference- don’t skip those!

Why use brioche bread?

Brioche is the gold standard choice for french toast, and definitely my personal favorite type of bread to grab when I want to make a batch at home. Brioche bread is fluffy & tender, yet can withstand soaking up the custard mixture without falling apart. Because of it’s sponge-like texture, it absorbs the custard evenly which means perfectly soft insides and crispy caramelized outside- aka the perfect french toast in my opinion!

I’ve tested a lot of french toast recipes, and brioche is the bread I always come back to when I’m creating a new recipe. I also love sourdough french toast, especially when I’m in my homemade sourdough phase (which comes and goes often).

Easy to make

Step 1: In a bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. You want to use a bowl that is shallow/wide enough you can dip and soak the bread in. A shallow pan like a 9×13 pan or a 9-inch pie pan works great!

Step 2: Heat your skillet over medium heat. When the skillet gets hot, melt some butter in the pan (I used about ¼-½ tbsp of butter per piece of bread).

Take your brioche bread and dip one side into the egg mixture- let it soak for 15-20 seconds and then flip it and repeat. Pick up the bread and carefully shake the excess egg off and place it in the skillet. You can make 2 pieces at a time, or more if your skillet is big enough.

B&B Kitchen Secrets: Be sure to not let your brioche bread soak in the custard mixture for too long– this can lead to soggy french toast that falls apart or doesn’t crisp up nicely on the outside!

Step 3: Cook toast for about 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. If you feel like your bread is getting too brown you can turn down the heat.

Serve immediately. Top with your favorite toppings- syrup, butter, powdered sugar, fruit, and whipped cream are some great toppings!

Did someone say “toppings”?!

You can really use anything you would like on top of your french toast, but some ideas are homemade buttermilk syrup, spiced maple syrup, powdered sugar, fresh berries or bananas, a strawberry compote, chocolate chips, peanut butter or nutella, mascarpone cheese, whipped cream, or my favorite if I’m feeling decadent- a homemade caramel sauce.

Serving French toast to a crowd

If you’re making a large batch of french toast, or want to make it a little bit ahead of time here is what I typically like to do to ensure my french toast is still warm for my guests- turn your oven to 200° F before making the french toast and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Once you’re done cooking a piece (or two), place it on the baking sheet and put it into the oven until ready to serve.

If you want to time a brunch perfectly, I’d probably whip up and throw this cottage cheese egg bake into the oven before I start the french toast. That way you can time it up to have the french toast be ready when the egg bake is coming out of the oven!

Want to try more french toast recipes?

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