Crunchy French Toast

The secret to making French toast great

Crunchy French toast is great if you get it right. It’s something I order every time I go out for breakfast or brunch. My favorite brunch spot in Lahore boasts a Crunchy French Toast that is to die for, and I was lucky enough to get the secret process from the chef himself! It’s made using a house made brioche, dipped in a thick custard over night and topped with crunchy cereal and slow cooked in butter. I don’t follow the recipe exactly, because I’m not going to make a fresh loaf of brioche every time I want French toast. I simplified the recipe enough so it can easily be at home, whether you have a restaurant grade kitchen or not.

French toast is all about the textures

The best Crunchy French toast has a variety of textures. The center has to be tender and custardy, with a crunchy crust to hold it together. You get the perfect crust by slow cooking the French toast in butter. I like adding just enough sugar for a light sweetness, so if you don’t want to add maple syrup you can eat it on it’s own. I love serving this French toast with a dollop of Chantilly cream, which is just whipped cream that is lightly sweetened and has a touch of vanilla. Fresh berries are a must in our house, strawberries being our favorite. I have some topping options listed in the recipe notes below.

They key to getting it right every time

There are a few tricks I picked up from the Chef of my favorite brunch spot, and they really make a difference. Even if you have fresh bread, letting it dry out really helps with the final texture. I have some tips on how to dry your bread out in the recipe notes. I like a higher egg to milk ratio, because the eggs give the French toast a custard center. Eggs also help the bread retain its shape. Making the mixture thin results in soggy bread that breaks on you. If you follow a couple of key points, you’ll get the best French toast every time.

Crunchy French Toast

This crunchy french toast meats all the requirments for a fabulous breakfast! The center is tender and custardy while the crust is crunchy and delicious. Top it with your favorite fruits and a drizzle of maple syrup for a seriously delicious crunchy french toast!

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American, French

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 6-8 thick slices of brioche bread or white bread
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup sugar or brown sugar
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 cup milk whole milk or 2%
• 1 tsp vanilla optional
• 2 cups corn flakes cereal crushed
• butter for frying

Instructions

 

• In a shallow bowl beat the eggs with the sugar, cinnamon and vanilla. Add the milk while whisking the eggs.
• In a separate shallow dish spread out the crushed cereal. Heat 2 tbsp of butter in your pan on a low flame.
• Dip the bread for 45-50 seconds on each side, then dip in the crushed cereal. Carefully transfer the bread into the pan and slow cook for 4 minutes on both sides, or until both sides are crispy and golden brown.
• Serve with warm maple syrup and fresh fruit.

Notes

Variations. You can easily switch out the bread for a whole wheat option, just make sure the slices are cut thicker than normal bread. Brown sugar works great in this as well. It gives a caramel flavor to the custard which caramelizes great. You can use any cereal, but I prefer using plain corn flakes. It’s more for texture than anything. 

Drying out the bread. The best option is to use stale bread. But if your bread is fresh you can dry it out over night by placing the slices slightly separated in your fridge. You can also air dry them for a few hours. 

Adding flavor.  I love adding cinnamon and vanilla to this, but just adding one is fine. I’ve made this without the cinnamon, with just vanilla and it works great.

Slow cook it. Slow cooking this French toast in butter ensures a crunchy crust, but also a cooked through center. The custard is thick, so when it cooks on a low flame it cooks through without staying soggy. It’s a custard texture which makes a great bite. 

Toppings.  I prefer my crunchy French toast with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries. You can add a drizzle of maple syrup or honey. Heating up the syrup slightly gives so much more flavor. Bananas and Nutella are a great topping combination as well. 

Keyword Breakfast, Crunchy French Toast, French Toast

Have you tried this breakfast favorite?

Did you try this crunchy French toast? If you did, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comments below!

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