
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
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
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!


[…] breakfast in the recipe notes below! Some other breakfast recipes to try are my all time favorite Crunchy French Toast and my delicious Veggie Breakfast […]
i just found you on google while searching some good recipe and found your website very interesting. I love to cook and will try to show some my cooking skills while using your recipes.
Just one suggestion, there are lots of spelling mistakes which need to be corrected.
Thank you so much for letting me know! I will fix them asap!
[…] Crunchy French Toast […]