Breakfast

Simple French Toast with Maple Syrup

Sweet Hawaiian bread is dipped in a creamy orange mixture and pan fried in butter. This french toast is perfect for brunch or breakfast!

To recipe
Simple french toast with maple syrup
Recipe insights & TIPS

I'm a savory breakfast kind of guy. Give me bacon and eggs with some toast and I'll shove it all together and make a sandwich, but now and then something sweet might sneak onto the table maybe in the form of french toast.

Easy french toast

Until I moved to the U.S. I had never tried the sweet version of bread dipped in egg. My mom would make a version of french toast which was just bread dipped in egg and milk and pan-fried, let's call it Scottish Toast for now. I'd douse it in ketchup, salt and pepper and probably grab two or three slices because it was so good. Breakfast for the family now is usually a choice of cereals or oatmeal and some egg for protein, but I like to make something more special on the weekend when time isn't so much of an issue.

Delicious french toast with syrup

This french toast is easy to make and even the fussiest eaters will perk up when they see it. I like it with just a little syrup but it can be served with whipped cream, fresh fruit or even whipped and sweetened mascarpone cheese. I think the bread is an important choice so I stick to the sweet breads like Hawaiian or some kind of cinnamon bread with raisins, although any bread would work. Whenever I make any kind of bread and egg dish I'll always use sweet bread.

The liquid base I used for this toast can also be used forand baked in the oven. I love adding the orange to it and if you have some lemons or limes lying around squeeze them in as well. This is one of those recipes where you can add extras and it will be pretty hard to mess up.

The perfect french toast for brunch
Simple french toast

I prefer to use a sweet bread or cinnamon breakfast bread and slice it myself. You can buy sliced but if it's too thin the bread may fall apart when dipped. If you use a stale french bread type of loaf, you may need to soak it for a few minutes extra to get the liquid absorbed into it.

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Recipe

Simple french toast with maple syrup

Course:
Breakfast
COOKing TIME:
5 minutes
Total TIME:
20 minutes
CUISINE:
American
PREP TIME:
15 minutes
SERVINGS:
4

Ingredients

  • 1 large loaf of bread- see notes below (16oz)
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp ground cloves
  • in Butter for cooking (about 1/2 stick)
  • Powdered sugar

Ingredient Swaps

Instructions

  1. Using a whisk, mix together the cream, eggs, orange juice, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and cloves in a flat baking tray. This makes it easier to dip the slices and get an even coverage.
  2. Slice the bread into thick slices, about 1 inch and set aside.
  3. Heat some of the butter in a pan wide enough to hold your bread slices, over a low heat until melted.
  4. Once the butter has melted, dip a slice of the bread into the liquid, turning over a few times to make sure it gets evenly coated.
  5. Transfer the bread to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes each side. It should be a nice golden brown color but still soft.
  6. Once you see this, flip the bread over with a spatula and cook the other side.
  7. Repeat the procedure with the rest of your bread keeping the already cooked slices covered with foil or in a very low oven until ready to serve.
  8. Dust with powdered sugar and drizzle with some good maple syrup. Serve warm.
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