This Caramelized French Toast recipe is honestly the BEST french toast recipe you will ever try. Thick cut slices of challah bread dipped in a creamy custard and pan fried in a skillet until golden brown, then topped with brown sugar to caramelize again for a crispy, sweet exterior.
Happy Sunday!
From kale salad to French Toast…life is all about balance lol.
It has been more than a year since I’ve been out to brunch. This fact brings me great sadness, not only because brunch is one of my favorite meals (breakfast AND lunch food combined?!), but also because brunching was a way for me to meet up and reconnect with friends. I am definitely looking forward to the days when it will be safe to go out and brunch again, but until then, I’ve decided to host my own solo brunch, with the star being this Caramelized French Toast.
The key to perfect French Toast…
French toast is pretty easy to make, but very hard to make just right. This french toast recipe has a few elements that makes it stand out from others.
Here are a few tips to perfect french toast:
First, the bread.
It is essential to use either brioche or challah bread for this recipe. Brioche is an enriched dough, meaning it has butter, diary, and flour. Challah is similar, but uses oil instead of butter. These extra ingredients make the dough very rich, with a lot of texture that can stand up to the batter we will dip the bread in. Also, slicing the bread thick will make sure you get the right balance of flavor and texture. There is nothing worse than a soggy piece of french toast.
Next, the custard.
This is the liquid batter for dipping the slices of bread. Egg is an essential component of the custard, but the trick is to use egg yolks only. This way, the batter is creamy and delicious, without the eggy taste. I also like to use buttermilk in the custard because the slightly tart taste prevents the custard from being too sweet. Another hint: don’t dip the slices of bread in the custard batter too long, 30 seconds per side max!
Finally, caramelization.
This is essential to getting french toast with delicious crispy edges and a soft center. Basically, this process is just browning sugar until it forms a crust. Start by cooking the french toast on one side, then flip it over and sprinkle on a generous amount of your favorite coarse brown sugar (the type with big sugar crystals). I like to use Turbinado or coconut sugar. Then flip, so the side with the sugar is now face down in the pan, and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until the sugar dissolves and crystalizes.
Follow these tips and your French toast will turn out perfect every time. Now go forward and brunch!
Looking for more brunch recipes? Try:
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If you make this recipe, be sure to let me know by rating it and leaving a comment below. I would love to hear from you. And don’t forget to tag #sweetandsorrel on Instagram!
Caramelized French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 challah loaf, cut into 8 thick slices
- 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup coarse brown sugar
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- salt
Instructions
- Cut day old challah bread into thick slices. I got about 8 slices (including ends) from 1 loaf.
- In a large dish, whisk together buttermilk, egg yolks, maple syrup, spices, 1 tbsp sugar, and salt.
- Add butter and oil to a cast iron pan and allow to slowly heat up on medium-low heat. Dip challah slices into custard and soak for 10-15 seconds per side. Working in batches, gently transfer slices to hot cast iron pan (I fit about 3 slides in my pan at a time). NOTE: the oil is optional, I find it helps the french toast cook more evenly. You can just use butter if you prefer.
- Pan fry slices for 3 minutes, or until first side is golden brown. Use a spatula to flip slices over, then sprinkle the cooked side of the french toast slices with a generous amount of coarse brown sugar. Cook on the second side for 3 minutes, then flip slices over so the side with the sugar is now face down in the pan. Cook for another 2 minutes, until sugar caramalizes and forms a crust. Repeat with the second side.
- Once cooked, transfer the french toast to a plate and let cool for 1-2 minutes, to allow the crust to firm up. Serve with fresh fruits and maple syrup, if desired. You honestly don't even need any maple syrup with this French toast!
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7 Comments
This looks incredible! How much salt do you recommend adding to the custard? Thanks!
Thank you Gracie! I only added about a 1/4tsp of salt to the custard, you don’t need much at all.
Thanks! I made this for dinner tonight and everyone inhaled it! You’re right…no syrup needed… delightful!
So happy to hear it Gracie!