One of my absolute favourite things to do with leftover challah over the weekend is make French toast – particularly on a Sunday morning. It’s one of the easiest breakfasts in the world and the payoff is fantastic.
What makes my recipe even better is that you don’t have to get up early to start mixing everything in the morning. I like to whisk my custard the night before and let the bread soak it up in the fridge while I sleep. In the morning, all I have to do is throw it in a pan and I’m ready to go!
This recipe is simple but super rich – and it’s perfect for all those cinnamon-haters (also see my apple pie recipe) out there because there’s none in it!
How to Make French Toast Without Using Cinnamon
This recipe is achingly simple and it requires only a minimal amount of prep time. However, you do need to plan a little bit in advance (just to get it ready the night before – which is so much easier than doing it in the morning!).
To be as lazy as possible, I like to go ahead and slice my bread and let it air dry for a few hours before I plan to make my custard.
I tend to use challah for French toast as that is what I have around most often, but you can use brioche instead. I just recommend using a soft, enriched bread rather than plain sliced white bread or something more rustic.
If you forget to do this step, you can simply dry out the bread in a low oven for a few minutes on each side. This will do the trick!
To make the custard, all you need is a bowl and a whisk! Add some eggs and give them a little whisk just to break them up a bit. Then, pour over some milk and cream and add in a bit of brown sugar and vanilla extract.
In lieu of cinnamon, I like to grate in just a touch of nutmeg, but this is completely optional and you can leave it out if you wish. I do think that the nutmeg can make the finished French toast taste reminiscent of eggnog, so it’s the perfect addition if you’re making this for a holiday breakfast!
Whisk all of this together until everything is well combined and no streaks of egg remain.
Then, go ahead and pour the custard into a rimmed baking tray and lay your pieces of bread on top. Flip the bread over so both sides have been saturated and then cover the whole tray with plastic and move the refrigerator, where you can keep it overnight.
You don’t have to let it soak for that long if you’re in a rush – you can cook the French toast as soon as all of the custard has been absorbed, but this can take an hour or more. So I prefer doing it overnight so I can just cook it immediately in the morning.
When you’re ready to cook, put a skillet or griddle (I like using cast iron) over medium heat and add in a pat of butter. Once the butter is melted and foamy, add the soaked bread (you may need to work in batches).
Cook on one side until it’s browned and burnished – about 3-5 minutes – before flipping and repeating on the other side.
And that’s it! All you need to do now is serve – topped with plenty of warmed maple syrup and maybe some fresh fruit.
French Toast Without Cinnamon
Ingredients
- 1 loaf challah or brioche day-old (or more)
- 6 eggs
- 375 ml (1 ½ cups) milk
- 120 ml (½ cup) cream
- 25 g (2 tbsp) brown sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg freshly grated (optional)
- Pinch salt
- 25 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
- Maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- The night before you want to cook your French toast, cut the challah (or brioche) into 2½cm (1 in) slices. Allow to dry out, uncovered, for a few hours (see note 1).
- Add the eggs to a large bowl and whisk just to break them up a bit. Pour over the milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, nutmeg (if using) and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined and no streaks of egg remain.
- Pour the custard into a large, rimmed baking tray (large enough to accommodate all of your bread slices). Lay the bread slices on top of the custard, then flip them over to ensure that both sides have been coated. Cover the tray with plastic, move it to the refrigerator and allow it to chill overnight.
- When ready to cook, remove the bread from the fridge. Set a griddle or skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Add a pat of butter. Once melted and foamy, add the soaked bread and cook until crisp and golden on one side – about 5 minutes. Flip and repeat on the other side. Serve immediately, topping with warm maple syrup.
Notes
- If you forget to let your bread dry out, don’t worry! Set a wire rack over rimmed baking sheet and lay the bread slices over it. Move it to a 100°C/200°F oven for 5 minutes before flipping and toasting for another 5 minutes. Proceed with the recipe as written.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
It’s totally possible to make delicious, rich French toast without using any cinnamon. This recipe is so easy and hands-off that it’s sure to become a favourite special occasion breakfast for years to come.
Are you after a great French Toast recipe? Have any questions? Let me know in the comments!
