Challah French Toast
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Soaked in a rich cinnamon-laced custard, this challah french toast is fit for a special occasion.
This challah French toast isn’t your everyday French toast—the kind you might throw together with stale sandwich bread, eggs, and whatever milk you have in the fridge. It’s something much more special. Made with challah and a rich custard flavored with honey, vanilla, and plenty of cinnamon, it cooks up slightly crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside, tasting almost like bread pudding. Looking for a family-style twist? Try my baked apple French toast or my boozy French toast casserole for an equally delicious variation.
“What an amazing upgrade to plain ole’ french toast but yet so simple! Keeper. Thanks!”
What You’ll Need To Make Challah French Toast
- Eggs: The base of the custard, giving the french toast its rich, creamy texture.
- Low-Fat Milk: Lightens the egg mixture while still contributing moisture and flavor.
- Heavy Cream: Adds extra richness to the custard, ensuring the toast is indulgent and creamy.
- Honey: Provides a hint of natural sweetness that balances the savory notes.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor with warm, sweet undertones.
- Cinnamon: Adds a cozy warmth and spice to the custard mixture.
- Salt: Intensifies the flavors of the custard and bread.
- Challah or Brioche: Challah and brioche are both rich, egg-based breads and perfect for french toast. Day-old bread is ideal because it absorbs the custard without becoming too soggy.
- Unsalted Butter: For frying the bread, giving it a golden, flavorful crust.
- Vegetable Oil: Ensures even cooking and prevents the butter from burning.
- Maple Syrup: The classic topping, providing a sweet finishing touch.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the eggs, milk, cream, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a large baking dish. Whisk well.
Place a few slices of bread in the custard.
Heat 1-1/2 tablespoons butter and 1-1/2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in a large skillet; add the soaked challah.
Cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Transfer the challah french toast to a wire rack and place in the oven to keep warm while cooking the remaining bread.
Serve hot with maple syrup and enjoy!
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Challah French Toast
Soaked in a rich cinnamon-laced custard, this challah french toast is fit for a special occasion.
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- ¾ cup low-fat milk
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 loaf day old challah, brioche or other good bread sliced ¾-inch thick
- Unsalted butter
- Vegetable oil
- Maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°F. Set wire rack on baking sheet and set aside.
- In a large baking dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
- Place a few slices of the challah in the custard and let soak, flipping occasionally, until saturated but not falling apart, 1 to 2 minutes depending on how moist you like your french toast.
- Heat 1½ tablespoons butter and 1½ tablespoons oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook the first batch of soaked bread until golden brown, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to the wire rack and place in the oven to keep warm while cooking the remaining bread. Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels. Soak and fry the remaining bread, using butter and oil as necessary, until it's all cooked. Serve hot with maple syrup.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 6
- Calories: 543
- Fat: 33 g
- Saturated fat: 14 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Sugar: 10 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 15 g
- Sodium: 481 mg
- Cholesterol: 282 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Comments
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Hi Jenn! Can’t wait to try these!
Im wondering if I could make the custard (egg mixture) the night before? Also, one of ours is allergic to honey- are there any alternatives you can think would be just as good or should I leave the honey out, make the honey free batch and then make the rest with honey?
Trying to find the most convenient way of making these for everyone without losing the “deliciousness” factor.
As always, love your recipes. We use several on a weekly basis.
-Celeste
Sure, Celeste, you can definitely make the egg mixture the night before and refrigerate it. And you can replace the honey with maple syrup. Hope everyone enjoys!
Is there any way to do this recipe as an overnight french toast?
Unfortunately, I don’t think this will work if it sits overnight. This recipe is perfect for that. Hope that helps!
This recipe is the apex of “attainable luxury”. I feel like a billionaire when I eat it. Thanks so much!
LOL – so glad you like it! 🙂
This is the best recipe I’ve found for French toast and my girls love it! Until now, we weren’t a regular “French toast” type of family, but now, I make it a couple times a month! Thank you!
This is my favorite french toast recipe😁
A delicious French toast, the custard has the right mix of flavors. The only substitution I made was to use a rustic round country white loaf of bread I made the day prior. Served it for brunch when the kids where home from college to the delight of all.
French Toast was great. I only made a half batch. Could I save the leftover egg mixture and use tomorrow?
Sure!
This French toast is delicious! Followed the exact recipe and used challah bread. Sifted powdered sugar on op at the end. Yummy!
Hi Jenn,
I have two questions: 1) could you provide me with an estimate of the net weight of bread loaf you’d recommend using?; and 2) I’ve been wanting to make this with Challah and have not been impressed with the Challah quality being sold around me. I have tried a couple Challah recipes so far with so-so results and too much work for what I got. Any chance you’re planning on posting a Challah recipe on your website in the near future? Much appreciated 🙂
Hi Malak, Typically challahs are about 1 pound. I do have a challah recipe in my cookbook – I’ll email it to you. 🙂
Jenn,
I made Challah myself from a book and it turned out dry and flavorless.
Would you send me the challah recipe you use? I would love to try your recipe. Thanks!
Hi Zhanna, here’s a link to the recipe. Hope you enjoy!
Perfect French Toast… enjoy the ease of prep and time, this is much better than going out. Do you have any tips for great coffee, I prefer a pot over an single cup brew method.
So glad you liked the French toast. Regarding the coffee, I used to grind my own beans, but in recent years have gotten lazy and just use a Keurig- sorry I can’t be more helpful!
I have been searching for the perfect French Toast recipe and thanks to you I have finally found it. I do not like mine too soggy so i did a quick flip on both sides and browned it to perfection. With the challah bread it was like pieces of heaven.
This was the absolute BEST French Toast I’ve ever eaten. I used brioche and it was delicious. But I will try challah next time for comparison. I frequently have weekend breakfasts for family, and your recipes are always a bit!
My one question is, how would this be cooked on a griddle vs frying as directions state? Thanks!
Dina Herron
Definitely, Dina – so glad you enjoyed it!