French toast is a brunchtime classic, but when it’s made with the wrong bread, it can quickly turn soggy and lackluster. That’s why, when the hunger strikes, we confidently reach for a loaf of braided, spongy challah and whip up challah French toast.
Challah is softer and more pillowy than other types of bread, thanks to the addition of eggs and oil to its dough. Its unique brioche texture is perfect for soaking up the silky French toast custard, which then sizzles up to a caramelized golden-brown color when it meets the skillet’s heat. When you serve challah French toast with a pat of yellow butter and some warm maple syrup, you’ll never want to have French toast any other way.
Ingredients for Challah French Toast
- Cream or milk: Use half-and-half cream, 2% milk or a 50-50 mixture of the two for our challah French toast recipe.
- Eggs: You’ll need three large eggs to make the French toast custard.
- Honey: We lightly sweeten the custard with 2 tablespoons of honey.
- Vanilla extract: A touch of vanilla extract adds a floral note with a hint of sweetness.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon and cardamom make this French toast taste extra warm and cozy.
- Orange zest: Cardamom and cinnamon were meant to be paired with orange. Zest an orange the same way you’d zest a lemon, and avoid grating the bitter white pith.
- Challah: Grab the biggest loaf of challah you can find at your local bakery or grocery store. If it’s in the day-old section, even better—dry bread soaks up more custard. You could also try your hand at a homemade challah loaf. In fact, our recipe makes two loaves. The more the merrier!
- Toppings: The topping options for challah bread French toast are almost limitless. The tried-and-true duo is a pat of butter and the best maple syrup you can find. Homemade sweetened whipped cream is truly unbeatable, especially with a mound of fresh, local, in-season berries or stone fruit on top.
Directions
Step 1: Mix the custard
In a shallow dish, whisk together the cream or milk with the eggs, honey, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, salt, orange zest and cardamom.
Editor’s Tip: I like to use an immersion blender to combine the ingredients. It’s quicker and ensures there aren’t any stringy egg bits in the custard.
Step 2: Soak the slices
Preheat a greased griddle over medium heat. Dip the bread into the egg mixture, letting each slice soak for five seconds on each side.
Editor’s Tip: Avoid soaking for longer or your bread will be a soppy mess.
Step 3: Griddle the challah French toast
Cook the bread slices on the griddle until they’re golden brown on both sides. Serve the challah French toast with your favorite toppings, like butter, maple syrup, whipped cream, fresh berries or confectioners’ sugar.
Editor’s Tip: I like to warm up my maple syrup in a saucepan before serving it to bring out its hidden caramel flavor and to avoid making my French toast cold.
Recipe Variations
- Don’t be shy with the baking spices: We already have some warming flavor going on thanks to the cinnamon and cardamom, but you can certainly play it up with ground nutmeg, cloves or the ever-present pumpkin pie spice if the season calls for it.
- Break out the eggnog: If you’re making this challah French toast recipe during the holiday season, swap the milk or cream for homemade eggnog. It’s already custard-based and warmly spiced, so it will seamlessly pair with the French toast.
- Swap the dairy: Avoiding dairy? Replace it with almond, coconut or oat milk.
- Try a different bread: No, you don’t have to stick to challah bread. Other bread options include regular brioche, crusty artisan bread or really any dry-ish, sturdy loaf. Get creative here. It’s how we stumbled upon our blueberry muffin French toast recipe!
- Top it with nuts: Challah French toast can be a very soft dish. Some people prefer that, but you can easily add crunchy texture with candied pecans, toasted walnuts, slivered almonds or creamy pistachios.
How to Store Challah French Toast
If you have leftover slices of French toast, don’t toss ‘em! You can save them to enjoy another morning. Let them cool to room temperature, then place them in an airtight container. Store them in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat them by toasting them in a skillet with butter, or by microwaving them for a minute or so.
Challah French Toast Tips
What should I serve with challah French toast?
Chances are you’re serving this challah bread French toast as your main dish for brunch. It’s carb-heavy and sweet, so we suggest balancing out the brunch with a stack of bacon or juicy sausages, a plate of fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy hash browns, a carafe of fresh juice and mugs of steaming-hot coffee. Or, make it a boozy brunch with one or two of our favorite brunch-time drinks.
How can I keep cooked French toast warm to serve a crowd?
If you want to serve your big batch of French toast all at once instead of one plate at a time, try this handy trick! Preheat your oven to 200° and set a parchment-lined baking sheet inside. Every time a slice of French toast is finished cooking, add it to the baking sheet in the oven to keep it warm until you’re ready to serve them all at once.
