Brown Sugar French Toast is one of our all-time favorite breakfast and brunch recipes. Slices of bread are dipped in brown sugar and cinnamon then sprinkled with more brown sugar before pan-frying to a perfect crispy, golden brown. If you want an updated version of classic French Toast, you need to give this recipe a try.
We love how fast French Toast comes together for brunch or breakfast, and it doesn't take much more effort to make it super special. This is one of those recipes to keep around for either a leisurely Sunday brunch or even a busy weekday morning. If you love brunch as much as we do, try our Brioche French Toast Casserole or Cranberry Dutch Baby for interesting and elegant recipes.
Ingredients that Matter
Most of these ingredients are staples of French toast, but it's worth getting to know them a bit better.
- Brown Sugar. The molasses in brown sugar gives it the unique caramel and toffee flavor. It's used a couple times in this recipe. First, it's whisked into the egg mixture used for dipping the bread and then it's sprinkled on the bread before pan-frying. If you need a substitute, you can use regular granulated sugar, but you'll miss much of what makes this French toast taste so special.
- Orange Zest. The colorful exterior of citrus contains essential oils and is packed with flavor. We use the zest from one orange to add more complex flavor to our custard (and orange and brown sugar are a delicious flavor combination).
- Cinnamon and Nutmeg. These two warm spices are also a wonderful compliment to the caramel flavor of brown sugar. Use ground cinnamon but grate your own nutmeg for fresher, brighter flavor compared to pre-ground nutmeg.
- Eggs. The base of French toast is effectively a custard and whole eggs provide the custard with body. Plus the presence of egg yolks make for a rich, buttery texture.
- Bread. Of course you need bread to make French toast, but what you use is mostly up to preference. A sandwich bread, like basic white, wheat or honey-oat (as shown below) keeps the French toast light and soft inside. Crusty, rustic breads also work great but they'll have a denser, chewier texture.
About the Technique
French toast is one of the easier breakfast or brunch recipes to make. Read below to learn more about how it all comes together.
- Add Hot Butter to Brown Sugar. Pouring hot melted butter over brown sugar helps melt the sugar, allowing the sugar to better incorporate into the custard and also enhancing the natural toffee flavor. The hot butter also helps bloom the cinnamon and nutmeg, making the flavors pop. Melt the butter in the same skillet you'll use to cook the French toast (no need to dirty more dishes).
- Quick Dip. Leaving the bread to soak too long in the custard can result in mushy French toast that will never get crispy on the outside. So you only need to dip the bread quickly in the custard, flip to make sure both sides are coated, then transfer to a plate or sheet tray.
- Sprinkle More Sugar. Just before cooking the French toast, sprinkle more brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg on both sides of the bread. This sugary exterior adds more flavor and sweetness, of course, but it's mostly there to caramelize with the hot butter as it cooks. You'll have to watch the heat of the pan as sugar is prone to burning, but cooking the French toast at about medium heat and flipping it every so often will prevent unpleasant burning.
How to Make Brown Sugar French Toast
- Whisk together brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla in a shallow dish. Pour hot melted butter over the dry ingredients, add eggs and milk then whisk well to create a custard.
- Dip slices of bread in custard and flip to coat well. Transfer to a sheet tray or plate and sprinkle with more brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Then cook in hot butter, flipping occasionally to avoid burning.
What to Serve with the French Toast
You can't go wrong serving this French toast with a simple drizzle of maple syrup. But to really make it brunch-worthy, add a dollop of fresh whipped cream, slices of orange, fresh berries and a finishing grate of more orange zest. Or serve it alongside our Blackberry Strawberry Banana Smoothie or our Mini Egg Bites with Broccoli and Cheddar.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in a toaster or oven. You can also make the custard a day ahead of time. Just keep it in the fridge and give a whisk before dipping in the bread slices.
Video: Watch the recipe come together
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Recipe
Brown Sugar French Toast
- Total Time: 25
- Yield: 8 slices 1x
Description
Brown sugar French toast is one of our all-time favorite breakfast and brunch recipes. Slices of bread are dipped in brown sugar and cinnamon then sprinkled with more brown sugar before pan-frying to a perfect crispy, golden brown.
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp. brown sugar, divided
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
- ½ tsp. fresh grated nutmeg, divided
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 pinch table salt
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for cooking
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 8 (½-inch thick) slices bread, such as white, wheat or honey oat (see note)
- maple syrup, whipped cream, orange slices and berries, for serving
Instructions
- Stir together 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon nutmeg in a shallow dish or pie pan. Add orange zest, vanilla and salt. Pour on hot melted butter and whisk until smooth. Add eggs and whisk. Add milk and whisk mixture until smooth to create a custard. Dip slices of bread in the custard, flipping to coat well. Transfer to a sheet tray or clean plate.
- Heat more butter in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium. Just before cooking, sprinkle some of the brown sugar and spice mixture on bread slices. Then, working in batches, add 2 to 3 slices to skillet and cook, flipping occasionally, until golden brown and crispy, about 2 to 3 minutes per side (see note). Repeat with remaining bread and sugar mixture. Serve French toast with whipped cream, maple syrup, berries and orange slices.
Notes
- This recipe will work with just about any sliced bread, including brioche, challah and sourdough.
- Be sure to adjust heat as needed when cooking the French toast as the sugar coating may burn. Try to keep the heat around medium and lower the heat it if the pan gets to hot.
- Keep leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in a toaster or oven.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 15
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Sautee
- Cuisine: American
Kate says
Easy to make, delicious, light and full of flavor. We will definitely make this again.
John Travis says
Love the combo of orange and brown sugar. So delicious!
Jackie says
I am not exaggerating when I say this is the best French toast I have ever had in my entire life. I am speechless. I used stale brioche and doubled everything in the topping mixture except the nutmeg. This French toast gets the most beautiful caramelized crust on the outside. It's so good you don't need maple syrup. yup I Said it. you don't need anything on top. You can taste orange and brown sugar and cinnamon and the nutmeg is there just a hint to bring out the other flavors. This blew my mind. I have been looking for a special French toast recipe for years and the other recipes I found were good simple nothing to write home about. Not this one this one immediately got saved and will be a staple for the rest of my life. My man who usually is quiet bit into this and all I heard from the other room was "oh my God that is incredible". Thank you for the best recipe ever!
Adam Dolge says
That's so nice of you! I'm so glad you liked this recipe. It was one of the first ones I shared on this blog that I absolutely loved! I'm constantly tweaking it when I make it for my family now, but this base recipe is still so great. I appreciate your comment 🙂