This Brioche French Toast is made for slow-moving mornings with the family, yet polished enough to serve as a stress-free main to brunch guests. Thanks to the brioche, this particular French toast is rich and custardy with crisp, buttery edges.
My taste-testers loved this dish for being sweet, indulgent, but not too heavy. It's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser!
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
With 15+ years of professional recipe testing, I've made French toast every which way, with all different kinds of bread. From sourdough French toast to stuffed French toast with a strawberry cheesecake filling, I've learned what works...and what doesn't.
This brioche French toast recipe is taste-tester perfection thanks to slice thickness, a curated custard-flavor balance, and dialed-in skillet heat.
Slice Control | Thick, 1-inch slices create enough structure to absorb custard without collapsing, while still cooking all the way through.
Dip, Don't Soak | Brioche is soft and super absorbent, which means it doesn't require the same amount of soak time as standard French toast made with white bread. Brioche only needs about 15 seconds per side.
Skillet Heat | Cooking over medium-low heat allows exterior to brown slowly while the custard cooks through the center. When heat is controlled on the stovetop, no oven finish is required.
The Custard | This custard is a smart blend of ingredients that results in rich flavor and amazing texture. The flour helps the exterior to crisp, while the half-and-half, eggs, and vanilla give it gourmet brunch spot vibes. And if you want to up those vibes even more, finish your brioche French toast with a drizzle of brown sugar simple syrup and fresh berries.
Why Brioche Works So Well for French Toast
Because brioche is made with extra butter and eggs, it already has rich flavor. This means it takes no extra effort on your part for an indulgent French toast experience.
Its softer crumb allows the interior of brioche French toast to stay custardy (not to be confused with soggy or underdone).
And, while the butter content means this bread is likely to brown quicker that white bread, lower skillet heat completely solves this problem, giving you golden edges without scorching.
Brioche French Toast Ingredients
- Brioche | Brioche is already rich thanks extra butter and eggs, but when it comes to French toast? Now we're talking decadent. It's best to begin with stale bread so the custard can absorb evenly and the brioche holds shape in the pan. For this recipe, I used a loaf of cinnamon swirl brioche and it worked great!
- Eggs | This is the base of the custard and the reason French toast has that signature creamy interior.
- Half-and-Half | This particular form of diary adds richness, without the heaviness, to French toast.
- Sugar | White granulated sugar both sweetens the custard and helps the exterior of French toast caramelize. It won't make your French toast cloyingly sweet; it's used in a small enough amount in this recipe to add the perfect kiss of sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract | This little ingredient takes standard French toast to bakery-worthy, rounding out richness and adding depth of flavor.
- Cinnamon | Cinnamon adds warmth and a touch of spice, elevating your brioche French toast with extra aromatics.
- Salt | A pinch of salt goes a long way when it comes to this dish, balancing out sweetness and sharpening flavor.
- Butter | Unsalted butter not only keeps the custardy exterior from sticking to pan, but also enables browning and crispy edges.
How to Make Brioche French Toast
Slice the Bread | Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut your brioche into 1-inch thick slices.
Pro Tip | Since brioche is extremely absorbent, an overnight air dry keeps your French toast from becoming soggy. Lay slices in single layer on a wire rack and leave uncovered at room temperature for 8-24 hours.
Make the Custard | Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a small mixing bowl and whisk. Slowly drizzle in the half-and-half, whisking all the while. Then, add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
Pour the custard mixture into a small casserole dish or pie dish and add two slices of bread.
Dip and Cook Sliced Brioche | Add butter to a large skillet over medium-low heat. While this brioche French toast recipe requires medium-low heat (and a bit more patience), your patience will be rewarded by complete control over browning and a fully cooked, custardy interior.
While waiting for butter to melt, add the bread to the custard and soak for about 15 seconds per side. It's more of a dip than a soak.
Transfer the soaked bread to the pan and cook for about three to four minutes. Lower the heat if necessary to keep the brioche from over-browning in the allotted cooking time. Flip and cook for another two to three minutes or until golden brown.
Doneness Indicator | The bread should be a deep golden brown on the outside and spring back gently when pressed. The center should feel set, not wet or spongy.
Cool | Remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack. This will allow for air to circulate, keeping heat from building up on the bottom, and entirely avoiding the fohpah that is soggy French toast.
Repeat | Carefully wipe out the pan between batches if necessary and repeat with the remaining butter and brioche slices. Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Brioche French Toast FAQs + Troubleshooting
French toast becomes soggy when it is soaked too long.
If your French toast is browning too fast, turn the heat down on your stovetop. Medium low heat is often best for cooking, but individual burners don't necessarily put out the same level of heat. It may be that on the particular burner you're using, French toast should cook on the low setting.
If the center of your brioche French toast feels undercooked, it is most likely because it was cooked for too short of a time for the custard to cook through in the middle.
No, brioche is not too soft for French toast, but because of its a tender, buttery bread, you should soak it for only 15 seconds per side before cooking.
Beginning with stale bread is always preferable for dishes like French toast and bread pudding. Since brioche is particularly absorbent, an overnight air dry works best.
Yes, you can use a pre-sliced loaf of brioche. Note, the slices will likely be closer to a ½-inch thick and require less cooking time, about 2 minutes per side.
Yes! French toast is one of those dishes that freezes extremely well. To freeze, allow to cool completely, separate slices with strips of wax paper and place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Remove all excess air without smooshing the bread and place in the freezer for up to three months.
Yes, brioche will brown faster than standard white bread because of its high fat content.
Topping and Serving Ideas
- Salted butter and warm maple syrup
- Strawberries or mixed berries
- Powdered sugar for a gourmet finish
- Lightly sweetened whipped cream
- Lemon zest and berries for brightness
For brunch guests, serve with Million Dollar Bacon, baked eggs, and a Bloody Mary or mimosa bar.
You can also serve brioche French toast with strawberries and cream for a simple yet elevated finish, or alongside a stack of strawberry pancakes or cinnamon roll pancakes if you're building out a full breakfast spread.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make Ahead | Bread can be sliced and dried a day in advance. I don't recommend making custard ahead as it can separate in a matter of hours.
How to Store Leftovers | Because of the custard, French toast should be refrigerated to store. Transfer an airtight container, seal, and store for up to three days. To freeze, allow to cool completely, separate slices with strips of wax paper and place in a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Remove all excess air without squishing the bread and place in the freezer for up to three months.
Reheating Tips | Reheat brioche French toast in the oven at 350°F on a wire rack over a baking sheet for 5-8 minutes, or until warmed to your liking. You can also reheat in the toaster on a the medium-low setting.
5 More Recipes to Make for Brunch
If you're planning a full brunch menu, these recipes pair wonderfully with brioche French toast. I love these recipes for hosting family and friends — they're all make-ahead to some degree and always a hit!
- Chocolate Croissants | A bakery-style addition that elevates any brunch spread and feels special with zero last-minute prep required.
- Peach Bourbon Smash | A refreshing, sweet cocktail that adds a festive touch to any brunch!
- Strawberry Pound Cake | This cake is make-ahead friendly and perfect for serving alongside fresh fruit.
- Peach Muffins | Soft, tender, and equipped with a buttery cinnamon crumble, these muffins are easy to bake and amazing for grazing throughout brunch.
- Croissant Sandwiches | These sandwiches are the savory counterbalance every brunch spread needs. Bonus — they can be prepped in advance and assembled just before serving!
Brioche French Toast
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 brioche loaf, cut into 1"-thick slices (it is best if the bread is 1-3 days old and slightly stale)
- 6-8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- Toppings Suggestions: whipped cream, powdered sugar, maple syrup, and/or fresh berries
Instructions
- Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to a small mixing bowl and whisk. Slowly pour in the half-and-half, whisking all the while. Then, add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined.
- Pour the custard mixture into a small casserole dish or pie dish and add two slices of bread. Soak for about 15 seconds on each side.
- Place a large frying pan over medium-low heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter. As soon as the butter has melted, transfer the soaked bread to the pan, and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Lower the heat if necessary to keep the toast from overbrowning in the allotted cook time. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from the pan and transfer to a wire rack. Carefully wipe out the pan between batches if necessary and repeat with the remaining butter and brioche slices.
- Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
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