13 Ways To Upgrade French Toast

French toast is a popular breakfast dish on restaurant menus and in home kitchens everywhere. It's deliciously soft, crispy, and full of flavor all at the same time. Plus, you can put a world of tasty toppings on it — what's not to love? Even if you think you're already a pro at making french toast, there are a handful of things you can do to upgrade the classic recipe. From opting for a richer dairy product than plain old milk to choosing the best bread to coating it with your favorite cereal, this simple yet delicious dish only gets better when you pay attention to the details and venture off the beaten path.

To uncover some of the most helpful french toast tips I interviewed two experts on the matter. The first is Cynthia Christensen, a pastry chef and the owner/recipe developer of the food blog, "But First We Brunch." The second is Katherine Sprung, an award-winning pastry chef and the founder of Squish Marshmallows, based in New York City. In addition to their insights, I also included a fantastic tip from the highly-revered French celebrity chef, Jacques Pépin. If you want to take your homemade french toast to the next level, you'll be very interested to learn the 13 tips my research and expert interviews taught me.

The first thing you can do to upgrade your french toast happens before you even start making the batter or heating up the stove, and it involves the bread. According to award-winning pastry chef Katherine Sprung, older, dry bread is best for french toast. This might sound off at first because old bread isn't great tasting all by itself, but when it comes to french toast, the dryness actually works in its favor. Sprung told me if you use fresh bread for french toast, it can easily become too mushy. While we want a slightly soft, creamy center, we still need the edges to crisp up and soggy or fresh bread really struggles in the texture department. Dry bread, on the other hand, has the perfect texture to soak up batter and still get crispy.

This tip is great if you have some dry bread lying around and want to put it to use before it goes in the trash. However, if you don't have any old bread on hand and are craving french toast, you can dry it out in the oven or toaster. Just make sure to use a low heat setting and don't go so far that the bread is not soft in the middle. About 10 minutes in the oven at 275 F should do the trick. If it is too toasted, it won't do a good job soaking up the batter.

In addition to using day-old or dry bread, the type of bread you use to make french toast makes a massive difference. Can you use your average sliced white or wheat bread? Sure, but one of the best ways to upgrade your french toast is to start with a super tasty bread. Fluffy breads are also your friend because they soak up more yummy batter.

Award-winning pastry chef and the founder of Squish Marshmallows Katherine Sprung told me she likes to use challah or brioche to make french toast because "they're fluffier and better at absorbing liquids." She said they act like a sponge, so they soak up lots of batter. Other super fluffy bread options that make incredible french toast include Hawaiian rolls, or, if you can find it, Japanese milk bread. While slightly different from brioche and challah, they share a lot of the same traits and they have a slightly sweet taste that works perfectly with french toast. In addition to fluffy breads, Sprung also recommends using breads that have a fun flavor baked in. For example, cinnamon raisin bread can make a delicious french toast.

Once you have your bread all sorted, it's time to move on to the batter. Typically, french toast batter is made with eggs, milk, and maybe a few seasonings. However, using a fattier type of dairy than regular milk will serve you well. In fact, The owner and recipe developer for the food blog "But First We Brunch," Cynthia Christensen, told me this is one of the first things she does to elevate french toast.

Instead of milk, Christensen likes using "a richer dairy product like heavy cream, half-and-half, or even eggnog for a festive touch." Just like with other dishes, french toast benefits from a richer, creamier taste and texture when you opt for a fattier dairy product. If you have ever tried mac and cheese made with heavy cream and thought it tasted better than normal, you know what I mean. Quite literally, the higher fat content leads to a decadent, creamy taste, and it does the same thing for french toast. Is it still okay to use milk? Yeah, of course! However, if you want an indulgent french toast upgrade, choosing a heavier dairy product than milk will serve you well.

Ready for another fantastic upgrade that involves the milk or cream you use to make french toast? Well, according to the woman behind Squish Marshmallows, Katherine Sprung, infusing flavors into the dairy you choose before soaking your bread is a great way to enhance flavor. She noted that both sweet and savory options work and you can choose something as simple as vanilla, or opt for something more elaborate like teas or herbs. "Just make sure to strain your milk before using it to make your custard base," says Sprung.

There are also a couple of fantastic flavorings that don't require straining or leaving your cream to sit for a bit, as you would with herbs, vanilla pods, or teas. For an instant flavor infusion, you can easily mix in a small amount of cold brew coffee, cocoa powder, or chocolate syrup into your milk or cream. Or, try adding a touch of pumpkin puree for fall-inspired french toast. You'll have to stir the batter quite a bit, but the flavor will carry over beautifully. Plus, pumpkin gets along famously with butter, maple syrup, and whipped cream, which we all know are french toast's all-time best friends.

Many of us simply give both sides of our bread a quick dip in batter before tossing it into the frying pan, but as it turns out, this isn't the best course of action. Instead of speedily battering french toast, award-winning pastry chef Katherine Sprung recommends letting it sit in the mixture for up to 10 minutes. She elaborated by saying that quickly dunking doesn't allow the battery to fully absorb into the bread, and that's what gives perfect french toast its creamy texture in the center. Leaving your french bread to soak "will also let your infused milk flavor pop more," says Sprung.

Most chefs would back Sprung up on the importance of soaking french toast bread for improved texture. In fact, the famed French celebrity chef Jacques Pépin says pretty much the same thing as Sprung. The only difference is he's a bit more vague about the timing, and says a couple of minutes does the job. When you are in a hurry to make breakfast it could be tempting to skip this slightly time-consuming step. After all, you've probably made french toast plenty of times without properly soaking your bread, but your dish will suffer as a result. Take it from the pros and always leave your bread to rest in the batter for a few minutes before cooking and you'll be rewarded with an uber creamy center.

People have varying opinions about whether you should fry french toast in oil or butter. Actually the debate is quite polarizing, and depending on who you ask, you'll find people passionate about both options. However, award-winning pastry chef and the founder of Squish Marshmallows Katherine Sprung put the debate to bed once and for all (at least in my mind) when she told me using equal amounts of both is not only ideal but it's a great way to upgrade french toast.

Sprung explained that a balance of butter and oil, "makes sure your butter doesn't burn too quickly, which can usually lead to a messy pan and burnt bread." No one wants that. In addition, using equal parts of both imparts a richer, fuller flavor to french toast and enables it to develop the crispy, golden-brown crust we all aim to achieve. Why choose when you don't have to? Forget about the never-ending debate and get the best of both worlds, as Sprung recommends.

When it comes to serving a group of people, pan-frying french toast becomes quite the task. Don't worry though. You can easily upgrade the cooking experience by making crispy, hassle-free french toast in the oven.

Katherine Sprung, award-winning pastry chef and the founder of Squish Marshmallows is a big fan of baked french toast when she doesn't want to mess with a frying pan or when she's cooking for large groups. She said you can simply batch the bread and bake it all at once in a casserole dish or large baking pan. Regrettably, she also told me, "You won't get the same fried effect, but this is super efficient, especially for big groups."

French toast is also one of the breakfast foods that cooks perfectly in the air fryer. While not ideal for groups, it does a great job of crisping the crust quickly and easily. Just make sure to line the bottom of your air fryer basket with parchment paper before cooking. Otherwise, all of the batter will drip off before it gets a chance to solidify and stick to the bread.

This next upgrade takes french toast in an entirely different direction and it comes to us from award-winning pastry chef Katherine Sprung. She told me that while most people think of french toast as a sweet dish, there's no reason why you can't turn it into a savory one. Interesting, right? I mean, she's right. French toast is one of the go-to options for sweet breakfast foods, but it doesn't have to be that way. Plus, making it a savory dish also opens up the potential for it to be enjoyed for lunch or dinner.

Chef Sprung told me a few different ways to pull off savory french toast without a hitch. First, she circled back to infusing the cream or milk and suggested using herbs. She also recommends "adding savory toppings like eggs, cheese, whipped cheeses, sautéed mushrooms and onions," and more. As soon as you take sweet toppings like maple syrup and whipped cream off the table, you can see how versatile crispy fried bread with lots of egg becomes. Don't sleep on this upgrade. You don't need to make the switch to savory french toast and stay there, but you should definitely add it to the rotation.

Toppings are par for the course with french toast (I'm looking at you butter, maple syrup, and whipped cream). but you can really turn up the flavor by stuffing your french toast with all kinds of different ingredients. Katherine Sprung, the founder of Squish Marshmallows agrees. Again, she told me, "You can go sweet or savory here." She said anything from cream cheese to chocolate hazelnut spread to jam to fruit is perfect for stuffing french toast. Sprung also said cheese is a great choice, but that's just the beginning — don't shy away from interesting ingredients. You never know what delicious new combination you'll come up with. At the very least, you can guarantee your french toast will be more flavorful and have more texture when it is stuffed.

I know, we are saying "stuff" your french toast, but really, all that means is layering ingredients between slices, kind of like a sandwich (maybe even a triple-decker). With this in mind, you could also create a makeshift Monte Cristo sandwich with french toast. For anyone who doesn't know, a Monte Cristo is essentially a delicious, fried ham and cheese sandwich sprinkled with powdered sugar (it is often served with jam for dipping too). The recipe is already so close to being made with french toast, so why not take it all the way?

You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn't, at the very least, put butter on their french toast. Maple syrup is basically essential, too, and as we know, whipped cream is pretty popular. The fun doesn't have to stop there, though. Adding toppings is not only an easy upgrade, but it imparts tons of flavor to what is essentially a fairly simple — dare I say — plain dish.

Award-winning pastry chef Katherine Sprung definitely recommends getting creative with french toast toppings. She said, "You can really top with anything, either sweet or savory. If you have a brûlée torch, you can even do a creme brûlée french toast." Wow! I know we don't all have a torch lying around our kitchen, but this just might be the reason you were looking for to buy one.

Cynthia Christensen, pastry chef and the owner/recipe developer at the food blog "But First We Brunch, also agrees that adding toppings is a fantastic way to upgrade french toast: "I like to caramelize bananas with a little bit of rum for bananas foster french toast. I also like to sauté fruit, such as peaches or apples, brown butter, and brown sugar and ladle that on top of the finished french toast." Are you drooling yet?

Topping or stuffing your french toast with tasty ingredients is more than enough to take it from boring to gourmet, but this next upgrade will make you feel like it came from the newest, trendy brunch spot. Award-winning pastry chef and the founder of Squish Marshmallows, Katherine Sprung, told me she recommends coating french toast with your favorite breakfast cereal before frying.

Cereal adds a fun crunch and depending on what kind of cereal you use, unique flavors too. Sprung said cereals like cornflakes, Pebbles (fruity or chocolate), Frosted Flakes, or really anything crispy makes a solid choice. You don't have to tell me twice but before we dive right in, but let's nail down the details. "After your bread has soaked, lay out crushed-up cereal on a plate and coat each piece of bread in the cereal before placing it in the pan to fry," says Sprung. After that, it's business as usual. Sounds easy enough, right? The payoff is huge, too. A cereal coating guarantees you get a deliciously crunchy exterior, and just think of all the flavor potential. 

Another fun way to prepare french toast for groups involves how you serve it, not how you cook it — and let me tell you, it's a show-stopper. Cynthia Christensen, a pastry chef and the owner and recipe developer for the food blog, "But First We Brunch," told me, "For special occasions like the holidays I like to make a french toast board." She uses thick slices of brioche to make decadent french toast and when ready, she cuts them into triangles. Then, she arranges them in the center of the board and surrounds them with small bowls of various toppings, including fruits, syrups, and more. She likes this presentation because "everyone serves themselves and makes the French toast that their heart desires." Even the pickiest eater can't argue with that.

If you want to give your guests a head start or maybe a touch of inspiration, you can also make a more elaborate version of Christensen's board by adding a few toppings, like berries and powdered sugar, to the pile of french toast wedges. Leaving the syrup on the side is still your best bet, though. If you jump the gun and pour it over the top, the bread could become soggy before people get a chance to load their plates and enjoy it.

This final upgrade comes to us from the famed celebrity chef Jacques Pépin, and it's not only delicious, but it's a time-saving hack as well. Instead of using a traditional batter, Chef Pépin uses melted vanilla ice cream to make, as he calls it, "french toast the easy way." In one of his countless cooking videos, he tells viewers how he first started making ice cream french toast in the 1950s when he worked at Hôtel Plaza Athénée in Paris. As a busy breakfast chef, efficiency was key and he found melted ice cream was an outstanding way to save time in the kitchen.

It is important to note that Chef Pépin uses French ice cream because it has a lot of eggs in it. While it may sound decadent, it actually has eggs and cream, just like a traditional french toast batter. He also mentions that while vanilla is the classic pick, you can use melted strawberry or chocolate ice cream for a fun twist. Then, for one last flourishing touch, Chef Pépin uses the dish with leftover melted ice cream to serve his cooked french toast. That way, it soaks up every last drop of creamy goodness. Um... Yes, please!