Challah French Toast is a quick and delicious breakfast treat! With thick slices of challah bread, eggs, and milk, you can create a crispy, custardy delight in minutes. This French toast recipe uses thick Challah bread paired with eggs, milk, and cinnamon, then toasted to perfection.
I’ve made French toast more times than I can count with a variety of breads; however, this rich, braided loaf has been the winning choice in our family. The beautiful thing about using this specific bread is how well it absorbs the custard without getting soggy. It’s a wonderful choice for a quick morning breakfast.
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What is Challah French Toast?
Challah French Toast is a premium breakfast dish that is made by soaking thick slices of enriched, braided egg bread in a seasoned custard of eggs, milk, and cinnamon before frying it in a skillet to golden brown. This recipe is loved because of the naturally pillowy texture and how well the bread soaks up the custard, creating those caramelized edges.
Key Takeaways
- Kids love the sweet, buttery taste and fun toppings, making it a great option for a family-friendly breakfast.
- The natural sweetness of challah means you don’t need to add a lot of sugar to the batter, resulting in a perfectly balanced sweet treat.
- Unlike standard white bread, this sturdy bread soaks up the custard well, keeping the bread intact for serving.
- Ready to eat in 30 minutes or less!
- Use Homemade Challah Bread or purchase it at your local bakery.
- You can top Challah French Toast with maple syrup, powdered sugar, fresh berries, whipped cream, or chocolate chips for endless customization.
Recipe Ingredients
- Challah Bread – This bread will be sliced into 1-inch pieces to give you thick bread. It’s best to use day-old bread or slightly stale to absorb the custard without getting soggy.
- Eggs – The eggs provide the structure and richness plus bind the custard base.
- Whole Milk – Creates the liquid custard wash; use whole milk for a richer taste.
- Ground Cinnamon – Warm cinnamon gives that fragrant aroma and taste to the custard.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Challah French Toast
- Slice your bread if you haven’t already. Set the bread aside.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, and cinnamon in a small shallow dish.
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat and lightly coat it with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
- Once the pan has had a minute to heat up, dip each side of your bread in the egg mixture and then cook the French toast for about 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
- Serve and enjoy!
Pro Tips for Best Challah French Toast
- Day-old or slightly stale challah is ideal for French toast because it absorbs the custard mixture without becoming too soggy. If your bread is fresh, leave it out for a few hours or lightly toast it to dry it out.
- Dip the challah slices in the custard mixture quickly, just enough to coat them. Over-soaking can lead to soggy French toast.
- French toast is best served hot and fresh from the skillet. If making a large batch, keep cooked slices warm in a low oven until ready to serve.
- Challah bread can be found in a large loaf in the bakery section of the grocery store, or make Homemade Challah Bread.
- The custard can be made with any milk or dairy alternative you have on hand. Using whole milk makes the custard creamier.
- Slice the bread in thick, 1-inch slices.
Variations and Substitutions
- Substitute challah with brioche, Texas toast, or cinnamon swirl bread for different flavors and textures.
- Add cinnamon, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice to the egg mixture for a warm, spiced flavor.
- Turn it into a baked French toast casserole with chunks of challah, topped with streusel, and bake for a crowd-friendly option.
- Top the bread with a variety of fresh fruit.
- During the holidays, swap the milk for eggnog.
Frequently Asked Questions
To avoid soggy French toast, use slightly stale bread and dip it quickly in the custard mixture without soaking it too long. Also, cook the toast over medium heat to allow the inside to cook without burning the outside.
Yes, you can prepare French toast ahead of time. Cook it, then store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven or on a skillet to keep it crispy. You can also make a French toast casserole the night before and bake it fresh in the morning.
Some toppings that you can serve with this French toast include maple or brown sugar syrup, a sprinkle of powdered sugar, chopped walnuts, whipped cream, or any fresh fruit! Diced pears, apples, strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries are all great options.
The flavor of Challah French toast is rich with the cinnamon, egg, and milk mixture, so it does well with minimal toppings if you want to stick with just syrup, but feel free to add as many toppings as you like!
Enriched egg bread with a tight crumb holds the best structure. A braided loaf handles the liquid absorption, while standard white bread tends to fall apart quickly.
What to Serve with Challah French Toast
- Candied Bacon
- Breakfast Sausage
- Scrambled Eggs
- Fresh Fruit
- Orange Juice
- Maple Syrup
- Fruit-Infused Syrups
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator
Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. It’s best to use parchment paper to layer the slices so they do not stick together.
Freezer
For longer storage, freeze the slices on a baking sheet, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for up to 2-3 months.
Reheating
Reheat in a toaster, oven, or skillet for 2-3 minutes until warm, crispy texture is restored.
More Breakfast Recipes
This classic recipe provides that delicious breakfast that you’re expecting on a slow morning without any hassle, using what you already have on hand, plus a delicious loaf of Challah bread. Challah French Toast brings together wonderful flavors in minutes, topped with delicious syrup.
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Challah French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf of challah bread sliced
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Slice your bread if you haven’t already. Set the bread aside.
- Whisk together the eggs, milk, and cinnamon in a small shallow dish.
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat and lightly coat it with butter or nonstick cooking spray.
- Once the pan has had a minute to heat up, dip each side of your bread in the egg mixture and then cook the French toast for about 2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Challah bread can usually be found in a large loaf in the bakery section of your local grocery store. If you can’t find challah bread then brioche makes a great substitute due to their similarities in texture.
- Serve your French toast plain or top it with whipped cream, syrup, fresh fruit, etc.
- Other warm spices you can use include pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, and cloves.
- If you don’t have whole milk then feel free to use whatever milk you do have. You can also use your favorite dairy free alternative.
- You can store your leftover French toast in the fridge for up to 5 days. Transfer your
- French toast to an airtight container or Ziploc bag.
- Reheat your French toast in the microwave for 35-45 seconds (for 2 slices).
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