Easy French Toast with Warm Berry Syrup

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Easy French Toast is a classic breakfast recipe made by dipping thick slices of French bread (or an Italian brioche) into a vanilla-flavored egg custard and frying until toasty and crisp. Properly cooked, the bread remains soft and custardy on the inside and is a nice golden brown on the outside.

Drizzle this Easy French Toast with a simple homemade warm berry syrup and you have yourself a delicious breakfast treat! Keep reading for the recipe and my tips on making the perfect French Toast at home.

Easy French Toast

I remember the very first time I had French Toast for breakfast. I was spending the weekend at Aunt Lucille’s house and my cousin Anita, who was five years older than me, decided to cook our breakfast.

“Do you like French toast?” she asked. Thinking that sounded like something fancy and embarrassed that I’d never heard of it before, I just shrugged. Luckily, Anita kept talking…

“It’s just toast dipped in eggs,” she continued. Inwardly, I started to gag. I didn’t like eggs scrambled, fried, or boiled (I think it was a texture thing), so I was pretty sure I wouldn’t like toast dipped in eggs, either.

Being the awkward and quiet pre-teen that I was, I just watched as Anita whipped up eggs with milk and dipped in slices of bread. She took the soaked bread and cooked in in a cast iron pan with sizzling butter until it was brown and crispy. It didn’t resemble an egg whatsoever!

She put a couple of slices on plate and served it to me with syrup just like pancakes, so I decided it was ok to try a bite. Of course, I loved it and I’ve been enjoying French Toast ever since! The recipe I’m sharing today is a variation on the French Toast Anita introduced me to way back when.

French Toast 101

How long should you soak the bread?

Ideally, you should soak the bread in the egg custard for about 15 minutes. You want the egg mixture to penetrate the bread so that when cooked the center is soft and creamy. Some recipes even call for overnight soaking.

What kind of bread is best?

A dense, even stale, dry bread is best for French toast. You can use sourdough, Italian bread (like a brioche) or a French loaf. If the bread is too soft, it will soak up too much of the egg custard and may tear apart during cooking.

Does bread have to be stale?

Though stale bread is preferred when making French toast, you can dry soft bread by popping it in the oven for about 10 minutes at 275 degrees.

How much milk do you use?

A good ratio for the egg custard (the egg, milk, and sugar mixture for dipping) is one-fourth cup of milk per one egg for a 2-slice serving of French Toast.

Why is my French toast soggy?

Adding too much dairy and sugar dilutes the egg and will keep it from cooking properly. Also, use a bread that is too soft and the toast will end up soggy.

What temp should I cook French toast?

Set the temperature on an electric griddle to 350 degrees or cook in a non-stick skillet on top of the stove at medium high heat.

How do you know when it is done?

French Toast should be golden brown and crispy on each side, but still soft in the center. Cooking French Toast about four to five minutes per side over medium high heat should be about right.

How to Make Warm Berry Syrup

Of course, French Toast is always tasty drizzled with maple syrup, but I love mine served with this super EASY Warm Berry Syrup. All it takes is THREE ingredients!

1. Berry preserves (any flavor)
2. Maple syrup
3. Fresh berries (for example, blueberry preserves with fresh blueberries, strawberry preserves with fresh strawberries, etc.)

Put all the ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low until the preserves have melted. Keep the berry syrup warm over low heat until ready to serve, then drizzle over French Toast. Easy and delicious!

More French Toast recipes!

French Toast is one breakfast choice that is ideal for just about any occasion — a lazy weekend breakfast, brunch for overnight guests, or even as a mid-week breakfast treat. Here are just a few of my favorite French Toast recipes:

• French Toast à L’Orange — ready in under 30 minutes — has a delicious pecan crusted outside and a creamy orange filling on the inside
• Perfect for weekend company or breakfast in bed for that special someone, Blackberry French Toast soaks overnight for easy baking the next morning.
• Served with maple syrup, Crunchy French Toast is stuffed with a pocket of cheddar cheese and coated with a mixture of crushed corn flakes and pecans. 
• Banana Bread French Toast is served with fresh banana slices, toasted walnuts, and warm maple syrup. 
• Even more breakfast recipes!

To make this recipe, you may need…

I love using my electric griddle when making French Toast. It’s also perfect for pancakes, bacon, and grilled cheese sandwiches!

Easy French Toast with Warm Berry Syrup Recipe

I use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar to sweeten the egg custard in this recipe because it dissolves better and doesn’t leave a grainy texture on the bread.

If you like more maple flavor, cut the amount of powdered sugar in half and add a couple tablespoons maple syrup to the egg custard.

PRO TIP: Whisk the egg custard thoroughly before soaking bread slices to avoid pieces of egg whites on the cooked toast. If you prefer, you can use just egg yolks and not the whites in the custard mixture since the egg taste comes from the whites.