Prep time: 5 min.  | Cook time: 10 min.  |  Servings: 4-6

My family and I love breakfast, so much so that our local diner knows us for ordering breakfast for dinner. French toast is one of the most requested breakfasts in my house (second to cinnamon vanilla pancakes). It’s another one of my go-to breakfasts that’s quick and easy to make, and it tastes sweet and scrumptious. For the times I choose to indulge in bread, it’s always with this treat.

Here’s my recipe for classic french toast that will get your day started right. If you’ve tried my cinnamon vanilla pancakes recipe, you’ll recognize a lot of the ingredients listed below.

If you give my recipe a try, let me know how it turns out with a comment below! Are there any french toast variations you enjoy? Share some recommendations with me by posting a comment.

IngredientS

For this recipe, I replaced traditional ingredients with healthier substitutions for everyone in the house to enjoy (especially me). Here’s what I use, along with their benefits.

• 2 eggs (I recommend large, brown, cage-free eggs.)

• 1 1/2 cups of roasted coconut almond milk

  • (I use Califia. This is a great flavor! After a while, almond milk and coconut milk separately starts to get to me taste wise, but I can’t complain about this brand. I loved milk, but I’m not a fan of the effects of milk, as it causes inflammation and mucus. Califia is a non-GMO, plant-based company that caters to the health conscious “drinker.” I also use their creamers in my coffee.)

• 2 tsp of vanilla (I recommend using a certified organic brand.)

• 1 tbsp of cinnamon (I recommend using a certified organic brand; you may need an extra sprinkle to make sure each slice gets enough cinnamon flavor in between each dip.)

• 1 tbsp of flaxseed oil

  • (I use High Lignan Flax Oil. This oil offers fiber, plant-based omega 3 fat, which is healthy fat for the brain and it promotes heart health. It also has a positive effect on blood pressure and bone health. This is a healthier oil substitution with more benefits than traditional vegetable oil.)

• 2 tbsp of unsalted butter

• 8-10 slices of brioche bread

  • (I recommend Trader Joe’s brioche bread. Brioche bread is an enriched bread high in egg and butter content. The texture is golden, sweet, and fluffy. It’s considered a French pastry similar to the sweet and savory doughs of croissants.)

Instructions

1. Measure out all of the ingredients, and begin to warm your skillet on the stove.

2. In a casserole dish or deep bowl, combine and whisk all ingredients together EXCEPT for the bread.

3. Coat the hot skillet with butter. The butter should sizzle, letting you know the pan is hot. If butter isn’t sizzling, the pan is not hot enough and your bread may stick to the pan.

4. Take a slice of your brioche bread and dip both sides of the slice into the ingredient mixture to coat the entire side. This part gets messy, so make sure your ingredient mixture is close to your skillet.

   • As you repeat this step for other slices of bread, you’ll notice that the mixture wil become pale. If that happens, sprinkle more cinnamon into mixture. That way, all of your bread slices get a coating of cinnamon.

5. Lay the soaked side of bread onto the skillet. Once the mixture begins to brown the bread, you can flip the bread to cook the other side. Press lightly on the bread as it cooks to make sure both sides are completely cooked and aren’t soggy.

6. Preheat your oven to its lowest setting, then place your finished french toast in a ceramic dish with a lid to keep them warm. Serve with a slither of salted butter and warm maple syrup. Yummalicious!

   • I use pure grade A maple syrup because it has good taste and it’s not loaded with refined sugars found in traditional pancake syrup. The difference in syrup grades is the color and flavor, with grade B being the strongest and darkest maple syrup.

7. Don’t forget assorted toppings! Add fresh fruits or make a compote with a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top. My favorites are blueberries, strawberries, and bananas — sometimes alone or combined together, topped off with whipped coconut cream.

A visual guide, with photos by Cayla Torres