Brioche French Toast Recipe: Custardy, Golden Breakfast Treat

This Brioche French Toast recipe elevates a breakfast favorite into an indulgent, restaurant-style treat. Made with rich, buttery brioche, each slice becomes tender and almost custard-like inside, with a lightly crisp, golden exterior. A vanilla-scented custard and a quick pan sear in butter make these slices melt in your mouth. Serve with maple syrup, fresh berries, a dusting of powdered sugar, or whipped cream for a truly decadent start to the day.

Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

Brioche is an enriched bread with more butter and eggs than ordinary loaves. That extra richness makes it an ideal choice for French toast: the slices soak up the custard without falling apart, and the interior stays soft while the edges caramelize beautifully when cooked in butter.

The gentle sweetness and tender crumb of brioche pair perfectly with a vanilla-scented custard. Cooked on medium-low heat, the bread develops a golden, slightly crisp crust while maintaining a pillowy center—comforting and elegant for breakfast or brunch.

• Easy: Simple steps yield a dish that seems like you spent much longer preparing.
• Flavorful: The buttery, slightly sweet brioche complements vanilla and honey, while pan-searing in butter adds a lovely toasty note.

How to Make Brioche French Toast

Recipe Ingredients:

Below are the ingredients needed for this recipe. Exact quantities are listed in the recipe card further down.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

• Brioche Bread: Brioche is an enriched Viennoiserie made with extra butter and eggs. Its richness gives it a golden color and delicate sweetness. Because it contains more sugar and butter, watch it closely while cooking to prevent burning.
• Half-and-Half: Half-and-half (half cream, half whole milk) makes a richer custard. Whole milk can be used as a substitute if you prefer.
• Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract for best flavor.
• Butter: Use unsalted butter for cooking; it gives the best control over seasoning.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

• Gather and prep all ingredients.
• Preheat the oven to 200°F and set a cooling rack on a rimmed sheet pan to hold finished slices.
• In a shallow dish, whisk the eggs until blended. Add half-and-half, honey, vanilla, and a pinch of salt; whisk until the honey dissolves.
• Working with two slices at a time, submerge each slice in the custard and let it soak about 15 seconds per side.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat (until the butter foams). Add the soaked slices and cook 2–3 minutes until golden brown.
• Flip and cook the other side 2–3 minutes until evenly browned and cooked through.
• Transfer cooked slices to the prepared rack and keep warm in the oven. Wipe the skillet between batches to remove browned butter solids, then repeat with remaining butter and bread.
• Serve immediately topped with butter, fresh fruit, maple syrup, and a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Chef Tips and Tricks

• Use stale or day-old brioche so the slices hold together when dipped. To stale fresh slices quickly, lay them in a single layer on a sheet pan and bake at 275°F for about 10 minutes, or leave them on a cooling rack overnight.
• Keep heat at medium to medium-low so the toast cooks through without burning on the outside.
• Wipe the skillet between batches. Milk solids in butter can darken and transfer a bitter taste to later batches.
• Keep finished slices on a cooling rack over a rimmed baking sheet in the oven to prevent soggy bottoms while staying warm.

Recipe FAQs

Serve with:

• Yogurt
• Bacon
• Sausage
• Fruit salad
• Cake or muffins for a brunch spread

More great breakfast ideas

• Eggs in Purgatory
• Savory Breakfast Strudel
• Sausage Egg Muffins
• Crustless Quiche with Sausage, Bacon, and Ham

Brioche French Toast Recipe

By Carol | From A Chef’s Kitchen

Summary: Brioche French Toast is a rich, tender, and slightly sweet take on the classic. Use stale brioche, a vanilla-honey custard, and a gentle pan-sear in butter for best results.

Ingredients

• 8 slices brioche (1/2-inch thick), stale
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup half-and-half (or whole milk)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for serving
• Strawberries, blueberries or other fresh fruit
• Maple syrup
• Powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Place a cooling rack on a rimmed sheet pan to hold finished slices.
2. Whisk eggs in a shallow dish. Add half-and-half, honey, vanilla, and a pinch of salt; whisk until combined and the honey dissolves.
3. Working with two slices at a time, soak each slice in the custard for about 15 seconds per side.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-low until foaming. Add the soaked slices and cook 2–3 minutes per side, until golden.
5. Transfer finished slices to the prepared rack and keep warm in the oven. Wipe the skillet and repeat with remaining butter and bread.
6. Serve immediately with butter, fresh fruit, maple syrup, and powdered sugar.

Notes

• Substitutions: Whole milk can replace half-and-half for a lighter custard.
• Make ahead: Custard can be prepared up to 12 hours in advance and refrigerated.
• Freezer-friendly: Freeze individual slices on a parchment-lined sheet pan, then store in an airtight container for 2–3 months. Reheat covered in a 375°F oven until heated through.

Nutrition (per serving, estimate)

Calories: 277 kcal | Carbohydrates: 13 g | Protein: 7 g | Fat: 22 g