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ByJenn Giam Smith
Today I’m sharing with you my overnight French toast recipe. Anytime I can make something ahead of time, wake up in the morning and have it cook while I’m getting ready is great especially because I have a family that likes to eat a big breakfast daily. Sure we have cereal every so often, but to be honest… we usually have breakfast with some fruit, protein (eggs or meat), and “bread” (pancakes, waffles, toast, etc). Thankfully… we are very active outside.
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Today I’m sharing with you my overnight French toast recipe. Anytime I can make something ahead of time, wake up in the morning and have it cook while I’m getting ready is great especially because I have a family that likes to eat a big breakfast daily. Sure we have cereal every so often, but to be honest… we usually have breakfast with some fruit, protein (eggs or meat), and “bread” (pancakes, waffles, toast, etc). Thankfully… we are very active outside.
A Little History
I love learning about all kinds of things, and I recently discovered some fascinating information about French Toast that I thought I’d share with you (and I’m a little bit of a nerd).
The earliest known reference to “French toast” is in a collection of Latin recipes dating to the 4th or 5th century. It is described as simply “another sweet dish”, and instructs to “Break [slice] fine white bread, crust removed, into rather large pieces which soak in milk [and beaten eggs] fry in oil, cover with honey and serve.
There is a French version, known as pain perdu (lost bread). Although it is known as a French variation, it’s shown in fifteenth-century English recipes, this is the version that was brought to America.
This overnight French toast is very similar to bread pudding. It’s a crowd-pleaser EVERY TIME I make it. I had to start doubling my batches in order to have enough for everyone when we have group brunches. The preparation for the liquid is very close to a custard. Ultimately, you end up with a crisp exterior and soft smooth middle.
You really don’t even need syrup, in my opinion. Seriously, this is pretty sweet. I personally like to add some freshly made whipped cream and fresh fruit. However, if you’re like my kids, add a little maple syrup because… “Well, why not?”
A few notes:
About the ingredients:
- Brioche Bread: If you’re looking for the perfect texture and flavor for your French toast, brioche is definitely worth a try. While you could bake it from scratch, I personally recommend picking some up from a bakery – un-sliced is best, but don’t worry if it’s sliced already, just double up on the slices if they’re too thin.
- Almond Extract: I like its slightly nutty flavor, but if you can’t have almonds, see the substitutes for other options.
- eggs: This is a custard, and a custard needs eggs.
- sweetened condensed milk: this adds a nice thickness, and sweetness to it.
- whole milk: again, this is for the custard to add a nice smoothness to it.
- brown sugar: I love the depth that the molasses in the brown sugar adds.
- ground cloves & cinnamon: this adds that extra that I think should always be in French toast.
Substitutes:
- almond extract: Use extra vanilla extract, or try one of Halo Pantry’s fun Asian Flavorings (Pandan is one of my favorites), or just omit it.
- brioche bread: Texas toast, or even regular bread.
- sweetened condensed milk: heavy whipping cream can be used. If you want to keep the sweetness add an extra tablespoon of granulated sugar. Otherwise, this is a great way to back off the sweetness.
- whole milk: I recommend you don’t skip this… but if you’re looking to cut back on the fat a little, you can replace it with lower-fat milk. Just note that the consistency may not be the same.
- brown sugar: extra granulated sugar can be used, but the taste will be different.
- ground cloves & cinnamon: replace with Chinese five spice or close to use just cinnamon (Just make sure to use 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon).
ENJOY and Share!
Let me know what you thought of this overnight French toast! Your star ratings with your comments are tremendously helpful! I love seeing friends and family come together over food. If you take a picture, tag me on Instagram or Facebook! Use @alwaysjennsmith & #alwaysjennsmith. Or share it on this post’s Pinterest Pin!
Want some other fun brunch ideas? Try these recipes:
- One Bowl Buttermilk Waffles
- Scallion-Potato Pancakes
- Oktoberfest Eggs Benedict
Overnight French Toast
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My version of French toast is more of a bread pudding consistency. Meant for you to make the night before and bake in the morning Making it perfect for those days you want to just wake up/get home and slip it in the oven. This recipe will take your brunch to the next level and will wow everyone!
- Total Time: 11 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 people 1x
Ingredients
UnitsScale
- 6 eggs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 [14 oz. can] sweetened condensed milk
- 14 oz whole milk (basically refill the can with milk)
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. almond extract (optional)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- pinch of salt
- 1 loaf Brioche Bread (sliced into 6 thick pieces)
Toppings – All Optional
- powdered sugar
- fruit/berries
- maple syrup
- toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc)
- whipped cream (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, vanilla extract, almond extract (optional), brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, and salt on medium heat. Let it heat to almost a boil (do not let it actually boil) and whisk every so often while it is heating up.
- While the milk mixture heats, whisk briskly the eggs and white sugar together until completely combined, light in color, and slightly frothy (about 4 minutes or so) in a separate bowl.
- Now, this is important: Once the milk mixture is warm, you must take remove it from the heat, take ONE cup of the milk and VERY slowly add it to the egg mixture, constantly whisking until all the milk has been added. you are tempering the eggs so you don’t end up with scrambled eggs in your french toast. Once you have done that, just take the pot, and slowly add the rest of the milk mixture until completely combined.
- In a 9X13 pan spray with non-stick cooking spray. Pour a small amount of the egg mixture (about 1/4 of the mixture) at the bottom of the pan. Add the 6 slices of bread and pour the remaining mixture all over the bread.
- Let sit overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 375 °F
- Bake for 45 min, until nice and golden brown and there is no liquid present.
- Let sit for about 5 min
- Serve with powdered sugar, whip cream and fruit, or what ever else you enjoy on your french toast.
Notes
Substitutes:
- almond extract: Use extra vanilla extract, or try one of Halo Pantry’s fun Asian Flavorings (Pandan is one of my favorites), or just omit it.
- brioche bread: Texas toast, or even regular bread.
- sweetened condensed milk: heavy whipping cream can be used. If you want to keep the sweetness add an extra tablespoon of granulated sugar. Otherwise, this is a great way to back off the sweetness.
- whole milk: I recommend you don’t skip this… but if you’re looking to cut back on the fat a little, you can replace it with lower-fat milk. Just note that the consistency may not be the same.
- brown sugar: extra granulated sugar can be used, but the taste will be different.
- ground cloves & cinnamon: replace with Chinese five spice or close to use just cinnamon (Just make sure to use 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon).
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, brunch
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 213
- Sugar: 11
- Sodium: 175
- Fat: 10
- Saturated Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 24
- Fiber: 0.2
- Protein: 7
- Cholesterol: 134
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