Challah French Toast

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Your weekend mornings deserve better than rushed coffee and a granola bar! Use the Challah French Toast recipe as your sign to slow things down a little on the weekends. Each bite of this toasted, warm bread tastes like something you’d order at a cozy cafe for brunch – except you can make it in your pajamas.

French toast may be one of the simplest breakfast recipes, but a few thoughtful tweaks can make it feel effortlessly elegant. Using rich challah bread, cutting it thick, and adding warm spices to the custard transforms an everyday breakfast into something worthy of a special occasion.

Thick slices of Challah bread make the perfect vessel for French toast. They’re soft and sturdy enough to soak up a rich mixture of heavy cream, eggs, cinnamon, and cardamom before being pan-seared. As each slice sears in the skillet, it’ll develop crisp edges on the outside while maintaining a fluffy custardy center.  The slight sweetness of the Challah bread adds a delicious flavor to the toast as well. 

Top with whipped cream, fresh fruit, and a healthy drizzle of syrup for a very elevated breakfast. Trust us, the extra toppings make all the difference. This Challa French toast will make the perfect weekend breakfast or brunch with friends and family. This effortlessly special breakfast will have you dreaming of slowing down on the weekends for a slice of toast.

Why You’ll Love This Challa French Toast

• Thick, pillowy soft bread makes all the difference! The easiest way to elevate French Toast is to use thick slices of soft bread, like challah. The bread won’t get soggy but will absorb enough of the egg-cream coating to crisp up on the outside while tasting nice and custardy on the inside.
• Slightly spiced with warm spices. The custard-like coating for the French toast can taste a bit bland. The simple addition of cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg adds warmth and flavor depth to each slice of toast.
• Super simple but elegant enough to feel special. This Challah French Toast proves that elegance doesn’t have to be complicated. A few tweaks can elevate a simple brunch entree. The challah loaf, thick slices that soak up just the right amount of custard, and a blend of warm spices are all it takes to turn this dish into something memorable.

How to Make Challah French Toast, Step by Step

Step 1. Heat the skillet so it’s nice and hot.

Before you start assembling everything you need for the French toast, heat a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat. That way, the surface of the skillet is hot when you’re ready to cook the toast. 

If your pan starts smoking before you add the toast, it’s likely too hot. You can turn the heat down a bit until you’re ready to start cooking.

Step 2. Slice challah bread and whisk together the custard soak. 

Slice the challah bread loaf into slices that are about one inch thick. If the bread is too thin, it could come out too soggy. We’ve found that 1-inch thick is a good thickness that keeps the inside soft, not soggy, while also absorbing a good amount of the custard coating.

French toast is essentially custard-coated bread. To make the custard coating, you will whisk together eggs, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and spices. The spices are optional, but the combination of cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg gives the bread a delicious, warm flavor.

Step 3. Dunk each slice into the custard mixture and cook until golden brown.

Pour the custard mixture into a baking dish or shallow bowl. Grab a slice of thick challah bread and dredge each side of the bread into the egg-cream mixture. Coat one side evenly before you flip to coat the second side. 

Be careful not to soak the bread for too long. You want to make sure the outside of the bread is evenly coated, so that no bite of bread is missing the delicious custard coating.

Butter the heated skillet with several tablespoons of unsalted butter. Place the coated bread slice into the hot skillet. Let the bread cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until the outside is crisp and a beautiful golden-brown color. Place the cooked French toast pieces on a plate lined with a clean towel to absorb any steam.

Continue dunking and cooking each challah slice until you’ve made all the slices.

Step 4. Serve hot with whipped cream, syrup, and fresh fruit.

The toast is best if served hot! We recommend serving with maple syrup, a dollop of whipped cream, and some fresh fruit!

Tips for Making Challah French Toast

• Medium heat, so it doesn’t burn. You want a nice golden layer on the outside, not dark brown, burned edges. Every stovetop cooks a bit differently, so if medium heat is a little too high, lower the heat a bit to prevent burning the toast.
• Too much heavy cream will make a soggy toast. The bread will instantly soak up the heavy cream.  The eggs will help to thicken the mixture and create a custard-like coating. A good rule of thumb is 1 egg for every 1/3 cup of cream.
• Make sure the bread is coated, but not too soggy. If the bread soaks too long in the mixture, it could lead to a soggier slice of bread. 

What to serve with your French toast

Depending on how many mouths you’re feeding or how big of a spread you want to make for brunch, you can decide on how/what sides to pair with the French Toast. Here are some recipes we think would pair perfectly with this Challah French toast: 

• Quiche Lorraine with Homemade Flakey Butter Crust
• Energizing Sunrise Citrus Smoothie
• Veggie Egg Breakfast Casserole
• Cheesy Egg and Maple Sausage Sandwiches with Chive Aioli Sauce

How to store leftover Challah French Toast

If you have leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator or freezer.  

• Storing in the fridge: Cool the toast completely and store in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. 
• Storing in the freezer: You’ll start with a flash freeze. Allow the toast to cool completely, line the toast on a sheet pan, and freeze for a couple of hours. Put the frozen slices in a freezer-safe storage bag and freeze for up to 2 months.

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