Brioche French Toast

5 from 1 vote

This Brioche French Toast recipe is a luxurious and indulgent twist on the breakfast classic. Made with rich, buttery brioche bread, it has a melt-in-your-mouth texture and a slightly sweet vanilla-infused flavor. Serve with a drizzle of maple syrup, fresh berries a dusting of powdered sugar or whipped cream to start your day on a decadent note!

Brioche French Toast on white plate with pat of butter, blueberries and strawberries.

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Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

Brioche is a buttery, rich bread that has a higher egg and butter content than regular bread. When used for French toast, it adds an extra level of decadence for a breakfast or brunch treat that is satisfying and delicious.

The soft and fluffy texture of brioche is perfect for soaking up the rich vanilla-infused custard in this Brioche French Toast recipe. After being steeped in the custard, it's then cooked in butter for the ultimate luxurious yet comforting breakfast or brunch treat!

This Brioche French Toast recipe is:

Easy, yet everyone will think you fussed!
So delicious! Brioche has a slightly sweet, slightly nutty flavor that complements the vanilla in the custard mixture. When cooked, the brioche develops a lightly crispy exterior for a delightful crunch in every bite.

Let's make it!

How to Make Brioche French Toast:

Recipe Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Brioche French Toast recipe, along with how to prep the ingredients. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.

Ingredient Notes:

Brioche Bread: In French cooking, brioche belongs to the category of Viennoiserie, a type of bread that uses enriched dough, resulting in a more luxurious and sweet flavor profile. The richness of the dough comes from adding more butter and eggs to give it its distinctive golden hue, delicate sweetness and decadent taste. Brioche bread has a higher sugar content than most other types of bread; therefore, it can burn more quickly.
Half-and-Half: Half-and-half is half cream and half whole milk. You can substitute whole milk if you prefer.
Vanilla Extract: I highly recommend using pure vanilla extract rather than vanilla flavoring.
Butter: Use unsalted butter for cooking the French toast.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

Gather and prep all the ingredients.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Place a cooling rack on a rimmed sheet pan for the finished French toast.
Whisk the eggs in a shallow dish until beaten. Add the half-and-half, honey, vanilla and a pinch of salt and whisk until the honey has dissolved.

Custard in white rectangular dish being whisked with wire whisk.

Working with two pieces at a time, place them in the egg mixture and let them soak for 15 seconds on each side.

Two slices of brioche bread in custard in white rectangular baking dish before being flipped.

Two slices of brioche bread in custard in white rectangular baking dish after being flipped.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat (until the butter foams).
Add the soaked brioche slices and cook until golden brown on the first side, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side for 2 to 3 minutes.

Two slices of french toast in nonstick skillet being cooked on the first side.

Two slices of french toast in nonstick skillet being cooked after being flipped to cook on the other side.

Place the finished French toast on the prepared cooling rack/sheet pan and place them in the oven to keep warm.
Wipe the skillet with a paper towel and repeat with the remaining butter, brioche slices and custard.

Eight slices of fully cooked french toast on cooling rack set over rimmed sheet pan.

Serve immediately topped with butter, fresh fruit, maple syrup and powdered sugar!

Two plates of Brioche French Toast garnished with fresh fruit, butter pat and powdered sugar.

Chef Tips and Tricks:

Use stale or "day old" brioche bread. You don't want to attempt to make French toast with fresh bread because it will fall apart. To quickly make bread "stale," place them in a single layer on a sheet pan. Preheat your oven to 275 degrees and place the bread slices in the oven for 10 minutes. Alternatively, leave the brioche slices on a cooling rack overnight on your kitchen counter.
Be sure to keep the heat at medium to medium-low. Cooking the French toast at too high a temperature can cause it to burn.
Because you're using butter for cooking the Brioche French Toast, you'll want to wipe out the skillet after each batch because the milk solids in the butter can get too dark and browned and end up on your toast.
Placing the finished French toast on a cooling rack set over a rimmed baking sheet while keeping them warm in the oven will help to keep the bottom of the slices from getting soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why is it called "French" toast?

Legend has it that the dish now known as French Toast was invented by a gentleman named Joseph French in 1724. He advertised his creation under the name "French Toast." It is said that he was not proficient in grammar and had omitted the apostrophe. In France, "French toast" is actually called pain perdu or "forgotten bread."

What breads can be used for French toast?

The bread options that work best for a French toast recipe are Brioche, French Baguette and Challah. While any of these will result in perfectly delicious French toast, Brioche stands out and is the best choice because of the richness of the butter and eggs.

Can you make Brioche French Toast ahead of time?

Yes, but not the traditional French toast recipe. Place the dipped bread slices in a greased baking dish so they overlap like fallen dominos. Pour any remaining custard mixture over the bread, cover and refrigerate. When you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees, then bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean and the edges are golden brown.

Can you freeze Brioche French Toast?

Yes! Freeze the slices individually on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and place in the freezer. When solid, place in an airtight container or freezer zipper-top bag and freeze for 2 to 3 months. Reheat covered with aluminum foil in a 375-degree oven until heated through.