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For more variations on French Toast don’t miss our French Toast Tacos, this Blueberry Stuffed French Toast and our classic Fluffy French Toast.
Egg Nog French Toast
Even if you aren’t a fan of eggnog in the traditional sense (How could you not be?), I challenge you to find anything wrong with Eggnog French Toast. Already a custard in a way, eggnog has all of the makings for the perfect base of a French toast batter. The thick, sweet vanilla-laced mixture is like pure liquid gold in holiday form and soaks into buttery brioche slices seamlessly.
Beyond the eggnog foundation we also manage to sneak in an extra dose of vanilla, plenty of warm cinnamon and just a touch of orange zest for a bit of citrus and freshness. I’d also encourage you throw in a tablespoon or two of rum for good measure but that’s just me.
This easy-to-make recipe is the perfect holiday breakfast as it requires very minimal ingredients and takes less than 30 minutes to throw together. What makes things even easier is you can cook six slices of French toast at a time using Oster’s DiamondForce Nonstick Electric Griddle so you can crank those French toast slices up almost as fast as your family will inhale them.
Ingredients in Eggnog French Toast
Eggnog. You can use your favorite eggnog here, any store-bought variety is great. Make sure to buy enough to have a little spiked cocktail with your Eggnog French Toast. It’s only the holidays once a year, let’s indulge!
Vanilla. Even though eggnog is sweet, I like to add a hint of vanilla as well. Make sure to use pure vanilla extract.
Eggs. Use three large eggs.
Cinnamon. Some eggnog brands already have cinnamon in them, the one I buy does not so I add in a good amount of cinnamon to spice it up. You could also add in a little pinch of nutmeg or swap out the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice. Another really lovely and different spice would be a pinch of ginger or cardamom.
Orange zest. I love adding a little bit of freshness and orange zest does just that. It’s not a necessary ingredient but one I highly encourage.
Bread. Make sure to use a hearty bread. We use thick slices of dry brioche but you could also use Italian or ciabatta bread.
Let’s make Eggnog French. Toast!
Dry the bread. Ideally if you’re using brioche which tends to be soft and soak up liquid quickly, you want the bread to be a day or two old and slightly dried out and stale. If your bread is fresh, you can put it in a 250 degree oven for about 10 minutes until it gets dry but not toasted. If you use a bread like ciabatta or a crusty aritsan variety you won’t need it to be dried out as much as those tend to be denser.
Make the custard. Add the eggs, milk, cinnamon, salt, orange zest and vanilla to a shallow dish. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is combined. Eggs can be stubborn to break so make sure you get in there and make the mixture really homogenous and smooth.
Soak the bread. Add two pieces of bread to the custard mixture and let them soak on one side until saturated, about 1 minute. Flip and do the same thing on the other side.
Fry the French toast!
As we mentioned before we use our Oster DiamondForce Nonstick Electric Griddle to make our French toast, pancakes and more. I love that it frees the stove up and I can crank out French Toast slices and pancakes really quickly for guests.
Also a benefit? It’s non-stick capability, this means I don’t have to worry about crusty pieces of French toast sticking to my pan and I’m not required to use copious amount of oil or butter to cook anything. With that said, I do still really like to use a little bit of butter solely for flavor and to get that really lovely buttery crustiness on each side of the French toast.
Oster has been a long standing contender in the non-stick arena and this particular product, the DiamondForce technology is infused with diamond particles that form a structural matrix, creating a stronger coating for easy food release and superior nonstick performance over time. We love it!
Serve ’em up! We’re a pretty simple family so I don’t find it necessary to serve the Eggnog French Toast with anything fancy aside for some warm pure maple syrup. However, since it’s the holidays I’d also be down for a dollop of fresh whipped cream, some sugared cranberries and fresh orange zest.
Do I have to use brioche?
You don’t. I personally love brioche because it feels indulgent and holiday-worthy, but any thick sturdy bread will work great. Again, if you use a crusty artisan bread you probably don’t need to let the bread dry out at all as it’s already pretty dense.
Does Eggnog toast reheat well?
It does! It will get a little soggy and won’t be quite as crisp but it will still be delicious.
Substitutions and Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success
- Use day old bread. Make sure your bread is slightly stale or you’ll wind up with batter that soaks into the bread too quickly. This can result in soggy French toast.
- If you like your French toast super sweet, add in a tablespoon or two of sugar.
- For more orange flavor, drop in a little bit of orange extract.
- I also love the way almond extract tastes here, so feel free to add a little bit of that as well.
- The key to great French toast is to make sure your griddle is the perfect temperature. I like it around 325 to 350 degrees. This will make the inside golden brown and crusty but will also give it enough time to cook the inside as well.
What to serve with Eggnog French Toast
- It’s a Christmas tradition in our house to serve this fruit slush with whatever we’re having for breakfast. It seems a little odd but it’s so so good.
- If you’re looking for something savory to serve alongside, Quiche Lorraine is always a winner. This incredibly cheesy, creamy version is the best you’ll find.
- Another great dish to serve a crowd? Our Spicy Mexican Breakfast Sliders.
Eggnog French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups eggnog
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp orange zest
- 2-3 tbsp melted butter
- 9-10 slices day or two old, thick sliced brioche If you can't find sliced brioche, simply get a loaf of brioche and slice into 1/2-inch pieces.
- maple syrup, whipped cream and orange zest for serving
Equipment
- Griddle
Instructions
- If your bread is not a day old, lay on a baking sheet and place in a 275 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until the bread is dry but not toasted. Keep butter in the pan or microwave-safe dish you melted it in. Have a pastry brush handy. Keep the oven warm after removing the bread. If you don't need to dry your bread out, preheat the oven to 275 degrees.
- Add eggnog, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest and salt to a shallow dish. Whisk vigorously to combine until smooth. There should be no egg white streaks in the mixture.
- Preheat griddle to 325-350 degrees. Add two slices of bread to the custard mixture. Let the custard soak into the bread for about 1-2 minutes. Flip and soak the other side. Brush a generous amount of butter on the skillet. Transfer the soaked bread to the butter-coated griddle. Cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes. Flip over and do the same on the other side. Continue soaking the bread and cooking. You should be able to get six slices of bread on the griddle at a time.
- When each slice of French toast is golden brown, transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.
- Serve with maple syrup and whipped cream.
Sabrina says
very nice! egg nog is a creative substitute, and not just in December! But little togher to find it in January
Camila @ Microwave Choice says
Looks delicious 🙂 Can’t wait to try it. Saved this recipe. Keep sharing such nice content.