This cinnamon-sugar-crusted French toast totally hits the spot as a special breakfast or brunch. Serve it on its own, with fruit, or pile it high with whipped cream and syrup!

A hand pours syrup onto a stack of caramelised French toast topped with whipped cream, raspberries, cherries, and banana slices on a black plate.
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Nicky’s Recipe Notes

French toast always makes a great breakfast, but this is my levelled-up version that has a crunchy cinnamon-sugar exterior.
The trick is to cook the French toast lightly first, AND THEN sprinkle over the cinnamon sugar while it’s in the pan. We turn it, sprinkle the other side, then turn again, so the heat of the pan caramelizes the cinnamon sugar.

The result is a soft fluffy interior (with no hint of eggy flavour that can sometimes happen with French toast) and a sweet crispy exterior.
I have a tub of cinnamon sugar always waiting in my cupboard now, so I can make this recipe even faster.

📋 Ingredients

A wooden board displays ingredients for the best French toast recipe—brioche bread, eggs, soft brown sugar, vanilla essence, cinnamon, milk, and butter—each labelled with text.
A wooden board displaying ingredients for French Toast toppings: a banana, a bowl of fresh berries, chopped nuts, whipped cream, icing sugar, and golden syrup, all labelled.

Fruit – I like to use fresh blackberries, cherries and banana slices on my French Toast, but you can use your favourite fruits!

📺 Watch how to make it

***Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post***

Pro Tip

Prefer French toast fingers?

Slice the bread into fingers before dipping in the egg mixture. You may need a little more cinnamon sugar to coat all sides!

French Toast is the perfect pick-me-up brunch!

A plate of brioche French toast topped with whipped cream, banana slices, raspberries, cherries, and syrup, with extra fruit and a small jug of syrup nearby.

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🍽️ What to serve it with


Close-up of caramelised French toast slices topped with whipped cream, raspberries, banana slices, and icing sugar being sprinkled, served on a black plate.

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Cinnamon French Toast Recipe

This cinnamon-sugar-crusted French toast totally hits the spot. Serve it on its own,with fruit, or pile it high with whipped cream and syrup!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 6 pieces of French Toast
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch
Cuisine: American, British-French

Ingredients

Cinnamon Sugar French Toast

  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 tablespoons soft brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 6 thick slices of brioche bread

Serving Suggestions

  • Confectioners’ sugar for dusting
  • Fresh berries, cherries, or banana slices
  • Golden Syrup or Maple syrup
  • Whipped cream
  • Chopped nuts – such as hazelnuts, pecans, or walnuts

Instructions 

  • Whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a wide, shallow bowl.
    2 large eggs, 4 tablespoons milk, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Place the sugar and cinnamon on a plate and mix.
    6 tablespoons soft brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat and heat until just bubbling.
  • Dip three of the bread slices in the egg mixture and turn so that both sides are covered.
    6 thick slices of brioche bread
  • Place the bread straight in the hot pan. Fry for 1-2 minutes on each side until light brown.
  • Whilst the toast is still in the pan, sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon sugar, turn the toast over and sprinkle with a further tablespoon of cinnamon sugar. Cook for 1 more minute on each side, until golden brown.
  • Transfer to a warm plate and add the remaining 2 tbsp of butter to the pan. Repeat with the remaining bread slices.
  • Once all the French toast slices are cooked, divide between two plates and serve with an extra sprinkling of the remaining cinnamon sugar.
  • Serve as it is, or top with extra toppings (see serving suggestions). As an extra treat, I like to serve this with berries, banana, whipped cream and a drizzle of golden syrup.
    Confectioners’ sugar for dusting, Fresh berries, cherries, or banana slices, Golden Syrup or Maple syrup, Whipped cream, Chopped nuts

Video

Notes

Prefer French toast fingers? Slice the bread into fingers before dipping in the egg mixture. You may need a little more cinnamon sugar to coat all sides!
 
Nutritional information is approximate, per slice of Caramelized French Toast, NOT including the toppings. This presumes all of the egg, sugar and butter is used and the Brioche used is approx. 143 cals per slice.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 240mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 12g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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? Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make it ahead/freeze it?

French toast tastes best when eaten right away, so I don’t recommend making this ahead or freezing it.

Ingredients Swaps:

If you can’t get your hands on Brioche Bread, you can substitute it for regular soft white bread slices.
See suggested servings for tips on different toppings!

🍲 More fantastic sweet brunch ideas

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

Welcome to Kitchen Sanctuary

Hi, I’m Nicky, bestselling author, award-winning recipe creator and food photographer. I love to cook comforting, delicious and easy recipes and share them with you.

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