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Yields:
4 - 6 serving(s)
Prep Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 20 mins
It seems like there’s always a little more eggnog in the carton than we know what to do with, so we set out to create the perfect recipe to use it up. Enter: eggnog French toast! It turns out that eggnog makes the ideal French toast custard base in place of traditional milk, half-and-half, or cream. Enriched with eggs and spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, and rum extract, this eggnog French toast recipe has all the flavors you love in an eggnog cocktail, but in a family-friendly breakfast format.
The trick to custardy (but not soggy) French toast is to use dried-out bread; compared to fresh bread, it absorbs more of the custard and keeps its shape rather than falling apart as it soaks. We give our bread a 10-minute toast in a 275º oven to get the job done. (Dried bread makes for a better texture than stale, which retains a lot of moisture. If you do happen to have a stale loaf, still go ahead and dry the slices in the oven.) Just make sure you give the bread at least 30 minutes to soak before cooking—while it may increase your prep time, it really does make a difference in achieving that custardy center.
To create textural contrast, we sprinkle the bread with a little sugar before cooking. The result is a crispy, glaze-y, caramelized crust that complements the toast’s rich, eggy interior. It’s just sweet enough to stand on its own, but we love it drizzled with maple syrup and garnished with some whipped cream and berries.
Want to get ahead of the game? Prep the French toast the night before, soaking overnight in the refrigerator (covered with plastic wrap) for an extra custardy interior. Just be sure to let it warm up slightly on the counter before cooking, and potentially give it a few extra minutes in the pan to ensure it’s cooked all the way through. P.S. Use a 13"-by-9" baking dish if you don’t have a large rimmed baking sheet.
Made this holiday breakfast? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
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Ingredients
- 1
loaf brioche or challah bread (about 1 lb.; 455 g.), sliced 1" thick
- 4
large eggs
- 2
large egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups
(120 ml) eggnog
- 1 1/2 tsp.
ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp.
rum extract or 1/4 c. dark rum
- 1 1/2 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp.
ground nutmeg
Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup
granulated sugar, divided
- 3 Tbsp.
unsalted butter, divided, plus more if needed
Maple syrup, fresh berries, and whipped cream, for serving (optional)
Directions
- Step 1Preheat oven to 250º. On a large rimmed baking sheet, spread bread in a single layer. Bake bread until dried out, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
- Step 2In a large bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks, eggnog, cinnamon, rum extract, vanilla extract, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt until well combined. Pour over bread, turning a few times to coat. Let soak 15 minutes, then flip and continue to soak until liquid is mostly absorbed, about 15 minutes more. Sprinkle tops of bread with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.
- Step 3In a large, preferably nonstick, skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add as many slices of bread without crowding skillet sugar side down. Cook, gently pressing down with a spatula, until golden brown and crisp on the bottom, 4 to 5 minutes. Sprinkle uncooked tops with 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar. Flip and continue to cook until browned and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack set in another baking sheet. Place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining bread, adding more butter 1 tablespoon at a time to skillet and reducing heat to medium-low if needed as pan retains more heat.
- Step 4Serve with a generous drizzle of maple syrup. Top with berries and whipped cream, if using.
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