With a fluffy interior, a lightly crispy exterior, and the rich flavor of eggnog, this Easy Eggnog French Toast is a real breakfast winner. Easily doubled to feed a crowd, or halved for an intimate breakfast, this is going to be a highly requested menu item!
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This Easy Eggnog French Toast holds a very special place in my heart. French toast was a special Daddy-Daughter breakfast that my father used to make for me, especially on my birthday and Holidays. My birthday is three days before Christmas, so there was always a bit of a ho-ho-ho vibe to the day, and I bring that to this recipe.
Being the hippy dippy 60's, the eggnog in our fridge was always laced with alcohol, usually rum. My Easy Eggnog French Toast gives a mocktail nod to that beverage. With just a touch of rum extract, the result is a rich and fluffy noggy interior and a lightly crisp exterior, for happy French toast filled bellies and no mid-morning buzz.
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❤️ What you'll love about Eggnog French Toast
- Homemade - Yes, you can buy frozen french toast, but nothing beats the rich and custardy interior and crispy exterior of this homemade eggnog french toast.
- Quick - French toast can be on the table in less than 30 minutes, making it great for every day.
- Easy - If you can whisk eggs and use a spatula, you are 75% of the way to this eggnog french toast.
- Versatile - Although this recipe stays virgin by using rum extract, you can totally booze it up with real rum! Just don't eat and drive.
- Festive - Although more rare outside of the Holidays, eggnog can be found year-round. Nothing gives festive like the nog, and we can all use a little year round ho-ho-ho energy .
One or two at the table? Try my Small Batch French Toast. Get all the tips and tricks for making a super indulgent breakfast or brunch for yourself and (maybe) one other.
Ingredients
One thing (of many) that I love about this eggnog french toast is that it uses such common and easy to find ingredients.
See recipe card below for quantities.
Next Level French Toast French Toast is even more Français if you make it with your own loaf of Brioche Bread. Made with melted butter, it's an untraditional way to make an amazing loaf of bread!
Substitutions
I want you to be able to make this eggnog french toast, or french toast in general, so if you need them, here are a few substitutions you can make and still be frenching your toast:
- Eggnog - You can use heavy cream, half-and-half, milk, or your favorite plant based milk in place of the eggnog if needed.
- Rum extract - If you don't like the flavor of rum extract, feel free to use extra vanilla, or another extract in its place. I find orange extract to be amazing in french toast.
- Eggs - If you can't eat eggs, or want to make this vegan, you can substitute the eggs by adding 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to your eggnog or other milk. You can also use a plant based egg substitute such as Just Egg.
Variations
I love when all of you play with my food. Here are just a few ways you can take control of this recipe. If you try one of them, or make your own changes, let me know in the comments!
- Spiced - For chilly sweater weather vibes, my original Cinnamon Cardamom French Toast is the way to go.
- Vanilla - Skip the rum extract and add the caviar from a real vanilla bean, or 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste, to really elevate this French Toast.
- Fruit topping - Top your French toast with the maple apple filling from my turnovers or make my brown butter peaches for a really decadent flair.
- Baked French Toast - Use the same custard mixture and treat it as you would my Sheet Pan French Toast, for a more hands-off cook.
- Boozy - Until recently, I never tasted eggnog without a bit of rum or brandy in it, so why not go for it! In place of the rum extract, add 2 tablespoons of actual booze. After eating, you might want to hire an Uber to get to work.
- Shrink it! - Everyone agrees. Tiny food tastes better. Make my Hawaiian roll French toast using eggnog and have the biggest flavor in the tiniest bites!
Leftover eggnog? If you have leftover eggnog, you can freeze it in a freezer safe container for up to six months or use them to make my delicious fluffy eggnog pancakes! Holiday vibes all year round 🌲
Instructions
Eggnog French Toast is so easy and delicious, you'll find yourself making it on a Wednesday. In April. At midnight. For just yourself.
Step 1: Add eggs and eggnog to a medium bowl. Hint: room temperature ingredients blend more easily!
Step 2: Add brown sugar.
Step 3: Add cinnamon and nutmeg (freshly ground is best) and whisk thoroughly. I sometimes use an immersion blender to make sure it's really mixed and that there are no cinnamon lumps.
Step 4: Pour into a shallow dish or a small sheet pan. Add a couple of bread slices and soak for about 30 seconds to a minute. (see below, for more tips on soaking)
Step 5: Preheat a nonstick pan, or electric griddle, over medium heat. Flip over your bread slices to soak on the other side.
Step 6: Spread one teaspoon of butter on your hot pan or griddle and place dipped bread on the surface. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side, or until golden brown.
Step 7: Flip over and cook on the other side another 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown.
Step 8: Place on a wire rack set in a large sheet pan. Keep warm in a 200°F oven while you cook the rest of the French toast. (placing in the oven also ensures that the center of your French Toast is thoroughly cooked)
Serve with warm maple syrup and a smile.
Optional: Whisk together ½ cup of powdered sugar with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Use a small mesh strainer or sugar shaker to make it snow on your Eggnog French Toast.
French Toast expert tips
The amount of soaking you give your bread is a matter of personal preference. Some people want it soaked for so long that you almost need a spatula to flip it in the custard and to transfer it to cook, others (me👋) just like a quick dip in the eggnog pool. Here are a few soaking tips, whatever your preference:
- Use thicker bread slices - I like to slice my own bread, or unsliced store bought bread, at least ½ inch thick - an inch thick if I'm feeling truly decadent. You can also find thicker sliced bread, such as Texas toast, in your bread aisle. Then I give each slice a good soak in the eggnog custard on each side. Note that the thicker the slice, the longer you'll want to soak it for the custard to reach the center of the slice.
- Use brioche bread - Due to its high butter and egg content, brioche bread tends to be rather custardy, even with a quick 30 second eggy eggnog soak.
- Soak longer - If you want your french toast to have more of a bread pudding texture, you can soak your bread for 30 minutes, up to overnight, flipping it halfway through.
- Dry your bread - If you want your bread to soak up more of the eggnog custard, try leaving your slices of bread out on a wire rack overnight, or dry it in a 250°F oven for about 30 minutes. This will remove the bread's excess moisture, which you can replace with eggnog custard.
- Just bake it - If you want to really get that eggnog French toast drenching, turn this recipe into a French Toast Casserole situation.
- Double the custard - Whether you decide to overnight soak, thick slice, or make it a bread pudding type French toast, you may want to double the custard, to make sure you have enough to get the texture you prefer.
Not just for kids anymore - My absolute favorite way to eat anything, is to make it small because everyone knows tiny food tastes better. Take the ingredients from this recipe and apply them to my French toast sticks recipe and feed your inner child!
Recipe FAQ's
I prefer to use either my electric griddle or a nonstick pan. As much as I love my cast iron pan, I find that it can get too hot and not cool down quick enough, leading to some darker pieces of French Toast.
Besides the usual powdered sugar and maple syrup, you can use whipped cream, caramelized bananas, sweetened yogurt, toasted nuts, or if you're anything like my husband, peanut butter goes on everything!
Wrap any leftovers in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. For longer storage, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and then transfer to a freezer safe bag or container. Take out as many pieces as you need and reheat them in the oven, toaster, or microwave.
Did you try this recipe?
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I appreciate you!
-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Easy Eggnog French Toast
Ingredients
French Toast
- 8 slices bread of your choice
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup eggnog
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Optional finishing touches
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Maple syrup
Instructions
- Whisk eggs, milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and pour into a shallow dish, such as a small sheet pan or a pie plate.
- Warm large nonstick pan, or electric griddle, to medium heat. Spread 1 teaspoon of butter on the surface. Dip bread in egg mixture, turning to coat both sides evenly.
- Place a piece of bread in the pan and cook 2-3 minutes on the first side, or until golden brown. Flip over and cook 2-3 minutes on the other side. Place on a wire rack set on a sheet pan (to prevent sogginess) and keep warm in a 200° oven. Repeat with the rest of the bread.
- If using, whisk powdered sugar with cinnamon until fully combined. Sprinkle with cinnamon powdered sugar and serve with warm maple syrup.
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