This French Toast for One (or Two) is rich, custardy, and made with just two eggs and four slices of bread, so you can make breakfast for yourself or easily share it with someone else. Heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg make it a little more indulgent than everyday French toast, but it still comes together in about 20 minutes.
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When I was first married, learning to make French Toast was one of the most adult-ish things I ever did. My classic French toast is tied to some of my favorite memories of my father, so eventually adapting it into a small batch version for my husband and me felt pretty perfect.
And since we're only making a few slices, I make them count. Heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg give the custard plenty of flavor, and I usually finish mine with warm maple syrup, fresh fruit, and a little crunchy granola.
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Why Make This French Toast for One
- Small batch - Make four slices for two people, or halve the recipe for one.
- Rich custard - Heavy cream makes the center especially soft and custardy.
- Quick - Breakfast is on the table in about 20 minutes.
- Flexible - Brioche, challah, white bread, or whatever bread you have will work.
- Easy to customize - Add berries, apples, granola, powdered sugar, or just butter and maple syrup.
Ingredients & Substitutions
They are simple ingredients, but they come together in such an indulgent way. Let's take a look at them, and see where you can make changes:
- Sliced Bread - You can make French Toast with any bread you like. My favorite is brioche bread or challah, because they are super rich with butter and/or eggs, or even a good white bread or wheat bread will do great. Slightly stale bread is even better because it can soak up more custard without falling apart.
- Heavy cream - Making the custard for dipping the bread requires milk. Even almond milk, coconut milk, or your favorite plant based milk will do, but we're treating ourselves, right? I'm using heavy cream. Yes, you can use half-and-half. You can use milk. You can even make eggnog French toast or make French toast with coffee creamer.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg - Classics are a classic for a reason. Cinnamon and nutmeg are the perfect warm spices for French toast. If you don't like or can't eat cinnamon, feel free to leave that out. Add a little more vanilla instead.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Best friends forever I love to top my French toast with granola, either store-bought or homemade. But I'm really into my new Stovetop Granola that doesn't require turning on the oven and is ready in about 15 minutes!
Variations
French toast is just such a part of my story as a human being, my relationship with my father, my relationship with my husband and children, that I will always have delicious French toast recipes for you. Here are a few:
- Citrus - I always thought of orange marmalade as something weird that my Grandma would put on her toast, but by adding it to the custard and the syrup, my Orange Marmalade French Toast ain't just for old ladies anymore!
- Oven-baked - When you are pressed for time, you just don't want to be chained to the stove. My Sheet Pan French Toast bakes in the oven, giving you time for a shower, or another cup of coffee.
- Kid friendly - I highly encourage playing with your food, especially when the food is my French Toast Sticks! Perfect for take away breakfast or sitting and dipping, you'll want to get your hands on a few!
This french toast is one of my favorite Small Batch Brunch Recipes that are perfect when you only need to feed one or two, or when you want to mix and match dishes for a full brunch spread
Quick Recipe Video
Instructions
Note: Truly want French toast for one? Simply halve the recipe: use 2 slices of bread, 1 egg, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, 1 ½ teaspoons sugar, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon vanilla. No leftover custard and no giant batch of French toast staring at you from the refrigerator.
Check out the pictures below, read through all the instructions, and gather your ingredients. You'll have delicious French toast for two (or just yourself) in no time!
Step 1: Add together eggs and heavy cream in a medium bowl.
Step 2: Add sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg and whisk until thoroughly blended. Pour egg mixture into a small sheet pan or shallow dish.
Step 3: Preheat a cast iron pan, or nonstick pan, over medium heat. Dip bread in custard mixture, turning to get both sides moistened.
Step 4: Add one tablespoon of butter to preheated pan and place dipped bread in the pan. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side, or until golden brown.
Step 5: Flip over and cook on the other side another 2 to 3 minutes. Place on a baking sheet in a 200°F oven to keep warm while you cook the rest of the French toast.
Step 6: Sprinkle with some powdered sugar and serve with butter and warm syrup. Add fresh berries or sliced strawberries if you like.
Expert tip
This easy French toast recipe is even easier than most people expect. Here are a few tips to make sure that you get the best French toast of your life, every time:
- Use slightly stale bread: Day-old bread absorbs the custard better without becoming too soggy. If you don't remember to leave your bread out the night before (and don't we always forget?) just place it on a wire rack in a 250°F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Soak or dunk: if you like a super rich, extra-indulgent French toast, let the bread soak in the custard for about 20-30 seconds per side, ensuring it's fully absorbed but not falling apart. If you like your toast, lightly frenched (is that a thing?) Just give it about five or 10 seconds per side.
- Use medium heat: Cook the French toast in a pan preheated over medium or medium-low heat. This allows it to develop a golden-brown crust while cooking through without burning.
- Butter wisely: Add a small amount of butter to the pan for flavor and to prevent sticking, but don't overdo it, as it can make the toast greasy. And don't forget to wipe out the pan between batches of French toast, or you will get a burnt flavor.
- Rack it: Keep finished slices on a wire rack rather than directly on a sheet pan so the bottoms stay crisp.
Serving Suggestions
When I make this French toast, I sometimes whip up my stovetop granola for the top, because I love a little crunch.
I love to make a double batch of my cinnamon apple topping and keep them in the freezer so that I can quickly defrost them and add them to the top of my French toast!
Recipe FAQs
For one person, I usually make 2 slices of French toast. If you're extra hungry or using smaller slices of bread, make 3. This recipe makes 4 slices for two people, but it can easily be halved for one. Simply click the .5X button on the recipe card to automatically change the amounts.
French toast can turn soggy if the bread is too fresh or thin, if it soaks in the custard too long, or if the pan isn't hot enough. Use slightly stale, thick-cut bread and cook it over medium heat so the outside browns while the custard cooks through.
For most bread, soak each slice for about 10 to 20 seconds per side. Thicker or slightly stale bread can soak a little longer, while softer, thinner bread may only need a quick dip to keep it from becoming soggy.
Place fully cooled French toast in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the microwave, or place in a single layer on a sheet pan in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
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📖 Recipe
How to Make French Toast (for One or Two)
Recommended Equipment
- Nonstick pan or ⤵️
Ingredients
- 4 slices bread
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg or a few scritches of a whole nutmeg on a zester
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk eggs, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg and pour into a shallow dish, such as a pie plate.
- Warm a nonstick pan, or cast iron pan, up to medium heat, then add 1 tablespoon of butter in the pan and allow to melt.
- Dip bread in egg mixture, turning to coat both sides evenly.
- Place the piece of bread in the pan and cook 2-3 minutes, 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.
- Serve with warm maple syrup. I also like to top mine with a spoonful of granola for texture.
How much milk?
This recipe uses 1/4 cup of heavy cream. The full list of ingredients, including amounts, is in the recipe card. This recipe calls for heavy cream, but of course you could substitute with milk.
My family’s favorite breakfast!