Orange French Toast with Marmalade

Transform traditional French toast with the addition of orange marmalade in the custard and in the syrup. This Orange French Toast recipe cooks up perfectly golden and bursting with flavor and is just right for special occasions or lazy weekend mornings.

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This Orange French Toast recipe reminds me of Sunday mornings, when my father would wake up and after frying up some bacon in a cast iron pan he would barely wipe it out and start making French toast. It wasn't anything fancy, just some Wonder Bread dipped in egg and milk, and sprinkled with cinnamon, but I can still taste that bacony, cinnamony toast today.

Anyway, this orange marmalade French toast is probably way too fancy for that little girl and her dad, but it sure hits the spot around here. I add orange marmalade to both the French toast custard and to the orange maple syrup and the combination with the rich French toast is out of this world! I think my dad would like it ❤️

Ingredients & Substitutions

One of my favorite things about any French toast recipe is it is so easy to customize it with your favorite toppings or flavorings. Let's take a look at the main ingredients and see where we can make changes if we need to:

• Thick Sliced Bread - You can make this orange marmalade French toast with any bread you enjoy, like brioche bread, french bread, or even plain white bread. If you can find (or bake) an unsliced loaf of your favorite bread, all the better. I like a nice fat slice so that it doesn’t absorb too much of the egg mixture. I know some recipes go for a real custardy texture, but that’s just not my jam.  If you like it that way, cut your bread slices thinner, and/or soak your bread longer.
• Eggs - My ratio of eggs for French Toast is one egg for every two slices of bread. If you want eggless French toast you can combine 1 cup milk with 2 tablespoons cornstarch or custard powder and mix until well combined. Make sure to re-whisk the batter each time before dipping your bread because the cornstarch may settle to the bottom of the dish.
• Oranges - Plump, juicy, and very orange. That's the note. Don't come in here with your half green, hard oranges. What type of orange you use is completely up to you. You can use anything from a naval orange to a Clementine.
• Orange Marmalade - Made with both the peel and fruit of citrus fruits, marmalade combines the sweetness of jam with the bitterness of the citrus peel, for a much more robust flavor. There is marmalade in the custard and the syrup. You can substitute with just oranges and orange juice, or you can use any jams or preserves you like.
• Milk - Making the custard for dipping the bread requires milk a. If you have a milk of choice, almond, oat, soy, feel free to substitute. If you are going for dairy milk, use whole milk or even half-and-half if you like. We’re having French toast here. We're fancy.
• Cinnamon and cardamom - These are the same warm spices I use for my traditional French toast as well as my mini donut muffins, and that's because they bring so much warmth and coziness to those dishes. Don't feel like those are your only choices though. You can use apple pie spice or a pinch of nutmeg. You can even skip the sugar, vanilla extract, and spices to make a savory French toast.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Quick Recipe Video

Instructions

It's a closely held secret in the brunch industry, as well as the Mom industry, that French toast just isn't as hard as we make it seem. Making it look difficult and unattainable allows restaurants to charge more and or moms to save it for special occasions. I'm here to set you free. French toast is easy. Shh... don't tell anyone.

• Place a wire rack set on a sheet pan in a 200° oven. This is where you will place your finished slices of French toast while you cook the rest.

Step 1: Combine your fruit, sugar, and orange juice in a medium bowl. Gently toss and allow to sit at room temperature until ready to serve.

Step 2: Place marmalade, maple syrup, and orange juice in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, or until the syrup begins to thicken. Set aside to cool while you make the French toast.

Step 3: Crack eggs into a large measuring cup or bowl and add 2 tablespoons of orange marmalade.

Step 4: Into the eggs add milk, orange zest, orange juice, cinnamon, and cardamom. Whisk thoroughly.

Step 5: Pour into a shallow dish, such as a pie plate or small sheet pan. Warm a skillet or cast iron pan up to medium heat. Drop 1 tablespoon of butter or oil in the pan and allow to melt.

Step 6: Dip a slice of bread in egg mixture, turning to coat both sides evenly. If you'd like your French toast more eggy, leave in for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side.

Step 7: Place a piece of dipped bread in the pan and cook 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.

Step 8: Flip over and cook 2-3 minutes on the other side. Place on the wire rack in the oven to keep warm and repeat with the rest of the bread.

Step 9: Place a couple of pieces of French toast on each plate. Garnish with fresh fruit and yogurt sweetened with a little bit of honey.

Step 10: Drizzle with your orange maple syrup and enjoy!

The finished texture of the Orange French toast should be slightly crisp and golden-brown on the outside and soft, moist, and custard-like, not soggy, on the inside. I almost always add powdered sugar, fresh fruit, and syrup on top, as well as a sprinkle of chopped roasted pistachios because I'm team texture. I also love to serve crispy bacon or sausage patties on the side.

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