Start your morning with a quick and easy twist on a classic British favorite with my Quick Breakfast Toad in a Hole. Fluffy, golden Yorkshire pudding baked up around savory breakfast sausages, it's comfort food at its finest! Drizzle with maple syrup or traditional onion gravy - both are delicious choices!
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Breakfast Toad in a Hole is a traditional british dish that combines a fluffy Yorkshire pudding with savory breakfast sausage. Traditionally, this British favorite uses pork sausages, but you can easily swap in other breakfast sausages like maple or apple-flavored sausages for a hint of sweetness, Spanish chorizo for a spicy kick, or use bratwurst or kielbasa for a dinner version.
I like to cook my toad-in-a-hole in an individual mini cast iron skillet because everyone gets their own and also because I want my own puffy Yorkshire pudding. Alternatively, you can go big and bake the whole thing family-style in one large frying pan, casserole dish, or square baking pan, allowing everyone to share the same giant Yorkshire pudding filled with delicious sausages.
To finish, drizzle with warm maple syrup for a sweet contrast to the savory sausage and fluffy pancake, or go traditional and pour over with brown gravy or onion gravy. Breakfast and Brunch goes to England. Dress appropriately.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
The ingredients for this baked toad in a hole are incredibly simple and easily customizable. Let's go over them and how you can make changes if you need to:
- Milk - I like to use full fat whole milk in making my toad in a hole because it makes the Yorkshire puddings so much more flavorful and delicious, but you can use skimmed milk if you prefer. If you need to use a plant-based milk I would recommend soy milk. It contains the proteins needed to get the best rise.
- Oil - Traditional Yorkshire puddings use beef drippings, or beef fat, from a Sunday roast, but I don't happen to have any of that on hand. You could use butter, but I find that it burns too easily. I find that the pre-cooking of the sausages leaves enough sausage drippings in the pan to cook the puddings.
- Butter - As I said I'm not using butter in the pans because of its tendency to burn, but I am adding a little bit of butter to my Yorkshire pudding batter because it's delicious.
- Sausages - Since I'm making these for breakfast, I usually use a traditional breakfast sausage, but I'm kind of obsessed with chicken apple sausage right now. You're welcome to use any type of sausage that you prefer, even vegetarian sausages if that's your vibe.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Love a good sausage? Try my quick and easy recipe for Sausage Crescent Rolls. Sausage links, soft scrambled eggs, and melty cheese are all rolled up in crescent dough then baked up to perfection for an easy handheld breakfast!
Variation: Full English Toad-in-a-Hole
You know I like to play with my food, and I really played with my food today and I'm super happy about it. I added most of the ingredients for a traditional Full English breakfast, minus the blood sausage and the beans.
I simply wrap little breakfast sausages in bacon, add some ripe tomatoes and earthy mushrooms and bake in a hot pan until puffy and golden. A fried egg is optional. I'll let you know down below how I made it!
Quick Recipe Video
Step-by-step Instructions
If you knew that making a toad in the hole was this easy, you would've been making them along time ago. Just follow the instructions and I guarantee you're gonna have a delicious breakfast and a have good time doing it!
Step 1: In a measuring jug with a spout, whisk your eggs and add milk to the whisked eggs, then drizzle in a couple of tablespoons of melted butter.
Step 2: Whisk in flour and salt until completely smooth. Let the batter rest for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- If your batter was refrigerated, allow it to come to room temperature. When your batter has rested, preheat your oven and your pans to 425°F. When ready, add 1 teaspoon of oil to each pan and place in the oven to preheat for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Remove the pans from the hot oven. Position sausages in the hot oil in each pan and place back in the oven for 5 more minutes.
Step 4: Remove pans from the oven and flip over each sausage. Give the batter a quick whisk, then pour batter into each pan, going around the sausages.
Step 5: Place the pans back into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, without opening the oven door, or until the batter is puffy and golden brown. Drizzle with maple syrup or gravy and enjoy!
A toad by any other name Don't get confused, but some people get this recipe confused with the American Egg-in-a-Hole, which is a piece of bread toasted in a pan with an egg cracked into a hole in the center. The circle you cut out is the perfect little dipper! Whatever you call it, don't call me late for breakfast 😆
"Almost" Full English Toad-in-the-Hole
A Full English breakfast typically includes eggs, sausages, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, and black pudding (a type of blood sausage). With all due respect to the United Kingdom, there was no way I was going to put baked beans or black pudding in this, but I think I captured the essence of the Full English:
Step 1: Cut bacon strips in half and wrap one piece around each sausage, in a spiral.
Step 2: Remove the pans from the oven. Add two bacon wrapped sausages to each pan and place back in the oven for 5 more minutes.
Step 3: Remove from the oven and flip over each sausage. Add two mushrooms and a few tomatoes to each pan, add a pinch of salt and some black pepper, and place back in the oven for another five minutes.
Step 4: Give the batter a quick whisk, then pour it into each pan, trying to go around all the ingredients.
Step 5: Place the pans back into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, without opening the oven door or until the batter is puffy and golden brown. I like to drizzle my "Almost" Full English Toad in a Hole with brown gravy, but you might enjoy a more traditional onion gravy. Whichever you choose, it will be delicious!
Expert tips
This is such a simple recipe, but I have a few tips that will ensure that you have delicious toads-in-a-hole. Toad-in-a-holes? Toads-in-holes? Ugh, you know what I mean. Here's my best tips for Toad-success:
- Room temperature isn't just a suggestion - Make sure your eggs and milk are at room temperature when mixing the batter. This helps it come together smoothly and improves the rise during baking. If you do refrigerate your batter overnight, make sure to let it come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes and whisk well before baking.
- Don't overmix - Whisk the batter until just combined and smooth. Overmixing can make the pudding tough instead of light and airy.
- Work quickly - Once you pour the batter into the hot skillets, quickly place them back in the oven. Taking too long can reduce the rise of your pudding. I like to place all of my little pans together on a sheet pan so I can just pour and replace.
- Serve immediately - Toad in the hole is best served straight out of the oven while it’s puffy and crisp. It will deflate a little bit as you bring it to the table, but a little drizzle of maple syrup or gravy will help you forget.
Recipe FAQs
First, don't panic! Place your eggs in a measuring cup with hot tap water for 10 minutes and microwave your milk for 30 to 45 seconds to bring them both to room temperature. You're good. Crisis averted!
The short answer to that is yes, but I wouldn't recommend it. The Yorkshire pudding tends to get pretty dense and tough after refrigeration. But if you must, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until hot.
Yes, you can use a muffin pan, just like my muffin tin popovers, or any oven-safe baking dish, but cast iron retains heat best for a crispy finish.
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-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Quick and Easy Breakfast Toad in a Hole
Equipment
- Mini cast iron pan
- Baking dish
Ingredients
Original Toad in a Hole
- 3 large (150 g) eggs
- 1 cup (240 g) milk
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (120 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt If using salted butter, skip added salt
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) oil high smoke point such as peanut or avocado
- 8 breakfast sausages large ones are best
“Almost” Full English Toad in a Hole
- 8 breakfast sausages
- 4 slices bacon thin is best
- 8 mushrooms white button or cremini
- 12 to 16 small tomatoes on the vine if possible
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a measuring cup with a spout, or a medium bowl, whisk together your eggs, milk, salt, and pepper, then drizzle in a couple of tablespoons of melted butter.
- Add all-purpose flour and kosher salt and whisk until fully combined, with no lumps. Let batter rest for at least 30 minutes, up to overnight.
- If refrigerated, let batter come to room temperature before baking.
- Turn oven to 425°F and place pans in to preheat.
- Add 1 teaspoon of oil to each pan and place back into oven for 5 minutes to preheat.
For traditional Toad in a Hole:
- Remove the pans from the oven and add two sausages to each pan and place back in the oven for five minutes.
- Remove pans from the oven and flip over each sausage. Give the batter a quick whisk, then pour it into each pan, going around the sausages.
- Place the pans back into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, without opening the oven door or until the batter is puffy and golden brown.
For “Almost Full English”:
- Cut bacon strips in half and wrap one piece around each sausage, in a spiral.
- Add the bacon wrapped sausages to the hot pans and place back in the oven for five minutes.
- Remove from the oven and flip over each sausage. Add two mushrooms and a few tomatoes to each pan and place back in the oven for five more minutes.
- Remove pans from oven. Give the batter a quick whisk, then pour it into each pan, trying to go around all the ingredients.
- Place the pans back into the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, without opening the oven door or until the batter is puffy and golden brown.
Save This Recipe! 💌
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later, plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!
Video
Notes
Place your eggs in a measuring cup with hot tap water for 10 minutes and microwave your milk for 30 to 45 seconds to bring them both to room temperature. Storage and reheating
Toad in a hole is best served hot and fresh from the oven, but if you must, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the oven at 350°F until hot.
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