French Toast without Eggs

You can easily make delicious French toast without eggs and your family will never know the difference, I promise! This easy recipe only requires a handful of simple ingredients to craft delectable golden brown stacks of sweet and pillowy French toast the whole family will love. Best of all, no eggs required!

French toast is a classic breakfast staple that consists of thick slices of bread dredged in a wet mixture typically consisting of milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. The bread is then cooked until golden brown on a griddle or nonstick skillet and served with maple syrup.

Contrary to popular belief, an eggless French toast recipe can be just as delicious as making this popular breakfast with eggs when done correctly. Although eggs are an important ingredient needed to thicken the batter, there are a couple of substitutions that work equally as well.

Best Egg Substitute for French Toast

Eggs are important in most classic French toast recipes because they thicken the dredging mixture, allowing it to more easily stick to the slices of bread when cooking. However, there are two really good substitutes that work just as well for this eggless version.

• Heavy whipping cream - Using heavy whipping cream in place of both milk and eggs is my favorite substitution. Heavy cream is already perfectly thick and will easily coat and cling to any bread slice dredged into it.
• Milk & Cornstarch - Since most kitchens don't keep heavy cream on hand, using a mixture of 1 cup milk and 1 tablespoon corn starch will work equally well. The cornstarch thickens the milk to give it a consistency similar to heavy cream. Cornstarch will also give your French toast a crispier exterior when cooked.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Thick-cut bread - The best bread for French toast is always thick-cut bread (think 'Texas toast') because it results in more pillowy French toast. Although regular sandwich bread can certainly be used, I recommend using a sweet or eggy bread, like Brioche, from the bakery department of your local grocery store. It is equally important to let the bread stale slightly before cooking to prevent soggy French toast.
• Heavy cream - You can also substitute 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch. If using this milk mixture, fattier milk such as whole milk is best, although even skim milk can be used.
• Brown sugar
• Vanilla extract
• Ground cinnamon
• Table salt

How to make Eggless French toast

For best results, before making this eggless French toast recipe, you will want to dry out your bread slices slightly. The best way to do this is to set the slices of bread on your kitchen counter overnight. They will be perfectly stale the next morning.

Alternatively, if you don't have time for that, you can briefly place the bread slices in your toaster oven to dry them out. The goal is not to turn them into toast, but simply to dry the exterior so it can better soak up the custard.

Next, we make the custard mixture by combining the heavy cream, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt in a shallow dish or large bowl by whisking everything together. Then dredge the bread slices in the mixture, ensuring both sides are evenly coated. Let any excess French toast batter drip off then place the bread on a hot griddle.

Cook the slices of French toast for 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Then serve with your favorite toppings, such as pure maple syrup, butter, powdered sugar, or fresh berries.

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

French toast is great to make in advance because it reheats really well. Leftover French toast should be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to one week. French toast also freezes well when placed in an appropriate freezer bag and can be stored in the freezer for up to two months.

For the best texture and flavor, I recommend reheating the French toast on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for ten minutes, or until heated through. Alternatively, this can be done in a skillet over medium-low heat.

This recipe was originally published on February 6, 2023.