Crispy Challah French Toast
We’re leveling up our French toast game today with this crispy French toast recipe. It’s a little more involved than your run-of-the-mill French toast, but I promise the little extra effort is definitely worth it.
Slices of challah are coated in crushed corn flakes and lightly fried until crispy. I love the textures – you get the crispy coating on the outside with the soft, custardy bread on the inside. Crispy challah French toast is the perfect breakfast dish for a weekend brunch or holiday breakfast.
Ingredients
- Bread: I like challah because it can handle the custard mixture without getting soggy. Other sturdy-style breads will work, too, like brioche or sourdough.
- Cornflakes: The crispy coating is made with crushed cornflakes. You can crush them in a food processor or place the cereal in a zip lock bag, seal it, and crush the flakes with a kitchen mallet.
- Large eggs
- Whole milk
- Orange juice: This adds a hint of citrus flavor in the custard. You don’t need much and it really cuts through the richness of the eggs and milk.
- Granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon and nutmeg
- Vegetable oil
How to Make Crispy-Coated French Toast
☑️ Make the Crispy Cornflake Coating and Custard
Mix the crushed cornflakes with ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl. In a separate shallow bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, orange juice, sugar, vanilla, and nutmegs.
☑️ Dip and Coat the Bread Slices
Dip the bread slices in the egg mixture and then coat them with the crushed cereal.
☑️ Pan Fry the French Toast
Heat oil in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Cook two to three pieces of French toast at a time, cooking on each side until the coating is crispy.
Place the French toast slices on a sheet pan and place the pan in a warm oven while you finish the rest of the batch.
Heat more oil in the pan between batches, if needed.
☑️ Serve
Serve the French toast with butter, syrup, powdered sugar, or fresh fruit.
More Weekend Breakfast Recipes
Crispy Challah French Toast
Crispy French toast is a fun breakfast idea for a weekend brunch or holiday breakfast.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 cups cornflakes, finely crushed (yields about 2 cups after crushing)
- 1 (16-ounce) loaf of challah bread, sliced into 1/2” pieces
- Approximately 1/2 to 3/4 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175 to 200°F.
- Whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl. Add the milk, orange juice, sugar, vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined, then set aside.
- Mix the crushed cornflakes and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in another shallow bowl and set aside.
- Heat 1/4 of the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat.
- Dip one piece of bread in the egg mixture, coating both sides, and then coat the bread with the cornflake mixture. Repeat this process with the rest of the slices.
- Place two to three slices of the coated bread in the pan and fry for two to three minutes on medium/medium—low heat. Then, turn them over and cook for two to three minutes on the other side until cooked through. Adjust the heat, as needed, to ensure even cooking on each side. Add more oil to the pan, as needed, for each batch.
- Set the cooked French toast aside on a sheet pan. Keep it warm in an oven set at 175 to 200°F. Serve with butter, syrup, honey, or powdered sugar.
Notes
The amount of oil needed to cook the French toast will vary, so it’s hard to estimate the nutrition values. Because of that, they are not included with this recipe.
More Recipes to Try
- Pineapple Banana Smoothie
- Cream Cheese Jam Pastries
- Strawberry Avocado Smoothie
- Breakfast Berry Fruit Salad
I hope you try this French toast recipe!
Happy cooking,
