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Home Β» Breakfast Β» How to Make Crispy French Toast Stovetop

August 6, 2020 (last updated September 25, 2023)

How to Make Crispy French Toast Stovetop

5 from 4 reviews
Janet Harlow
Leave a Comment Jump to Recipe

Do you struggle to make your French toast crispy on the outside? I love the flavor that butter gives French toast but I can never get it crispy. The secret to fluffy, soft and moist French toast that has a deliciously crispy exterior is to use high-heat oil such as sunflower or avocado oil when you pan-fry your French Toast! Try it once, and you’ll never go back to butter

Don’t miss some of my other gluten-free breakfast and brunch recipes including my gluten-free peanut butter pancakes and gluten-free banana orange crepes.

This French toast would be amazing with my DIY homemade bourbon maple syrup or sweet and spicy maple syrup.

Close up of french toast topped with butter and syrup on white rectangular plate. Raspberry garnish. Two forks in front, blue napkin on left and glass pitcher with syrup on right. Milk bottle and loaf of bread in background.

Cooking Methods

So often, I find that food that doesn’t taste great, simply wasn’t cooked with the right technique. For example, a grilled steak tastes much better than one that has been boiled (haha, don’t boil a steak, ever). It is the same with French toast. Getting the best taste and texture is about proper preparation and cooking technique. Check out my cooking basics posts for more helpful cooking tips.

Here’s the right way to make crispy French toast.

French toast topped with butter and syrup on white rectangular plate. Raspberry garnish. Two forks in front, blue napkin on left and glass pitcher with syrup on right.

How to Make Tasty, Crispy French Toast

  • Start off with toasted bread. It will hold up better to the process of soaking.
  • Next, to get flavor all the way through every slice of French toast by putting the flavor in the egg mixture. I add vanilla extract, a little sweetener and a couple of pinches of salt for balance.
  • Soak the bread long enough for the liquid to absorb to the middle of the slice.
  • Finally, lightly coat your pan with oil and get it hot! A cast iron skillet (best) will get very hot, and hot means golden brown and crispy.
Overhead view of large metal bowl with egg mixture and toast soaking for french toast. Blue napkin on right, wire whisk on left.

French Toast Variations

  • Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the egg mixture
  • Add 2 tsps dark rum to the egg mixture
  • For pumpkin spice french toast, add 1/4 tsp, cinnamon, a pinch of ground ginger and a pinch of ground clove
  • Top with my super easy strawberry sauce
  • Top with peanut butter, honey and sliced banana
  • Top with brown sugar and butter
Stack of crispy french toast on white plate with butter and raspberries. Syrup being poured on top.
French toast topped with butter and syrup on white rectangular plate. Raspberry garnish. Two forks in fornt, blue napkin on left and glass pitcher with syrup on right.

How to Make Crispy French Toast Stovetop

Author: Janet Harlow
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 2 servings
Do you struggle to make your French toast crispy on the outside? I love the flavor that butter gives French toast but I could never get it crispy. The secret to fluffy, soft and moist French toast that has a deliciously crispy exterior is to use high-heat oil like such as sunflower or avocado oil when you pan-fry your French Toast! Try it once, and you’ll never go back to butter
5 from 4 reviews
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 5 minutes mins
Total Time 15 minutes mins

Ingredients
  

  • ο»Ώ4 thick slices of bread
  • ο»Ώ3 large eggs
  • ο»Ώ2 Tbsp milk or dairy-free milk substitute
  • 2 Tbsp sugar or other sweetener
  • ο»Ώ2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1-2 tbsp high heat oil sunflower, avocado

Instructions
 

  • Note: The bread can be soaked directly in a large wide mixing bowl that you use to mix the egg mixture or on a smallish cookie sheet (about 9×12 in). The cookie sheet makes it easier to soak all the slices of bread at once.
    Overhead view of toasted bread soaking in custard mixture in sheet pan.
  • In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla extract together until smooth and the egg whites are completely incorporated.
    Overhead view of french toast custard being mixed in white bowl.
  • Toast the bread to golden brown.
    Overhead view of French toast ingredients on wood board.
  • Soak the toasted bread, 2 slices at a time, in the egg mixture (or all together on a sheet pan) about 2 minutes per side or more for thick bread. The bread should be soaked through the middle.
    Overhead view of toasted bread soaking in egg mixture in metal bowl.
  • Place a coating of oil in a large skillet and heat over a high flame.
    Overhead view of oil being poured into skillet on the cook top.
  • **The temperature of the oil is very important. If it's not hot enough, the French toast will absorb too much oil and turn out greasy. So, test the heat by dropping a dab of the egg mixture into the pan. If it sizzles vigorously and immediately, it's ready. Turn the flame down to medium-high.
    Overhead view of skillet on the cook top.
  • Pull the bread from the liquid and allow the excess to drip off. Drop the bread into the pan and cook until golden brown on both sides.
    Overhead view of French toast cooking in skillet.
  • If cooking in batches, place cooked slices, in a single layer on a wire rack and keep warm in a 300Β°F oven.
    Overhead view of French toast on wire rack.
  • Top with my DIY bourbon maple syrup or homemade spicy maple syrup.
  • This French toast can be frozen and reheated in the toaster or toaster oven.

Nutrition

Serving: 2slices
Did you make this recipe?Let me know how it was! Tag @chefjanetk on Instagram.
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Posted In: Breakfast

Comments

  1. Marjorie Webster says

    March 12, 2023 at 8:24 am

    It was so delicious, toasted bread made such a difference. ThNk you !

    Reply

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