21 Best French Toast Recipes, From Classic to Cannoli Stuffed

When I used to own a restaurant (Kings Oak in Philadelphia), my favorite part was coming up with the brunch menu. The stuffed french toast plates were always the first items to disappear, too.

French toast is one of those things that can be as simple or complicated (aka weird) as you’d like it to be. For bread, I typically like to go with challah or brioche, as the thicker the better (they soak up all that custard well and won’t fall apart).

For the bread, I prefer buying a whole loaf of challah or brioche and slicing it myself, since thick slices soak up the custard without falling apart. Presliced bread works too, just look for a thicker cut if you can find one.

With all of this in mind, here are 21 of our favorite recipes, counting down from the basic (for a weekday a. m. ) to the cannoli-stacked (save for the fanciest sunday), there’s something here for each and every lazy sunday morning!

21. French Toast Sticks

Kids love french toast sticks! Take thick Texas toast slices and cut them into strips. Then dip the bread into the cinnamon vanilla custard mixture and fry until golden brown on each side. The resulting sticks have a crisp exterior and a soft interior, making them great for dipping into a bowl of warm maple syrup. You can make a large batch on the weekend, then freeze the rest and pop them in the toaster on busy school mornings.

20. Eggnog French Toast

Eggnog French toast is my go-to holiday hack each December. Store-bought eggnog does all the heavy lifting for making the custard, not only providing the creaminess, sweetness, and spices, but leaving room for me to sprinkle in a few more pinches of nutmeg and cinnamon for good measure. Thick challah bread soaks it all up and then bakes into an ooey-gooey, rich custard breakfast that screams Christmas morning. Top with a bit of powdered sugar and some warm maple syrup to finish it off.

19. Overnight French Toast Casserole

When you’re feeding a crowd, an overnight French toast casserole saves the whole morning. Cubes of challah soak in a cinnamon vanilla custard in the fridge overnight, then get topped with a buttery brown sugar crumble before baking. You wake up, slide the dish in the oven, and have coffee while it puffs up and turns golden. It’s my go-to for holiday mornings, house guests, and brunch parties where nobody wants to stand at the stove.

18. Cornflake Crusted French Toast

To get that diner-style crispiness at home, you coat each piece of bread in crushed cornflakes. After dipping each piece of brioche in the custard, you roll it around in crushed cornflakes, then cook it in butter on the stove. The crunchy cornflakes turn into a delicious, golden, crispy crust that won’t get soggy with too much syrup. And the inside stays nice and custardy for a mouthful of crispy-soft goodness. Adding a little bit of cinnamon to your cornflakes just adds even more deliciousness.

17. Monte Cristo

If you’re a fan of French toast but wish there was a savory option available, then the Monte Cristo might be the perfect choice for your next brunch. It’s stuffed with layers of ham, turkey, and Swiss cheese which are fried together and served with raspberry jam on the side. The sweet and salty flavors make it incredibly delicious and definitely worth a try! This sandwich is also an excellent option for those who aren’t big fans of sweet breakfast foods.

16. Red Velvet French Toast

Turn red velvet cake into brunch stars with this recipe. Adding cocoa powder and red food coloring to the custard mixture ensures each brioche is colored bright red with just a hint of chocolate. Finished off with a tangy cream cheese glaze, this brunch dish tastes like true red velvet cake. This recipe is great for a special occasion such as a birthday or Valentine’s Day and will always get a reaction when you set it on the table.

15. Blueberry Lemon Ricotta French Toast

Here’s a twist on the classic stuffed French toast! We’ve combined sweet blueberries and zesty lemon to create this light and tangy breakfast. A ricotta cheese filling gives this blueberry lemon French toast a creamy texture, while the blueberry sauce adds bursts of fruity flavor.

14. Elvis French Toast

Inspired by Elvis Presley’s legendary sandwich of peanut butter, bananas and bacon, this Elvis French toast features golden brioche straight from the pan, stacked with creamy peanut butter and sliced banana. The peanut butter will melt into the warm toast. It’s topped with crispy bacon, more banana and a drizzle of honey. Sweet, salty and rich, it’s a brunch dish that will keep you full till dinner.

13. Cinnamon Roll French Toast

Cinnamon roll French toast tastes just like a warm cinnamon roll, without the hassle of making dough. The trick is using cinnamon swirl bread, which has the swirl already built in. You dip each slice in a vanilla custard and cook in butter until the sugar begins to caramelize. Drizzle a thick cream cheese icing over the top to finish it off just like the real thing. It’s a quick enough recipe for a weekday morning, but makes a great weekend brunch too.

12. Bananas Foster French Toast

Banana Foster French Toast is a delicious brunch dish inspired by the classic New Orleans dessert of the same name. Bananas are cooked in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and rum until they’re soft and coated in a sweet, golden caramel sauce.

The sauce is then poured over thick slices of French toast, allowing it to soak right in. If you don’t want to serve alcohol to children, simply leave out the rum and add a bit of vanilla instead. Regardless of how you make it, Banana Foster French Toast is rich, decadent, and undeniably delicious!

11. Caramel Apple Stuffed French Toast

I think caramel apple stuffed french toast might be the most delicious way to eat fall. You cook up some diced apples in butter with brown sugar and cinnamon, then when they are soft and jammy, you spoon them between two pieces of brioche that has just come out of the pan. Add some more apples on top, pour some caramel sauce over it, and you have a dish that says “warm and cozy, let’s go apple picking!” I also like adding a few chopped pecans to add a little bit of crunch to it.

10. Pumpkin Spice French Toast

The first dish I whip up in the fall is this Pumpkin Spice French Toast. The pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice get blended right into the custard so each slice of challah bread gets baked up golden brown and packed with all the flavors of fall.

Then you top it off with a dollop of maple whipped cream, which melts right into the hot toast. And it’s made from things you probably already have in your pantry! This is what a cozy autumn morning smells like!

9. Churro French Toast

If you love Churros, you’ll love Churro French Toast! This French toast recipe combines the best elements of a Churro and brings it to the breakfast table. Cook thick slices of brioche in butter and toss with cinnamon sugar while hot so that it adheres to all sides. This results in a crunchy, sugary churro crust on the outside and a tender center. Top with a warm chocolate dipping sauce and eat them like a churro from the street vendor. Everyone, kids and adults alike, will love these Churro French Toast slices.

8. S’mores French Toast

You’ve got all the ingredients for a s’more French toast breakfast sitting in your pantry, except that campfire. Take two slices of brioche straight from the pan and pile them with a heap of marshmallow fluff and a handful of chocolate chips. Once you place them onto the warm toast, they’ll start melting into it. Toasted mini marshmallows, some crushed graham crackers, and a drizzle of chocolate will complete the topping. This breakfast recipe is messier than a pile of burnt s’mores but sure to win over kids everywhere. Use a kitchen torch to get a real charred marshmallow look.

7. Nutella Banana Stuffed French Toast

Nutella banana stuffed french toast is one of the easiest to make! All it takes is a slice of challah (cooked until golden) slathered in Nutella and topped with bananas. Then add a second golden cooked piece of challah on top and allow the heat to melt the Nutella making it extra warm and gooey! Then top with more bananas and Nutella! It only takes a few minutes and will look just like it was ordered from a brunch cafe!

6. Tiramisu French Toast

This dessert is what happens when you turn a favorite Italian treat into a brunch dish. You add some espresso to the custard to give thick slices of brioche a deep coffee taste. The mascarpone cream between the two brioche slices tastes just like the cream in your regular tiramisu. You top it with a generous layer of cocoa powder. If you’re a fan of tiramisu, this is definitely something you need to try. Enjoy it with a cup of coffee!

5. Cinnamon Toast Crunch French Toast

Cinnamon Toast Crunch French toast is a nostalgic breakfast treat. You’ll press crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal onto bread that’s been dipped in egg and milk, then fry the bread in butter until it’s crispy and browned.

The cereal has cinnamon sugar mixed into it, which melts in the frying pan, leaving you with a crunchy, sugary coating on your French toast. Top it with a little vanilla icing and you’ve got a sweet, crispy breakfast treat that will transport you back to your childhood, and make for a fun weekend meal for the entire family.

4. Crème Brûlée French Toast

This recipe for crème brûlée French toast is by far the most extravagant option on this list, yet incredibly simple to make. Thick slices of challah are soaked in a custard composed of heavy cream and egg yolks infused with vanilla. Once cooked, each slice is sprinkled with sugar, which is then caramelized with a torch until it forms a crisp, glassy crust. Smashing your fork through that crust and sinking it into the creamy bread beneath is one of the best parts of this dish. A few fresh berries on the side help balance out the richness.

3. Strawberry Cheesecake Stuffed French Toast

You always know when a brunch spot has good stuff on its menu when they have strawberry cheesecake stuffed French toast. A delicious sweet cream cheese filling and some fresh, sweet sliced strawberries get sandwiched in between two slices of fresh, golden brioche right out of the pan.

Then the whole stack gets topped with another dollop of the filling, some fresh sliced strawberries, and some graham cracker crumbs so it tastes just like the crust of your favorite cheesecake! The warmth of the toast melts the filling so it becomes creamy and rich. It’s sweet and fruity and beautiful on the plate.

2. Fruit Loops French Toast

The Fruit Loops French toast was one of my favorite brunch items to make at my restaurant. There are two slices of challah with berry cream cheese in between and then some more of that berry cream cheese spread on top of the two slices of bread. The final step was adding Fruit Loops for texture and color.

It was a very fun looking dish, a bit like an adult version of Saturday morning cartoons. It was very kid friendly and yet the adults were ordering it just as frequently.

1. Cannoli Stuffed French Toast

The cannoli stuffed French toast is hands down the best thing I have ever put on the Kings Oak brunch menu, and it’s a clear #1 on this list. Two hefty pieces of challah encase a sweet ricotta cannoli filling dotted with mini chocolate chips. Additional filling is piped on top, and then a full cannoli is placed atop the stack like a tiara. It’s a Philly Italian bakery and brunch restaurant all on one plate, and it sold out nearly every single weekend. Feel free to dress it up in extra toppings like whipped cream or sauces.