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Lazy weekend mornings are made for this caramelized Cinnamon Sugar French Toast. Light and airy cinnamon sugar french toast, made with a warming vanilla bourbon egg custard, nutty browned butter, and sweet cinnamon sugar. Every piece of toast is soft, buttery, and custardy inside, but crisp and caramelized on the outside with just the right amount of cinnamon sugar. Serve this french toast with whipped mascarpone and a drizzle of maple…beyond delicious.
It’s been so long since I shared a good breakfast recipe. No idea why, but I’ve been very into the cookies and cakes this month. However, something about this weekend really required a deliciously sweet breakfast. It’s been the longest week. I’m feeling like a lazy weekend breakfast is exactly what we all need.
Enter this french toast. It’s half cinnamon sugar toast and half french toast. And well, it might just be my favorite breakfast…because I will forever have a deep love for cinni-sugar toast.
Growing up, my brothers and I sure ate a lot of cinnamon sugar toast. It was my dad’s specialty and my personal favorite. He’d do his French toast up really simply, using whatever bread my mom bought that week. Then he’d use so much butter, and even more cinnamon sugar. Oh my gosh, it was good. Dad would always make his cinnamon sugar mix heavy on the cinnamon and lighter on the sugar, so that’s how I do mine too. And we loved it. You can never overdo it on the cinnamon in my opinion.
For whatever reason, I’ve been thinking so much about his cinni-sugar toast recently. So
much so that it ended up being the inspiration for this French toast. It reminds me of being a kid. When everything in life was stressfree, carefree, and my biggest concern was what outfit I was going to wear to school.
Here are the details.
Like most French toast recipes, this is pretty simple to make and requires nothing fancy. I like to soak my bread slices in an egg “custard-like” mix. I always add a splash of both bourbon and vanilla. Using a small splash of bourbon really helps bring out the rich flavors of this toast and gives it something a little extra special.
So…soak the bread in the egg mix, then pan fry with a bit of butter until golden on either side.
Very basic, but then…
The cinnamon sugar.
Once you’ve cooked both sides of toast, you’ll want to sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar. Then simply flip the french toast over, cinni-sugar side facing down. As the french toast cooks, the sugars caramelize and turn the top of the toast into the most roll your eyes back delicious treat.
It’s similar to creme brûlée, in a way, but with the flavors of cinnamon sugar toast and just the slightest bit of crispiness.
And finally the mascarpone cream.
If you LOVE tiramisu, you’ll definitely want to make this whipped cream. It’s made with mascarpone cheese, which gives it the perfect light and creamy texture and the best flavor. Again, it adds something a little extra special to this French toast.
All it requires is just mascarpone cheese, whipped with cream, and a touch of vanilla. Seems so easy and simple, but do not let that fool you. It makes for the creamiest topping, and is perfect atop these french toast slices.
As soon as the french toast comes off the skillet, finish it with a light sprinkle of cinni-sugar, a dollop of mascarpone cream, and a drizzle of real maple syrup. Again, nothing not to love here.
When the whipped cream hits the warm toast it begins to melt over top and creates an even more custard-like french toast. The whipped mascarpone, in addition to the caramelized cinnamon sugar and sweet maple…mouthwatering! Sorry, cheesy, but I mean, I think you’ll agree.
Hoping so, because I really cannot stress enough just how good this French toast really is. My mom and causing Maggie said they could not get enough. This is one of those recipes that you’ll look forward to making every chance you get. The toast is warming, cozy, and so easy to make. Serve these up for weekend breakfast/brunch, then save the leftovers as a weekday on-the-go breakfast/treat/snack. Or work them into your upcoming Easter or Mother’s Day menus…crazy these holidays are already on the horizon.
Spring is coming!
Looking for other breakfast recipes? Here are some favorites:
Cinnamon Sugar Brown Butter Popovers
Za’atar Eggs with Lemony Yogurt
Cider Pumpkin Waffles with Salted Maple Butter
Lastly, if you make this Cinnamon Sugar French Toast be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Cinnamon Sugar French Toast
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 670 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- kosher salt
- 1 loaf challah bread, sliced into 1 inch slices
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- butter, for the pan
Whipped Mascarpone
- 1/4 cup mascarpone or cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. In a large 9x13 inch baking dish, whisk together the eggs, milk, bourbon, vanilla, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Add the bread slices, and turn to coat. Let the bread sit 10 minutes, then flip and let the other side sit another 10 minutes. 2. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. 3. To make the cream. Using an electric mixer, whip the mascarpone and cream together until soft peaks form. Add the honey (or maple) and vanilla. Whip to combine.4. When ready to cook, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the toast until light golden 2-3, then flip and cook 3-5 minutes, until deeply golden. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of each piece of toast. Flip the toast, cinnamon-sugar side facing down, and cook 2-3 minutes, until the sugar is golden brown and caramelized. 5. Plate the french toast cinnamon sugar side facing up. Sprinkle each piece lightly with cinnamon sugar. Serve with whipped cream and maple syrup. Enjoy 🙂
I’m not a bourbon drinker so I don’t have any. Do you think substituting with cointreau would work?
Hey Jessica,
I would just skip the bourbon:) Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT
Can anything else be substituted for the bourbon
Hi Sandy,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks a lot for giving it a go:) xTieghan
This is the ultimate French toast! My 4 year old won’t eat any other kind now! LOL I usually just buy the thick sliced brioche bread and don’t really soak it any longer than regular French toast.
Hey Heather,
Happy Wednesday!! So glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
This was my first time making French toast and this recipe was epic! Some tips for some that might have had soggy bread – definitely use challah and cut thick 1″ slices. I toasted the slices in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, directly on the rack before soaking. I soaked the recommended time and honestly could have soaked longer. My only other bit of advice is not to skip any of the elements and use her exact ingredients. I normally find ways to swap for healthier alternatives, but I went for it with this recipe. My family gave it 12/10 – not bad for my first French toast foray.
Hey Sarah,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! Thanks for sharing what worked well for you. xxT
Definitely would recommend soaking for 10 minutes each side! I did 5 mins each side and it was still all mush 🙁 Listen to the people— soak for only seconds!!
would not** recommend 10 minutes!
Hi Danielle,
Sorry to hear this, what kind of bread did you use? Let me know if I can help! xTieghan
I used challah as the recipe called for! Maybe next time I’ll try a different kind of bread
Easy and yummy! I didn’t have challah bread so I used brioche instead. I soaked it for 10 seconds instead of 10 minutes. Can’t wait to try it with challah bread next time.
Hey Kathy,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Hey Tieghan – so excited to try this recipe. I wanted to make it a bit ahead of time so I’m not cooking while my guests are over, is it possible to keep it warm in the oven on a wire rack? What do you recommend?
Hi there! Yes, that should work great! xTieghan
Thanks so much!
Loved this recipe! Used the whipped ricotta from the youtube video to top. Personally I had no problem with soaking the bread, it wasn’t mushy at all. I did use Challah bread though as in the recipe and cut into the thick slices! Will make again for sure. Decadent!
Hey Sierra,
Happy Labor Day!?? Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
I decided to soak the Challah bread for only about 10-15 seconds, flipped it once to coat the other side and then let the excess drip off before placing it in the pan. It came out perfect! Personally, I think letting the bread soak for longer than 30 seconds would turn it to mush, but that depends on your preference. This gave the bread just enough moisture on the inside while remaining crispy/crunchy on the outside. I really liked this French toast recipe – not too complicated or time-conssuming, but still a little unique. The whiskey bourbon definitely adds a little spice to the egg mixture, don’t skip it! Another great HBH recipe to hold onto 🙂
Hey Emily,
I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a go! xTieghan
After reading the comments and answers, I’m more confused than ever! Are you supposed to let the bread soak in the mixture for 10 minutes, or not?
Hey there,
Yes, you will let it soak for 10 minutes, flip and then soak for another 10 minutes, you can follow this recipe as is:) Please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Just made this minus the cream and they were So good!! Really simple to make and the crispy cinnamon sugar coating was perfect. Another amazing recipe!! ?
Hey Morgan,
Happy Monday! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for making it! xTieghan
Did not realize that I was not supposed to let it sit in the batter for 10 mins. The instructions make it seem like you had to do that. I now have failed French toast
Hey there,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe. The direction specially state in step 1: Let the bread sit 10 minutes, then flip and let the other side sit another 10 minutes. I am not sure what you ended up doing, but next time yes you will want the bread to soak:) I hope this helps! xTieghan
Do you think this can be made in the oven? Thanks!
Hey Chelsea,
I’ve honestly never tried this in the oven, I really think a skillet would work best, but let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I usually have zero problems with all of your recipes and have LOVED everyone of them. I soaked my slices for 10 minutes and they were complete mush. I did need to sub brioche for the challah as my market didn’t have any challah so perhaps that was the culprit. I tossed the mush and restarted and did not soak as long and my slices were way better. Enjoyed the recipe after my restart.
Hey Cara,
So sorry to hear this, I do feel as though the brioche may have been your issue, it is super soft. I would try again with challah. I hope this helps! xTieghan
When i soak the french toast before cooking, I find that my bread ends up getting soggy and takes a really long time to cook through. Any tips?
Hey Mikala,
I would just soak for the recommended time in the recipe and not much longer:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan