Eggnog French Toast

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Inside: How to turn leftover eggnog into a delicious breakfast treat for the whole family, plus tips for garnishing and accompaniments.

Eggnog french toast is a richer, more decadent holiday version of classic french toast, made with eggnog instead of plain milk and spiced with lots of nutmeg and cinnamon. These plush, aromatic toasts are fantastic for holiday breakfasts and don’t need any advance prep.

French toast is a classic breakfast treat everyone enjoys. For festive holidays (like Christmas morning), we make an eggnog french toast that takes up the richness and makes it even more special.

There’s nothing better than a hot stack of sweetly spiced eggnog french toast with a healthy pour of maple syrup. The taste is pure comfort.

Serve this easy recipe with sliced Baked Ham Shank,Homemade Applewood Smoked Bacon or pork sausage links and Grapefruit Mimosas, Cranberry Mimosa or Elderflower Prosecco Cocktail

Why you’ll love this recipe:

It’s quick and easy with no advance prep needed.
It uses everyday ingredients.
The recipe can be scaled for larger or smaller crowds.
It’s perfect for using up leftover eggnog.
You can make it from homemade eggnog or store-bought.
There are countless variations you can make.

Ingredients:

Eggs–I used large organic eggs with a beautiful pale blue shell–I couldn’t resist when I saw them in the market, and it turned out the yolks were the most vibrant orange color I’ve ever seen in an egg.
Eggnog–use your favorite homemade or store-bought eggnog. I bought mine at the market and used leftovers for this recipe
Ground Cinnamon–to give the French toast a holiday spice aroma.
Nutmeg–I recommend grating your own nutmeg as the flavor and aroma will be more noticeable than ground nutmeg, but if that’s what you have, use it.
Kosher Salt–I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt which is less salty by volume than Morton’s. If you have Morton’s, reduce the amount by about ⅓.
Vanilla Extract–eggnog usually contains vanilla, but for a stronger vanilla flavor, I add a bit more.
Sandwich Bread–use a sturdy white or Italian loaf sliced bread. I recommend looking for thick-sliced to give the eggnog french toast more fluffy body. Trader Joe’s white bread works very well.
Butter–is used to lubricate the skillet so the French toast doesn’t stick and flavor the dish. You can use salted or unsalted butter.
Garnishes–like extra butter, powdered sugar and maple syrup are perfect toppings for this indulgent breakfast recipe.

Step-by-step directions:

Combining eggs and eggnog with the other ingredients.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, eggnog, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and kosher salt. Whisk well to combine.

Soak the bread slices in the egg custard.

2. Transfer the eggnog custard to a shallow dish (I use a 13×9″ pan) and soak the bread slices in the egg to soak up the liquid. (There should be no dry spots on the bread).

Frying eggnog French toast in a skillet.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat or if your stove runs cold, medium-high heat and spray with vegetable spray. Add a pat of butter and swirl the pan until the butter melts across the bottom. Add the egg-soaked bread slices in batches. Fry them on one side for about 2-3 minutes or until they start to get golden brown, then flip and continue to fry for 2-3 minutes more.

4. Transfer to a plate to rest while you continue to cook the remaining French toast slices.

Pro-Tips:

You can fry the French toast slices on a cast-iron griddle, nonstick pan or stainless steel pan—whatever you feel most comfortable with. To ensure the toast doesn’t stick to a stainless steel pan, heat the pan over medium to medium-high heat until hot but not scorching. Spray the pan with vegetable spray and add the butter to create a nonstick surface. Fry the eggnog French toast according to the recipe.
Soak the bread in the eggnog custard until it can’t absorb more. Otherwise, your French toast will have dry patches of white bread.

Add a tablespoon of brandy, cognac, whiskey, bourbon or rum to the egg custard to give it a spiked-boozy back note. For a boozy twist without the alcohol, add a teaspoon of rum extract.
Use thick sliced brioche bread or challah instead of white bread.
Slice French bread or other baton-style bread into 1″ thick rounds and use them in place of plain white bread. These will need to soak longer and may require doubling the custard recipe, as the bread is thicker and sturdier.
Add a puff of whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg to the grilled toast for a decadent garnish.

Sprinkling powdered sugar over the toast.

FAQs

Should French toast have more eggs or milk?

A typical French toast custard should have slightly more milk than eggs. One large egg has about ¼ cup volume, so in this recipe, there’s about ¾ cup of egg compared to 1 cup of the milk-based nog.

Can I use eggnog instead of milk

Absolutely! That’s how you make eggnog French toast!

What is the key to good French toast?

Ensuring that the bread is soaked through so that there aren’t any dry spots and griddling in a medium-hot skillet that’s been treated so it doesn’t stick are two key factors for making delicious French toast.

Adding syrup to the eggnog french toast.

Storage:

Keep leftovers, well wrapped in an airtight container or wrapped in foil in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Reheating:

Place eggnog French toast on a wire rack set over a baking sheet and warm in a 350° oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the toast is hot and the crust firms up.

Freezing:

You can freeze leftovers for 2-3 months. To make it easier to access, stack room temperature slices with a piece of parchment paper between each, so they don’t stick together. Place in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze. This way, you can remove 1-2 pieces to reheat for individual breakfasts.

I love This type of breakfast for smaller holiday gatherings of 4-6 people.

More than that, I feel I’m manning the stove too long and missing out on the fun, so I’ll opt for a casserole or egg bake. However, for a smaller group, eggnog French toast with all the trimmings, some breakfast meat, a pot of hot coffee and maybe a fruit salad are all that I need for a celebratory morning.

More holiday breakfast ideas:

A serving of Eggnog French toast with fresh berries on a white plate.

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