The BEST Healthy French Toast Recipe (2024)

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Gather around the breakfast table for the best healthy french toast recipe you’ve ever tried. Made with healthier swaps like almond milk, coconut oil and fresh-squeezed orange juice, this healthy french toast recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

I come from a long line of French Toast connoisseurs. My Mom is basically the queen of all French Toast so I’m really giving her a run for her money on this one. Hey Mom… How did I do?

Truthfully, this french toast recipes tastes pretty similar to Mama Maven’s, albeit a bit healthier and with a few extra add-ins to make it the ultimate. I love experimenting and when you have as good of a base as Mama Maven’s recipe, it makes it easy.

Best Bread for French Toast

The key to making the best french toast is the bread. Don’t skimp on this. I like using a loaf of local sourdough bread but challah bread or brioche bread subs in well here too (this is Mama Maven’s favorite). If you’re gluten-free, go for your favorite gluten-free bread. No one should feel left out here! But in our house, we love a good loaf of crusty sourdough.

Day-old bread is ideal as it will have hardened a bit and makes for a better french toast texture but use what you have.I personally like to leave on the crust but some people prefer to remove it.

Healthy French Toast Ingredients

  • Thick-cut bread – sourdough, challah or whole grain are my top picks! Just make sure they are thick slices or else your french toast will get soggy.
  • Eggs
  • Almond milk
  • Orange juice –a key ingredient!
  • Vanilla extract and almond extract – Gotta have both… trust me on this!
  • Cinnamon
  • Nutmeg – another key ingredient for flavor.
  • Maple syrup
  • Coconut oil or butter– for cooking

The BEST Healthy French Toast Recipe (2)

How to Make The Best Healthy French Toast

STEP 1: Make the batter in a large bowl by whisking the eggs, almond milk, orange juice, vanilla extract, almond extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and maple syrup.

STEP 2: Place half of the egg mixture into a shallow dish. Add the thick slices of bread, four slices at a time and allow to soak for 2 minutes on each side.

STEP 3: Cook on a preheated skillet or pan with coconut oil or butter over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per slide or until golden brown.

STEP 4: Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the remaining four slices of bread.

STEP 5: Serve immediately with maple syrup, fruit or toppings of choice.

How to Store Healthy French Toast

You can store your french toast in the fridge for up to 3 days. Just reheat in the oven, toaster or microwave (15-20 seconds) until warm.

You can also freeze your french toast. Freeze in a single layer in an airtight container or wrapped in tinfoil. Remove the night before and allow to thaw in fridge then warm in oven, toaster or microwave (15-20 seconds) until warm.

What To Top on Your French Toast

Classic french toast recipes will say to top with maple syrup (I agree!) but I also love the following toppings:

  • Blueberries
  • Raspberries
  • Strawberries
  • Bananas
  • Custard or coconut cream

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The Best Healthy French Toast

The BEST Healthy French Toast Recipe (4)

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Gather around the breakfast table for the best healthy french toast recipe you’ve ever tried. Made with healthier swaps like almond milk, coconut oil and fresh-squeezed orange juice, this healthy french toast recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser!

  • Author: Davida Lederle
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

  • 8 slices of thick-cut bread (I like sourdough, challah or whole-grain)
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup almond milk
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup (plus more for topping)
  • 2 tsp coconut oil

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, almond milk, orange juice, vanilla, almond extract, cinnamon, nutmeg and maple syrup.
  2. Place half of mixture into a shallow dish.
  3. Add bread 4 slices at a time and allow to soak for 2 minutes on each side.
  4. Cook over medium heat with coconut oil for 2-3 minutes per side or until cooked until desired taste.
  5. Repeat with remaining 4 slices and egg mixture.
  6. Serve immediately with maple syrup, fruit or toppings of choice.

The BEST Healthy French Toast Recipe (5)

Like this post? Here are more breakfast recipes you might enjoy:

  • Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Waffles
  • Apple Chai Pancakes
  • Whole Wheat Pancakes
  • Coconut Waffles
  • Banana Oatmeal Pancakes
The BEST Healthy French Toast Recipe (6)

Meet the Maven

Hi! I'm Davida and welcome to my corner of the internet. I'm a wellness blogger, yoga teacher, certified herbalist, and green beauty lover.

Read more about me

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The BEST Healthy French Toast Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Are French toast healthy? ›

French Toast is a delicious breakfast entree that is loved by many. With this in mind, french toast can be very calorie dense with high amounts of added sugar and fat. But, it can be tweaked to reduce the sugar and fat content while adding some fiber to your breakfast - yay!

What is the best bread to make French toast? ›

Use brioche or challah. These egg-based breads have a high butter content, meaning their crumb is tender and rich but light. In other words, they're an ideal foundation for super decadent yet airy French toast.

What can you use instead of butter for French toast? ›

Use thick slices of bread and soak it just long enough to absorb the egg mixture but not so long that it becomes saturated. Shortening or oil can be used instead of butter when cooking the French toast. The amount needed will depend on the size of pan; use just enough to coat the bottom.

Should French toast have more eggs or milk? ›

Whatever you decide on, the ratio of liquid to egg will still be about ¼ cup liquid to one egg, and one egg per two slices of bread. So, if you want to make four slices of French toast, you would need four slices of bread, two eggs, and ½ cup milk. How's that for an easy recipe?

What should we avoid when making French toast? ›

The 7 Most Common French Toast Cooking Mistakes
  1. Adding too much dairy and sugar to the custard. Don't go overboard with the dairy. ...
  2. Not mixing the custard thoroughly. ...
  3. Not choosing the right bread. ...
  4. Under-soaking the bread. ...
  5. Using too much heat or not enough. ...
  6. Not preheating the pan. ...
  7. Only using butter.
Mar 29, 2013

Is it OK to eat French toast everyday? ›

French toast should also be eaten in moderation since it also contains plenty of cholesterol. When your body has constantly high levels of cholesterol, this can lead to a cholesterol build-up known as plaque. This plaque will then lead to narrow and hardened arteries that can obstruct blood and oxygen flow.

Is butter or oil better for French toast? ›

Butter gives French toast a deep richness and comforting quality, which are what we crave on mornings we sizzle this breakfast staple. To prevent burning or smoking, use a combination of butter and oil in the pan to cook the toast.

Should I toast my bread before making French toast? ›

Use stale bread or toast the bread until it's golden-brown. It needs to be sturdy to hold up to the egg mixture. If the bread is fresh from the bag or you toast it too lightly, the finished dish will be soggy. Soak the toasted or untoasted bread for about 10 seconds per side to achieve the optimal texture.

What is healthiest alternative to butter for toast? ›

The USDA recommends substituting plant oils, such as olive or avocado oil, for butter or its high-in-saturated-fat counterparts.

Does the milk matter in French toast? ›

In addition to making French toast taste the way it does through the Maillard reaction, milk also prevents it from turning out rubbery. Per Food & Wine, the texture of French toast relies on a loosened egg structure best achieved by the addition of milk.

What is the most common mistake in making French toast? ›

Not soaking the bread long enough.

A good soak is the key to a soft, custardy center — you want that egg and milk mixture to seep into every nook and cranny of the bread.

Why is restaurant French toast so much better? ›

Restaurant French toast is generally a superior product because of time. Letting it soak in the custard for up to five minutes allows more delicious dairy to be absorbed. This step is where having stale bread is essential. Using soft fresh bread will take on too much custard and become a mushy mess.

How long should you soak French toast? ›

Ideally it's best if you can soak the bread in the french toast batter overnight however, if this cannot be done I suggest leaving it soak for a minimum of 30 minutes to 1 hour. As we want that custard like middle, cut very thick slices of bread.

Is French toast healthier than pancakes? ›

On one hand, the average plate of pancakes contains around 500 calories, 88 grams of carbohydrates, and 4 grams of saturated fat, while a similar-sized serving of French toast has around 990 calories, 120 grams of carbohydrates, and 18 grams of saturated fat. These numbers would appear to make pancakes the winner.

Why do bodybuilders eat French toast? ›

Bodybuilder French toast is is light, flavorful, and full of protein. It's a great way to start off your day any day of the week. Enjoy!

What are the benefits of French toast? ›

The presence of fiber in French toast promotes digestive health by adding bulk to the foods that satisfy hunger. It also contributes to removing damaging aftereffects of metabolism from the body. Having French toast is a healthy choice in comparison to whole-grain slices of bread.

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