Description
Crème Brûlée French Toast is a decadent twist on traditional French toast, featuring thick slices of brioche or challah soaked in a rich custard made with eggs, cream, and vanilla, baked to perfection, and finished with a caramelized sugar crust reminiscent of classic crème brûlée. This recipe offers a luxurious breakfast or brunch option that is sure to impress with its creamy texture and crisp topping.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bread:
- 1 loaf of brioche or challah bread (12-14 slices)
For the Custard:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk (or almond/oat milk for dairy-free)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or nutmeg)
- Pinch of salt
For the Topping:
- Additional granulated sugar for caramelizing
- Optional: fresh berries, powdered sugar, maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Prepare the Bread: Cut the brioche or challah into thick slices and arrange them evenly in a greased baking dish, ensuring they fit snugly but aren’t overlapping too much.
- Make the Custard: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, whole milk, heavy cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt until the mixture is smooth and fully combined.
- Soak the Bread: Pour the custard mixture evenly over the arranged bread slices, pressing down gently with a spatula or your hands to make sure each slice absorbs the custard well. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or ideally overnight, to allow deep soaking and richer flavor.
- Preheat the Oven: About 10 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it is at the right temperature for slow baking the French toast custard.
- Bake the French Toast: Remove the baking dish from the refrigerator and place it in the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the custard is set and the top is lightly golden brown. For an extra-crispy top, you can broil it for an additional 2-3 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
- Brûlée the Top: Sprinkle a thin, even layer of granulated sugar over the baked French toast surface. Using a kitchen torch, carefully caramelize the sugar until it forms a crisp, caramelized crust. Alternatively, you can place the dish under the broiler for 1-2 minutes to achieve this effect, keeping a close eye to avoid over-browning.
- Serve: Let the crème brûlée French toast cool slightly for a few minutes before serving. Add optional toppings like fresh berries, a dusting of powdered sugar, and a drizzle of maple syrup for added flavor and presentation.
Notes
- For a dairy-free version, substitute whole milk and heavy cream with almond or oat milk and coconut cream respectively.
- Overnight soaking improves custard absorption and intensifies flavor but can be skipped if short on time.
- Use a kitchen torch for the best caramelized sugar crust, but broiling is a good alternative if you don’t have one.
- If you prefer a stronger vanilla flavor, use vanilla bean paste or scrape seeds from a vanilla bean instead of extract.
- Serve immediately after torching for the best texture contrast between creamy interior and crunchy topping.
