Crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, these French toasts made with challah bread are to die for! They are super easy to make, only require a few ingredients and come together in less than 20 minutes, this recipe is perfect for elevating your weekend brunch.
Ingredients you need:
- Challah bread: Challah bread is an egg bread that is perfect for French toast because of its texture. It is slightly sweet and soft.
- Panko breadcrumbs: Panko breadcrumbs is the secret to making it deliciously crispy! They are different from other breadcrumbs because they are made with crustless white bread, are drier, which is what makes the French toasts crunchy.
- Butter: I use the unsalted butter. If you are planning to use salted butter, you can omit the pinch of salt listed in this recipe.
- Orange Zest (optional): This ingredient is totally optional, but if you want to be extra fancy, adding the zest of an orange will elevate the flavor profile of your dish. I guarantee you it will make this recipe highly addictive!
To make the French toasts dairy-free: You can actually make these French toasts completely dairy-free by substituting the milk with any milk of your liking. I particularly love using coconut milk. Moreover, you can use either vegan butter or coconut oil as a substitution to butter.
HOW TO MAKE CRUNCHY CHALLAH BREAD FRENCH TOAST
In a mixing bowl, mix milk, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, orange zest (optional) and pinch of salt. It is ok if you find little clusters of ground cinnamon in your mixture. In a second bowl, add panko breadcrumbs.
Meanwhile, melt butter on a skillet set over medium heat. Dip slices of bread in the milk mixture for about 30 seconds and ensure each side is coated. Coat each slice with panko bread crumbs. PRO TIP: I recommend cutting your slices of challah about ¾ inch thick but no more than 1 inch because anything thicker will burn the breadcrumbs as it will take more time for the bread to be cooked through.
Fry slices until golden brown, about 1 minute, and flip to fry the second side. Serve warm with maple syrup. If your panko breadcrumbs are starting to burn, you can decrease the heat.
If you enjoyed these French toasts and are craving for more, try out my other breakfast & brunch recipes!
Puff Pastry Lobster Eggs Benedict
Moreover, if you’ve tried this Crunchy Challah French Toast recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can let me know how it went by commenting in the comments section below and don’t forget to leave a rating!
Equipment
- Skillet
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 8-10 slices of challah bread cut into ¾ to 1 inch thick
- ⅔ cup of milk of your choice
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Zest of an orange optional
- Pinch of salt
- ⅔ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1-2 Tbsp butter unsalted
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, mix milk, eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, orange zest (optional) and pinch of salt. In a second bowl, add panko breadcrumbs.
- Meanwhile, melt butter on a skillet set over medium heat.
- Dip slices of bread in the milk mixture for about 30 seconds. Coat each slice with panko bread crumbs.
- Fry slices until golden brown, about 1 minute, and flip to fry the second side.
- Serve warm with maple syrup.
