My Easy Savory French Toast is a delicious spin on the traditional French toast. We used fresh herbs and other savory ingredients to flavor our batter. A nicely cooked egg with a runny yolk is the finishing touch to this excellent breakfast, brunch or dinner dish.
We happen to be huge French toast fans. I sometimes make this honey challah just to make French toast. To make this savory version, the cinnamon and sugar gets replaced with fresh herbs and seasonings (plus the toppings). The fried egg with a runny yolk goes magically with this recipe.
It’s all so easy to put together. Just whisk the egg mixture together with the chopped herbs. It’s best to use bread that’s a couple days old (soaks up the egg mixture better). Heat up your pan with the oil and fry the slices up until they’re crisp and golden.
A really easy recipe to make that is just delicious. Even though it makes the ideal breakfast and especially, brunch recipe, I really enjoy it for dinner with the greens, avocado, and fried egg. Truly satisfying!
Let’s get onto what you need to put this together. It is super simple to make and you most likely have the ingredients on hand. The full recipe with directions is below.
What ingredients are in this savory French toast?
- we used challah, but you could use a different type of bread
- eggs
- milk (I used unsweetened almond milk, but use whatever milk you prefer)
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- fresh parsley
- fresh thyme
- garlic powder
Can I make this with homemade challah bread?
Yes, if you have the time and some patience, it is amazing with homemade challah. Try this sourdough discard challah bread.
How to make savory French toast? (Full printable recipe is below)
Once you gather all your ingredients, prep your bread slices. I used a challah bread, so I was able to slice the bread the to the thickness I like.
But you can use even whatever sliced bread you have on hand (wheat or even a multi seed bread would work).
In a shallow casserole or a bowl, whisk eggs with the milk, parsley, thyme, garlic powder, salt and freshly ground pepper.
Heat 3 tablespoons mild flavored oil (you could also use butter with a bit of the oil) in a large skillet over medium heat.
Start to dip the bread in batches. Let each soak for 10-30 seconds (depends on how thick the slices are and how dry the bread is).
As soon as the oil is shimmering and heated, start to transfer the bread to the skillet. Be sure not to crowd the slices of bread. Cook on each side until it becomes golden brown and crispy (2-3 minutes per side).
Lastly, serve it with your toppings. If you’re serving it with soft boiled or fried eggs, you could cook it up while you make the French toast.
Tips to make the best savory French toast
- The bread should be stale. If it’s too soft, it will fall apart in the egg mixture.
- I used a gorgeous challah for this recipe, but French bread works nicely. Any bread you have on hand would work, but I like being able to slice thicker chunks of my challah.
- Whisk the egg and milk mixture well. If you don’t whisk it well (I just use a fork), you’ll end up with egg white sections that mess up the texture of the coating.
Savory French toast variations:
- Add crumbled bacon on top (oven baked bacon is so nice with it!)
- Serve with cherry tomato confit
- Top with easy marinated mushrooms
- Top with some grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Which temperature is best to make French toast?
Medium-low is the ideal temperature. Once the oil is heated and shimmering, start to add the bread slices. If it’s hot enough, it will sizzle when you add it to the pan. Use a spatula to gently lift and check the color. If it darkens too fast, lower the heat.
How to know when the French toast is ready?
Some people prefer a softer centered French toast and some may like it crispier. I prefer crispier. The best way to tell if it’s ready to your preference is to check the color and you could touch the center (carefully, it will be very hot!) to see if it’s cooked enough.
How to keep French toast warm?
If you’re not serving the French toast immediately, place it on a baking sheet in a warm oven covered lightly with foil paper.
Can I make French toast gluten-free?
Yes, just use your favorite gluten-free challah bread.
Is French toast actually French?
With a little research, I found the history of French toast goes back to the Roman days. The earliest mention of French toast was in the original Roman cookbook from 5th century AD called Apicius.
Back in the first century CE the Romans were making “aliter dulcia”, which means another sweet dish. The bread is soaked in milk + eggs, fried in oil, and drizzled with honey.
Super interesting to find out it was the Romans that first wrote about it (although I do know that this easy recipe was being made in different parts of the world probably at the same time).
The French did make it back in the 15th century and they called it pain perdu, which means lost bread, since the recipe is typically made with stale bread.
Can you freeze French toast?
Yes, French toast freezes nicely! Prep the French toast slices and let them cool down completely on a wire rack. Wrap each slice with foil paper and place in zipped lock freezer bag for up to 2 months.
When ready to enjoy, you could defrost overnight in the refrigerator and then toast up each slice in your toaster. Or the day you’re ready to enjoy, take out the slices and let them defrost on the counter and then toast them up (shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes to defrost).
Some other breakfast recipes to enjoy:
- Italian Breakfast Hash-Whole30 Egg-Free Breakfast
- Easy Mini Plum Brie Tarts
- Oven Baked Bacon
- Cheddar Swirl Breakfast Buns
Just a quick request: if you enjoyed this savory French toast as much as we did, would you kindly leave me a 5-star rating and a short (or long!)comment–the ratings are what helps get my recipes and hard work discovered, so I can keep leaving you more delish recipes!
Your comments mean the world to me….and I really SMILE when I read them. Thank you so much! XX
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Easy Savory French Toast
Ingredients
- 8 slices of challah bread or a baguette (better if it’s 1-2 days old)
- 1 cup milk I used unsweetened almond milk (use whatever milk you like)
- 6 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder or onion powder (or a combination of both)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons of vegetable oil or whatever oil you prefer
- Optional toppings: arugula sliced avocado, fried or soft-boiled eggs
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet on medium heat with a mild flavored oil (or butter or margarine).
- In a bowl or a casserole, use a fork to whisk together the eggs, milk, parsley, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and freshly ground pepper.
- Once the oil is shimmering, start to soak the bread in the egg batter.
- Start to dip the bread in batches. Let each soak for 10-30 seconds (depends on how thick the slices are and how dry the bread is).
- As soon as the oil is shimmering and heated, start to transfer the bread to the skillet. Lower the heat to medium-low. Be sure not to crowd the slices of bread. Do not flip until the first side gets nice and golden brown.
- Cook on each side until it becomes golden brown and crispy (2-3 minutes per side). Transfer the French toasts to a serving platter or dish.
- Serve the French toast topped with arugula (or spinach), avocado slices, and fried eggs (optional).
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