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    Home » Breakfast

    Healthy French Toast

    Posted: Feb 28, 2021 · Updated: Feb 28, 2021 by Tonje

    165 shares
    Jump to Recipe

    This healthy French toast is made with wholemeal bread and served with fresh berries on top. An excellent sweet breakfast or brunch recipe.

    Healthy French toast with strawberries, raspberries and blueberries.
    Healthy French toast is the perfect brunch dish!
    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love it
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Air fryer French toast
    • Top tips
    • Serving suggestions
    • Variations
    • Leftovers
    • Frequently asked questions
    • You might also like these recipes
    • Recipe

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    Not sure what to do with leftover sliced bread? This healthy French toast recipe is perfect for breakfast or brunch any day. A great way to use up stale bread, and you can serve it with any toppings that you like.

    This is a really simple recipe, perfect for Sunday brunch, Mother's Day and more.

    Why you'll love it

    • Perfect soft sweet toast
    • Amazing breakfast that's easy and fast to make
    • Fewer calories and more fiber compared to the traditional recipe
    • Easy to adapt the recipe to suit your preferences
    • Top the toast with anything you like
    • A family friendly breakfast - everyone can choose their favorite toppings

    🍳 More BREAKFAST RECIPES from Hint of Healthy

    The ingredients needed to  make Healthy French Toast laid out on a table.

    Ingredients

    Wholemeal bread (wholegrain / wholewheat bread): Use stale, day-old sliced bread. Wholewheat bread, also known as wholemeal bread or brown bread, is filling and full of fiber. Perfect to make healthy toast.

    Maple syrup: Adds sweetness and flavor to the toast. You can also use agave syrup or honey.

    Milk: Use your favorite milk. I prefer oat milk or almond milk in this recipe, but skimmed milk or soy milk are other excellent low fat milk options.

    Eggs: Eggs are an essential part of French toast. Any size eggs will work well.

    Cinnamon, vanilla extract + nutmeg: These add great flavor to the toasts. These ingredients can be omitted or substituted with anything that you like.

    Two images showing how to dunk sliced bread into the French toast liquid.
    Make sure to soak the sliced bread thoroughly.

    Instructions

    1. Prepare the bread: Prepare slices of wholemeal bread. Ideally you want to use dry and stale bread. I like to leave sliced bread out on the kitchen countertop overnight, but you can also gently toast the bread.
    2. Make the batter: Whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and maple syrup together in a shallow bowl.
    3. Soak the bread: Soak the bread into the liquid batter for about 1-2 minutes on either side, or until the slices have soaked through.
    4. Cook the toast: Melt a teaspoon of coconut oil or butter in a frying pan or skillet on medium heat. Cook the French toasts one by one for 2 minutes on either side, until they are golden and slightly crispy on the surface.
    5. Serve: Serve with your favorite toppings and a drizzle of maple syrup.
    French toast being cooked in a skillet.

    Air fryer French toast

    It's super easy to make French toast in your air fryer! This is a great option if you don't have access to a skillet, or if you simply prefer to cook with your air fryer.

    Follow the instructions in this recipe to make a batter for the toast, and soak the sliced bread. Preheat your air fryer to 400 F / 200 C, and air fry for about 2 minutes on either side, or until the toast is golden and slightly crispy on the surface.

    Top tips

    • Don't leave the bread soaking in the milk for too long, or it could become too soft and soggy.
    • French toast is the perfect way to use up leftover stale bread!
    Two plates of French toast with berries.

    Serving suggestions

    Healthy French toast is best served in the morning for breakfast or lunch. You can also serve it with a cup of tea or coffee in the afternoon for afternoon tea, or even for dessert. Top your toast with amazing, flavorful toppings. Here are some ideas:

    • Strawberry Basil Sauce - A simple but fruity sauce, perfect on French toast.
    • Whipped Feta With Honey - Creamy whipped feta spread makes perfect topping.
    • Chocolate Covered Pineapple - Chocolate + pineapples is such a good pairing.
    • Air Fryer Pineapple - Or, try these easy grilled pineapple slices.
    • Sugar Free Grape Jam - My favorite grape jam or grape compote.
    • Blueberry Chia Jam - This easy blueberry jam adds a lot of flavor to the toast.
    A stack of wholemeal French toast with strawberries.

    Variations

    Flavored French toast: Add extra seasoning, such as cardamom, or other flavorful ingredients to the batter. Orange juice, pineapple juice, flavored extracts like toffee, gingerbread spice or pumpkin spice are all great options.

    Toppings: Top your healthy French toast with chocolate chips, fresh fruit and berries, sweet sauces and syrups, Greek yogurt, jam, peanut butter or any other toppings that you like.

    Add color: Add any food coloring, either gel colors, or natural food coloring powders, to the batter. Colored food is often popular with kids. Try red toast for Christmas!

    Gluten free French toast: Use your favorite gluten free bread. Any bread will work great in this recipe.

    Dairy free French toast: This recipe can be made with any milk. For a dairy free version, use dairy free or vegan milk such as oat milk, soy milk, almond milk or hazelnut milk.

    French toast without milk: I usually make my toast with some kind of milk, either dairy milk a vegan milk alternative. But you can definitely make it without milk too! Use any other liquid, like orange, cranberry or pineapple juice instead works well. Keep in mind that if you omit the milk completely, the dish might not have the same texture as what you're used to.

    Close up of a stack of French toast with raspberries and blueberries.

    🍳 More BREAKFAST RECIPES from Hint of Healthy

    Leftovers

    Store leftover French toast in a refrigerator for up to 4 days. Serve them cold, or reheat them in a skillet, microwave or air fryer and enjoy them warm.

    This is a great meal prep breakfast, as you can prepare a big batch, and then eat the toasts throughout the week. This is a huge time saver on busy mornings!

    Frequently asked questions

    Is French toast healthy?

    As with any food, you can make French toast more or less healthy. For a healthier version of it, you can use wholemeal bread, omit refined sugar and use low fat milk.

    Why is my French toast soggy?

    It might be soggy if you used too much milk in the batter, or left the slices of bread soaking for too long. Using old, stale bread also helps to prevent soggy toast.

    Should I toast the bread before making French toast?

    French toast is best when made with dry bread. For the best results, you can slice bread in the evening and leave it on the kitchen counter until morning. If you're using fresh bread, you can gently toast it before use.

    What type of bread is good for French toast?

    Any bread is good for this recipe. Sweet, soft types of bread such as brioche is usually used, but wholemeal bread is a tasty, healthy alternative.

    Do you remove the crust before making French toast?

    No, you don't have to remove the crust from the bread before making French toast.

    Can bread be too stale for French toast?

    Nope! Stale bread is perfect for this dish.

    Dairy free French toast with maple syrup.

    You might also like these recipes

    • Smashed Egg on Toast
    • Healthy Greek Yogurt Pancakes
    • Chilli Cheese Toast
    • Smoked Salmon and Avocado Toast
    • Butternut Squash Waffles
    • Chocolate Overnight Oats
    • Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

    If you make this recipe, make sure to post a photo to Instagram with #hintofhealthy!

    Recipe

    Healthy French Toast.

    Healthy French Toast

    Make this healthy French toast as a simple but delicious sweet breakfast. With maple syrup, wholemeal bread and oat milk, this is a healthier recipe.
    No ratings yet
    Created by: Tonje
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep Time 5 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 15 minutes mins
    Course Breakfast
    Cuisine American
    Servings 6
    Calories 134 kcal

    Equipment

    • Skillet
    • Mixing Bowl
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 6 slices wholemeal bread (brown bread)
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 cup oat milk *
    • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions
     

    • Prepare slices of wholemeal bread. Ideally you want to use dry and stale bread. I like to leave sliced bread out on the kitchen countertop overnight, but you can also gently toast bread if you prefer.
    • Whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and maple syrup together in a shallow bowl.
    • Soak the bread into the liquid batter for about 1-2 minutes on either side, or until the slices have soaked through.
    • Melt a teaspoon of coconut oil or butter in a frying pan or skillet on medium heat. Cook the French toasts one by one for 2 minutes on either side, until they are golden and slightly crispy on the surface.
    • Serve with your favorite toppings and a drizzle of maple syrup.

    Video

    Notes

    • Store any leftovers in a refrigerator for up to 4 days.
    • Milk: Use your favorite milk. Oat milk, almond milk, and skimmed milk are all great options.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 134kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 7gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 163mgPotassium: 129mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 202IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 105mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword easy, french toast, healthy, maple syrup, whole wheat
    Tried this recipe?Mention @hintofhealthyfood or tag #hintofhealthy!

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    Hi, I'm Tonje! I make easy and healthy everyday recipes that your family will love. Browse my recipe collection to discover new favorites, and make sure to let me know what you think!

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