Churro French Toast

When it comes to breakfast, I can be a little bit of a brat. Firstly, I HAVE to have breakfast every single morning otherwise I am majorly cranky. Secondly, cereal just won’t do. It’s so boring, unsatisfying, and cold. I might be the only person in the world who thinks that, but whatever.

When it comes to special occasion breakfasts, I am ALL IN. Breakfast food = heaven. My favorite breakfast is French toast.

French toast over pancakes ANY DAY. Who’s with me?

But I’m super particular with French toast too. I have French toast down to a science and have perfected how I make it. So when I saw Churro French Toast on my friend Chung-Ah’s blog recently, I knew I had to make my own version. I also knew I had to include alllll the French toast recipe tips I’ve learned over the years!

Churro French Toast Recipe Tips

Don’t let all that I’ve written below intimidate you. This really is quite a simple recipe. I just want to always give you all the information you need to be successful in the kitchen, and to answer any questions you might have ahead of time. Plus I think it helps to really understand the details of a recipe so you can master it then really make it your own!

The Bread

The bread is clearly the base of any French Toast and should not be taken lightly!!! So that means no sad white sandwich bread here. My all-time favorite French toast bread will always be Challah bread. It’s already so rich and eggy that it really enhances the kind of light and fluffy yet custardy texture inside a thick slice of French toast. If you want a sturdier chewier texture, go for country-style bread or even Texas toast. Just make sure the bread you use is tightly crumbed, meaning it won’t have large holes or thick crusts.

The best and most classic French Toast is also made with stale bread. This allows it to hold its shape without getting to limp and soggy.

The Milk & Eggs

Use good quality eggs and whole milk and whisk really well, there should be no unincorporated pieces of egg yolk or egg white. You could use 2% milk but you’ll loose out on some of the flavor and richness. I mean, this is Churro French Toast. Not the recipe to skimp on! I always add in some special ingredients to boost the flavor, including orange zest, vanilla, and honey. Feel free to omit any of those or to get creative and put your own spin on the flavors!

As far as soaking goes, I find thicker slices of slightly stale Challah need about a 5 minute bath in the milk and egg mixture. This gives the slices enough time to absorb enough to be rich with a beautiful custard texture inside. Less time will give you a drier chewier texture. More time will give you a richer, soggier texture. A shallow pan works best for evenly soaking as many slices as possible at once. The older the bread, the longer it should soak.

Cooking the French Toast

You can use a griddle, but I actually prefer a pan because I think it allows for better frying in an even layer of butter and oil. That’s right, I said oil. We’re frying in a combination of butter and oil to get the best texture and the best flavor. The oil helps to seal and crisp the outside of the bread so the inside stays nice and custardy.

As you get ready to cook, get your bread soaking in the custard mixture as close to the pan as possible to avoid drips that will make a gross mess. Let any excess drip off before you carefully place it into the hot pan. Fry for about 2 to 3 minutes per side. I like my French Toast pretty well fried and crisp at the edges! My favorite tool for slipping and remove the French toast is a fish spatula, it’s thin enough to slide right under and doesn’t pick up and transfer a bunch of grease because it’s slotted.

Cinnamon Sugar

The cinnamon sugar coating is what gives this recipe its Churro flavor. Just be sure to coat immediately after cooking while the bread is still hot. This will allow the coating to stick and stay.

Keeping Warm

Keep the finished slices of French Toast warm in a 250°F oven. This little trick makes easy work of having everything come to the table warm and ready to eat without hassle.

4.67 from 3 votes

How to make

Churro French Toast

Yield: 10 slices

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Possibly the BEST French Toast ever! Churro French toast equals thick slices of rich Challah soaked in an egg mixture and fried to perfection. THEN coated in cinnamon sugar and drizzled with cream cheese icing. Keep reading for my best French Toast tips and the full recipe!

Ingredients

For the cream cheese glaze:

• 4 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the cinnamon sugar:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the toast:

• 6 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon good honey
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 large loaf challah, sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
• Unsalted butter
• Vegetable oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F.

Make the glaze:

1. In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat all the glaze ingredients together until smooth. Remove to a zip top bag and set aside.

Make the cinnamon sugar:

1. In a wide shallow bowl, combine all the cinnamon sugar ingredients.

Make the French toast:

1. In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, orange zest, vanilla, honey, and salt. Soak as many slices in the egg mixture as possible for 5 minutes, turning once.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a very large saute pan or griddle over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until well browned.
3. Remove the French toast from the pan and immediately dip in the cinnamon sugar, turning to coat completely. Remove to a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven until ready to serve. Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed, until it’s all cooked.
4. Remove the warm French toast slices to plates. Snip a small hole in the corner of the zip top bag filled with the cream cheese glaze. Drizzle over the French toast and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Damn Delicious

Course : Breakfast

Cuisine : American

Recipe by Tessa Arias

Author: Tessa Arias

I share trusted baking recipes your friends will LOVE alongside insights into the science of sweets. I'm a professionally trained chef, cookbook author, and cookie queen. I love to write about all things sweet, carb-y, and homemade. I live in Phoenix, Arizona (hence the blog name!)