5-Ingredient French Toast Without Milk
Yes, you can make fluffy French toast without milk. This easy 5-ingredient recipe whips up a golden, gourmet french toast breakfast in under 15 minutes!
I’ll let you in on a little secret: you can make perfect French toast without milk! I learned this when I ran out of milk one morning after making a rash promise to a 3 year old tyrant, but it’s equally valuable information for lactose-intolerant and milk-allergic folks alike. This easy breakfast uses just a few simple ingredients to create a fluffy, sweet, and filling breakfast that makes any morning feel like a special occasion.
I also love that I can whip this recipe up in about 15 minutes — like go from rolling out of bed to putting it on the table in 15 minutes. That makes it the best part of a Sunday morning special breakfast for the whole family.
What’s in 5-Ingredient French toast?
This recipe is made from just a few basic ingredients, but the final product is anything but basic!
- Texas Toast: This is the secret ingredient for fluffy French toast. If you don’t have this in your grocery store, Texas toast is thick cut, buttery white bread. You can sub regular white bread, sandwich bread, challah, or even a buttery brioche bread.
- Eggs: Because we’re not using milk in this recipe, the eggs are doing a lot of work in creating the softness and texture in the French toast.
- Brown Sugar: Bringing in a little sweetness, brown sugar also adds to the caramelization of the egg mixture on the outside of the bread.
- Cinnamon: Aside from the fact that this humble little spice will make your house smell like heaven, it also brings a delicious warmness to the final product. You can also add cloves, nutmeg, allspice, or even pumpkin pie spice!
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla brings out the best in the other flavors while still adding it’s signature taste. You can sub this for almond extract or butter flavoring.
Can you make french toast without milk?
Yes! Milk is common in traditional French toast, but it is not required. In this recipe, the eggs create the soft, custardy texture, while the cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla add flavor. Since there is no milk in the egg mixture, the bread gets rich and golden without becoming soggy.
How to make Homemade French toast
Step 1 | Whisk
In a shallow dish or a shallow bowl, whisk together all the ingredients except the Texas toast. Whisk until you don’t have any clumps left — the spices may rise to the top, so you may need to whisk again after each time you dip the bread in to make sure that the ingredients stay evenly distributed.
Step 2 | Dip
Next, dip your slice of bread in the egg mixture, making sure to coat both sides with egg. Texas toast is thicker than most other bread, so I like to leave mine in the mixture for a minute or so to let it soak up all that goodness! Don’t worry; there’s enough egg there to get it all nice and gooey.
Step 3 | Fry
Immediately place your eggy bread on preheated griddle or hot pan. You’re going to fry them for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until the egg is cooked and the bread is golden brown.
Step 4 | Enjoy!
Place your slices of French toast on a plate, and serve them warm. You can serve them with maple syrup, fresh berries, butter, powdered sugar, or even a delicious fresh fruit syrup!
Tip
Traditional French toast is made with stale bread. Drier bread soaks up the egg custard much better. You can leave your bread out overnight so that it’s slightly stale in the morning!
Variations
This easy French toast recipe can form the base of a number of fancy French toast options. With just a few substitutions and additions, you can make your own customized and delicious French toast.
- Pumpkin French Toast: Add 1/2 cup pumpkin purée to the egg mixture and substitute the cinnamon with pumpkin pie spice to create your new fall favorite breakfast!
- Stuffed French Toast: Before you dip the bread, cut a pocket in the center. Stuff the pocket with fresh fruit, cream cheese, or even Nutella, then dip the bread slices and fry as usual.
- Lemon Coconut French Toast: Add 1 tsp lemon zest to the egg mixture and leave the cinnamon out. Sprinkle the dipped bread with shredded coconut, then fry for a tropically delicious breakfast.
What can I use instead of milk in french toast?
- No milk at all: French toast doesn’t actually need milk — it’s thicker and more custardy without it!
- Almond Milk or Oat Milk: Plant based milk works great to add that little extra.
- Heavy Cream or Half-and-Half: This will make your custard even thicker. Make sure to let your bread soak for a little longer so that it picks up that extra thick goodness.
- Water: If you want to thin the custard to make it bit easier to dip, you can add a splash of water.
More Easy Gourmet Breakfasts
FAQs
Texas toast is a type of thick-cut bread that is typically sliced to about 1-inch thickness. It’s often made from white bread and is known for its fluffy texture and ability to soak up flavors when used for dishes like French toast.
Yes, you can use regular sliced bread if you prefer. However, Texas toast is thicker, which allows it to absorb more of the egg mixture and results in a thicker, more substantial French toast.
Yes, you can make French toast ahead of time and reheat it later. After cooking the French toast, allow it to cool completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat in a toaster, oven, or microwave until warmed through.
Yes, you can freeze leftover French toast. Allow it to cool completely, then place individual slices on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Once frozen, transfer the slices to a freezer-safe bag or container and store them in the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat in a toaster, oven, or microwave until warmed through.
Yes! You can use regular milk, plant-based milk, dairy-free milk, cream, or half-and-half if you really want. This also comes out perfectly without any milk at all!
5-Ingredient French Toast (No Milk)
Ingredients
- 4 slices Texas toast
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- In a shallow dish, whisk together eggs cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla.
- Dip bread into egg mixture making sure to coat both sides evenly.
- Place bread on griddle or in frying pan. Cook each side 2-3 minutes.
- Serve french toast warm with your favorite toppings!
This is our favourite breakfast recipe now. Really tasty!
I’m glad your family likes it!
Perfect recipe for camping…since I don’t usually like to keep milk in our coolers. I’ve got this one bookmarked for the summer, thank you so much!
Super easy, quick, and totally delicious. My whole family loved these!
Being lactose intolerant — this is helpful
Huge french toast fan here but not a morning person. I’ve learned so many great tips from reading your post. You didn’t point it out but it’s brilliant to make the egg batter in a square (bread slice shaped) container.
Thanks for pointing that out! I’m glad you found the post useful.