Nothing screams a luxurious breakfast treat quite like French toast does. Crunchy on the outside, soft, and filled with subtle sweet flavors.
It’s classier than pretty much any kind of breakfast treat. Say goodbye to waffles and pancakes!
It’s the kind of recipe that just invites creativity, and transforms it into something unique and different from what you’ve tried before.
This is exactly what Ina Garten, renowned chef and host of Barefoot Contessa, has done with her version of this classic recipe.
And, like all good ideas, it has spawned off a thousand other recipes in of itself.
Some try and follow Garten’s steps to making the perfect French toast, while others have used it as a springboard for their culinary imagination.
Which is exactly what we want to show you here. We’ve selected the best version of French toast recipes, inspired by Ina Garten’s own, that we have found and tried for ourselves.
Well, with so many different French toast recipes in this guide, it will probably help us to know what we should be comparing them to. Establish a gold standard, but for French toast.
Well, what better recipe to do that with than the French toast dish that inspired us to make this list? After all, it’s such a good recipe, that everyone should have at least seen Ina Garten’s very challah French toast dish!
This recipe has everything that a good French toast dish should have.
A beautifully eggy, yet slightly creamy mix to soak your bread in, some good bread (obviously), and a great outline of how long your dish should be in the frying pan.
Garten also makes sure to add some great suggestions for toppings here. There’s maple syrup, raspberry preservatives, and plenty more.
You don’t need to include these little extras, but you’ll probably find that your toast is a little too dry for your liking otherwise.
These toppings are just that, suggestions. There’s pretty much no limit to what you’ll be able to add to your French toast once it’s completed!
Overall, this is a phenomenal French toast recipe that everyone should try at least once.
No wonder so many people have fallen in love with this dish!
Okay, time to start seeing what the rest of the internet has done with this recipe!
Starting us off with a strong contender of one of our favorite versions of this classic sweet breakfast dessert, we have a very reliably tasty French toast dish for you to enjoy.
The flavors on the whole in this dish are a little more mellow.
There isn’t the same amount of extras added to this dish, such as the orange zest that (see also: 7 Amazing Ina Garten Peach Recipes To Try Today)Ina Garten uses in her version of this recipe.
Still, there are plenty of sweet flavors to be found here, from the vanilla extract essence to the brown sugar for extra bold sweetness, and even the added cinnamon, if you are looking for something that pops out in flavor.
What we love about this recipe is how easy it makes the whole process of cooking French toast. This is saying a lot when it comes to how tricky some people find this recipe to make,
Not only are the instructions clear, but there are also a ton of cooking tips that you can follow when making this dish, helping you avoid a lot of the pitfalls that many people end up in when cooking this recipe.
This of this version is a more simplified, mellow version of Ina Garten’s. Something that can appeal to a wide range of palettes.
Now, if you’re looking for a French toast dish that perfectly emulates Ina Garten’s dish, this is a great recipe to do just that with.
Then again, would we expect anything less from Barefoot Contessa themselves?
This recipe has not just the basic ingredients that every French toast recipe should have (the vanilla, the eggs, the cream, etc.), but also some of the extras that helps Ina Garten stand-out from the rest.
There’s the orange rind for that little extra tangy flavor. The extra honey not only adds sweetness but helps keep that smooth texture that you’re looking for when frying the bread.
And, of course, a delicious selection of sides and toppings to serve this recipe with!
While you can cook this French toast in most kinds of oil, we would recommend using some kind of neutral-tasting oil for the best result.
Oils such as olive or avocado aren’t exactly ideal for this kind of recipe!
If you’re looking to make sure that your French toast is perfectly cooked all the way through, make sure that your pan and oven have been turned on well in advance.
Soggy French toast is arguably the most prevalent issue that people have when trying to make this dish, and it can completely put people off this dish that should otherwise be a hearty delight to chow down on.
Remember, your French toast needs to be thoroughly toasted throughout, rather than just having a crispy outside, which is where many people make that mistake.
However, if you can pull this dish off, you’ll always have a luxurious breakfast option underneath your culinary tool belt that you can whip out when necessary!
Once again, we’re being spoiled with these Ina Garten and Barefoot Contessa recipes!
This particular dish follows the trends of the previous inspired recipes that we’ve covered.
Lots of sweet ingredients, some great condiments and toppings, and a whole host of clear instructions that anyone can follow!
If you’re looking for potential extra ways to add flavor to your dish, we would suggest adding just a dash of nutmeg to your egg and cream mix (no more than half a teaspoon, more likely a quarter).
That extra little spice, combined with the sugar flavoring to this breakfast food, is what will turn this recipe into something truly unique!
Most of the recipes that we have covered default to using some kind of baguette or challah bread (Also check out Best Ina Garten Garlic Bread Recipes). However, for this dish, we’ve chosen to go with a brioche-based recipe instead!
Brioche is a sweet-flavored type of bread anyway, making it very compatible with the flavors that a French toast recipe should be aiming for.
It also allows for French toast with a slightly softer texture, something that might otherwise put people off trying to bite into bread that might feel too crunchy for some people.
Even frying it won’t stop that softer texture from coming through!
Plus, considering that brioche is already a type of French bread, is there a loaf more appropriate for a French breakfast dish than this?
So, if you’re looking for the perfect side to dip into your French custard for brunch, you know what you should be making!
If you’re looking to pre-make your French toast for a family breakfast, this is the French toast recipe that you need to check out!
Rather than simply using slices of whatever bread you’re using, this recipe ops to dice the bread instead, creating a dish that allows for the bread to be cooked or baked evenly across the entire dish.
Plus, it’s still using the ingredients list that Ina Garten first showed us in her recipe, so it’s not like you’re missing out on any great flavors either.
The raspberry preservatives, the maple syrup, all of it is here for you to drizzle over these delicious creamy breakfast delights!
We’re back to using challah bread for this next version of Garten’s recipe!
If you’re looking to try and save a little time and money with this recipe, this recipe recommends using extra large eggs, as opposed to medium-sized eggs, for the dish.
Not only will you need to buy fewer eggs overall, but you’ll also save on prep time as you whisk these ingredients together.
Of course, if you’re not the biggest fan of challah bread (it is pretty savory, after all), don’t hesitate to switch it out with bread of your choosing, from baguettes to brioche (or personal favorite), to even sourdough, if you’re feeling adventurous!
We’re also big fans of this recipe adding the custard ingredient directly into the cream and egg mixture, to lock in that sweet flavor early in the cooking process.
It’s an easy-to-follow dish, that’s for sure!
Final Notes
So, as you can see, Ina Garten has been a font of inspiration in the cooking world, especially when it comes to exquisite breakfast recipes like this.
Is there anything that an Ina Garten version of a recipe can’t do? Well, we’ve yet to see one not stand up to the vigorous test of our taste buds, that’s for sure!
I'm Barbara Hunt, the founder of WomenChefs.org. Being a mom of two, I understand the challenges of meal planning and the monotony it can bring.
That's why I created WomenChefs.org, a platform dedicated to showcasing the skills and delicious dishes crafted by amazing women. My goal is to provide a space where women can find delectable recipes that tantalize their taste buds and ignite their senses.
I hope you'll join me in exploring WomenChefs.org and discovering your next favorite recipe. Let's embrace culinary diversity and try something new together!
