These French Toast Waffles are an easy and quick alternative to traditional waffles made with batter. Prepared with simple pantry ingredients and a waffle iron, this recipe combines the richness of French toast with the crispiness of waffles to create the best of both worlds–it’s one deliciously sweet, soft, and crisp toast that’s studded with pockets that are perfect to hold your favorite fillings!
Waffle Iron French Toast Brioche
Can’t decide between French toast or waffles? This French toast waffle recipe is the perfect solution to enjoy the signature taste of French toast in the form of homemade waffles. When you cook these thick slices of brioche in a waffle iron, it creates a crisp, golden brown exterior with a flavorful, moist, and fluffy interior–it’s the best of both breakfasts!
What I love most about this unique breakfast mash-up is the wonderful waffle indentations that collect all of my favorite toppings. It’s like eating a soft and thick piece of toast that’s covered with thin and crunchy waffle-like wells–perfect for a variety of fillings in every forkful!
Why We Love This French Toast Waffles
- Easy to make with pantry staples in less than 20 minutes.
- Fun and delicious way to enjoy the taste of French toast, in the form of homemade waffles!
- Soft and fluffy inside, with a slightly crisp exterior.
- Freezes beautifully, and make busy mornings so much easier.
- Simple to serve a homemade breakfast to your family, with minimal effort!
- Kid-friendly recipe that is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert!
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Salted butter: The salted butter adds a nice flavor to the waffles but you could grease the iron with cooking spray instead.
- Whole milk: You can substitute your favorite milk or milk alternative such as almond milk, soy milk, or half and half.
- Eggs
- Brown sugar
- Pure vanilla extract
- Maple extract
- Salt
- Brioche bread: This works best with slightly stale bread so that it doesn’t fall apart after being immersed in the egg mixture. You could substitute any thick sliced bread, although it may change the final flavor slightly.
- Granulated sugar
- Cinnamon
- Optional garnishes: Maple or pancake syrup, freshly-sliced strawberries, powdered sugar, whipped topping.
Substitutions and Additions
- Bread: Thick slices of cinnamon swirl bread, Sourdough bread, or challah (a braided egg-rich bread) would also taste delicious.
- Sweet Toppings: There are so many sweet ways to top these French toast waffles other than those listed above. Some ideas include fruit preserves, honey, fresh fruit, chocolate chips, nut butter, or Nutella.
- Savory Sides: Serve your French toast waffles with a side of fried chicken, fried eggs and avocado, or scrambled eggs and bacon.
- Dessert: French toast waffles are the perfect vehicle for ice cream, frozen yogurt, or sorbet.
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Waffle iron
- Small and medium sized mixing bowls
- Slotted spoon or spatula
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How to Make the French Toast Waffles
It is so easy to cook French toast in a waffle iron! This recipe has all the sweet flavor and fluffy texture of French toast, but creates a crispy outside and traditional waffle indentations that are perfect pockets for filling!
- Whisk together the milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, maple extract, and salt.
- Immerse each bread slice in the liquid mixture, one at a time.
- Place a slice of liquid coated bread on the top of waffle iron.
Pro Tip: Make sure your waffle iron is hot and well greased. - Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the top of the bread and gently close the lid of the waffle iron.
- Cook and repeat for each slice of bread.
Pro Tip: The cooking time depends on the individual waffle iron and may vary. The toast is done when golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside. - Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Tips
- Make sure your waffle iron is hot. When it comes to crispy edges, a hot waffle iron makes a huge difference.
- The type and thickness of your bread will slightly change the final result of your waffles. If the slices of your bread are thinner than an inch, you may find that soaking it too long may turn your bread into mush. This can make it very difficult to get into the waffle iron.
- This French toast waffle recipe is perfect for using up stale bread. The drier the better because it will be able to soak up more liquid.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Store cooled French toast waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Place in a freezer bag or an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
- To Reheat: For a crispy textured waffle, reheat the waffles in a toaster; for a softer texture, reheat in a microwave.
Frequently Asked Questions
After the French toast waffles have been completely cooled, they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. They can be easily and quickly reheated in the toaster.
French toast waffles can be frozen for up to 2 months (after that the flavor will not be as good). For best results lay them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and partially freeze them for 1 or 2 hours before putting them together in a freezer bag or airtight container to finish freezing.
If your waffle iron isn’t hot enough, the moisture will evaporate and you will end up with soggy waffles no matter how long you cook them for.
Cook time will depend on your waffle iron, but you want to make sure they are golden and crispy on the outside. This can take 3 to 5 minutes.
You can absolutely use other breads for this recipe! With any french toast recipe, you will find that the type and thickness of bread will slightly change the final result, but in general they will all be delicious. I have also
made this recipe with thinner sliced Italian bread and it was great. It took only 3 minutes to cook and I was able to make 5 waffles with the same process.
Other Easy Breakfast Recipes
- Homemade Egg McMuffins
- Egg Bites
- Healthy Breakfast Cookies
- French Toast Roll-Ups
- French Toast Mug Recipe:
- Breakfast Burritos
- Cinnamon Roll Pancakes
French Toast Waffles
Ingredients
- 2-3 tbsp salted butter
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp maple extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 slices Brioche bread thick sliced if available
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- Optional garnishes: Maple or pancake syrup, freshly-sliced strawberries, powdered sugar, whipped topping
Instructions
- Heat waffle iron to a medium-high heat.
- When hot, add 1 Tablespoon pats of butter until the waffle iron is well-greased.
- While the waffle iron is heating, prepare the egg mixture in a medium-sized bowl by whisking together the milk, eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, maple extract and salt.
- With a slotted spoon or spatula, dip the bread slices in the milk mixture, one at a time. Completely immerse the bread and then raise it up and let the excess liquid drip off.
- Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
- Place the liquid coated bread on top of the hot, buttered waffle iron.
- Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on the top portion of the bread before closing the lid of the waffle iron. (Don’t force the lid to shut completely, just place it down on the bread).
- Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown. The cooking time depends on the individual waffle iron and may vary. The toast is done when golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside.
- Serve with syrup, whipped topping, sliced strawberries, and powdered sugar, optional.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store cooled French toast waffles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Place in a freezer bag or an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
- To Reheat: For a crispy textured waffle, reheat the waffles in a toaster; for a softer texture, reheat in a microwave.
- Make sure your waffle iron is hot. When it comes to crispy edges, a hot waffle iron makes a huge difference.
- The type and thickness of your bread will slightly change the final result of your waffles. If the slices of your bread are thinner than an inch, you may find that soaking it too long may turn your bread into mush. This can make it very difficult to get into the waffle iron.
- This French toast waffle recipe is perfect for using up stale bread. The drier the better because it will be able to soak up more liquid.
