Coconut French Toast give the classic French toast recipe an upgrade with rich and creamy canned coconut milk and coconut cream in this fancy brunch dish. Then, I like to serve it with toasted coconut flakes and warm butter pecan syrup for an impressive yet easy to make dish.
Coconut milk gives it a sweet crispy crust that works so well with the coconut drenched bread. If you’re a coconut lover, this is a must make!
I first shared this recipe in 2011. I published my Mother’s Day menu for that year, and this delicious coconut French toast was included. I’ve updated it for you here with a post of its own so it’s easier to find, new photos, and information. All for a better user experience. I hope you enjoy this delightful brunch addition as much as my mom and I do.
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Mother’s Day Breakfast menu
Back when I originally published this recipe, I mentioned that this was a menu made especially for my mom. But, you know, so many moms are so deserving and will love this breakfast so much that I wanted to share it again.
That menu included this coconut brioche French toast that I served with Butter Pecan Syrup and a delicious Baked Oatmeal with Strawberries and Raspberries.
Is coconut good on French toast?
The French toast is crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. It’s sweet and warm, golden brown and lovely.
And it definitely says, “yes! Coconut is good on French toast!
Originally this recipe called for egg bread. When I went to the store this time, I couldn’t find anything labeled egg bread. But I was able to find brioche, both at the Farmer’s Market and at the grocery store.
Technically, brioche is a type of egg bread.
The term “Egg bread” means a bread fine-crumbed soft bread made from a yeasted dough that’s enriched with eggs. The bread will have a warm yellow color and a rich flavor.
The other type of egg bread that you may find at the store is challah.
Any of these (egg bread, brioche, or challah) will work for this recipe.
If you can find a loaf that isn’t sliced, that’s preferable. Then you can slice it thickly for yourself.
And most loaves of bread are about 1 pound. A little more or a little less will be fine.
Of course, you could make your own homemade brioche or challah.
This recipe does exactly that. It uses coconut milk in place of some of the dairy milk for a nice creamy coconut flavor throughout the recipe.
What is the trick to French toast?
French toast is perfect for special occasions like Christmas and Mother’s Day brunch. I have some tips for you to get stellar and impressively delicious slices for a real breakfast treat!
Don’t forget to scroll down to the printable recipe card for full instructions and ingredient amounts.
Get the right bread and let it go a little stale
Grab your egg bread loaf, and let it go stale. A day or so old and it’ll be perfect. You don’t want it to be hard as a rock, but just not as moist as fresh bread can be. Stale bread holds up to the batter much better than a soft, fresh slice.
French toast is called pain perdu in France, which translates as lost bread.
Next up, slice it nice and thick. About an inch, or maybe a little more, is a great slice of bread for French toast. Most commercially sliced bread loaves will be thinner than you want. But, if that’s all you can get, just don’t soak it for too long, or it will fall apart.
Make the batter. This can be mixed right in the pan you’re going to soak the bread in. Or you can mix it in a separate batter bowl.
Place the bread in the batter. It doesn’t have to all fit in at once. Put a slice or two in at a time. Flip the bread slices over and let the other side soak.
Cook it both on the stove and in the oven
Preheat the griddle or nonstick skillet, and grease the pan with some butter.
Lift the bread from the egg mixture, allowing the excess batter to drip off.
Set the soaked bread slices in the pan, and cook in hot butter until golden on each side, about 2 minutes. When the toast has achieved a lovely golden brown, lift it up with a spatula, and place the cooked French toast in a second 13×9-inch baking dish.
Repeat soaking the bread in the batter, frying the bread in the skillet, and placing the cooked toast in the baking dish.
Bake the French toast at 350° for 15 minutes. Oven baking the toast means that it will be cooked all the way through and not burned on the outside. And the egg mixture inside will cook getting puffy and fluffy in the bread, giving it a very soft and delicate texture.
Serve the French toast hot with butter and syrup. I highly recommend Butter Pecan Syrup; it’s amazing. And, I love a garnish of toasted coconut. And, I have instructions on How to Toast Coconut for you!
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Recipe
Coconut French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf unsliced egg bread about 1 pound
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup coconut milk well shaken
- ½ cup coconut cream well shaken
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- unsalted butter for cooking
- toasted coconut flakes
Instructions
- Cut bread into 1-inch slices. Preheat oven to 350° F.1 loaf unsliced egg bread
- Combine eggs and next 6 ingredients in a 13×9-inch baking dish. Soak bread in egg mixture.2 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 1 cup coconut milk, ½ cup coconut cream, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Melt ½ tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet or griddle. Drain two bread slices, and cook in hot butter until golden on each side, about 2 minutes. Place in a second 13×9-inch baking dish. Repeat with remaining butter and soaked bread.unsalted butter for cooking
- Bake at 350° for 15 minutes.
- Serve with toasted coconut flakes and butter pecan syrup.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
Yum and would sweetened condensed coconut milk be a good substitute?
Jen, I haven’t tried sweetened condensed coconut milk in these. Coconut milk isn’t sweetened, so the substitution would make this sweeter. If you give it a try, let me know how you like it.