Baked to golden perfection, Crunchy Panko French Toast is simple and quick to pull together. Soaked in a classic French Toast egg mixture, every bite is warm and comforting. Fluffy in the center with a crisp, sweet outer layer, this breakfast treat will undoubtedly elevate your brunch experience!
I love that this recipe offers an easy way to enjoy all the traditional flavors of french toast without having to stand over a griddle or stovetop to cook each individual slice!
The fact that everything comes out hot and toasty all at once is just one of the reasons Crunchy Panko French Toast is the perfect holiday or weekend brunch recipe for serving to large crowds and family!
And if you are looking for more savory breakfast options for feeding your large crowd, Sheet Pan Breakfast Pizza and Ham and Cheese Breakfast Casserole. Both dishes are perfect for getting the whole family to sit down and enjoy a hot breakfast together!
Wanting something more sweet? Give our gooey fresh Cinnamon Rolls a try, you won't regret it!
🥫 Ingredients
With just a small handful of ingredients this twist on a classic breakfast favorite will have the whole house smelling down right divine!
- Eggs
- Heavy Cream
- Vanilla
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Panko Bread Crumbs
- Slices of Bread
- Butter
(Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements and full printable instructions.)
🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
Firstly, let's begin by generously greasing a baking sheet and setting it aside for your Crunchy Panko French Toast. When done, go ahead and pre-heat the oven to 375° F.
Preparing Ingredients
Then in a shallow dish like a pie pan go ahead and combine the eggs, cream, vanilla and half of the sugar and cinnamon. Using a whisk stir everything together vigorously.
Afterwards in a second shallow dish combine your panko crumbs and the remaining sugar and cinnamon then set aside.
Coating the Bread
Set your dipping dishes side by side. Lay a slice of bread into the prepared egg mixture. Flip the bread in the mixture to ensure each side is well coated. Let the excess egg mixture drip off.
Afterwards lay the dredged slice into the pan of bread crumbs, pressing each slice gently into the panko crumbs to make sure the whole slice is well coated.
Once dredged and coated lay the french toast slice on the greased baking dish. Repeat this process until each slices of panko french toast is coated and laying on the pan.
Baking
When ready to bake place your baking sheet full of Crunchy Panko French Toast in the oven and allow it to bake for 12 minutes. Afterwards pull the pan from the oven and flip each slice of toast over.
Place pan back in the oven and allow to bake for an additional 4-8 minutes or until they are golden brown and crispy.
Serve your Crunchy Panko French Toast with all your favorite breakfast toppings like homemade brown sugar syrup and enjoy!
👩🏻🍳 Make it Your Own
I really love that there are so many ways to make Crunchy Panko French Toast your own.
Sweetened Crust - If you don't happen to have panko crumbs on hand you can also use granola, chopped nuts or slivered almonds, crushed cereal like corn flakes or rice krispies work well.
Bread - We prefer using brioche bread to make our french toast, but you can definitely switch out the type of bread you choose to use. Sourdough, cinnamon raisin bread, Hawaiian sweet bread would all work well.
Toppings - Have fun and get creative with your the breakfast toppings you serve alongside your Crunchy Panko French Toast. Powdered sugar, fresh fruits and homemade brown sugar syrup are some of our favorites!
💭 Top Tips
Try to avoid using bread too thinly sliced or overly squishy, as it can absorb too much of the egg mixture. Brioche, Challah, French Bread, Sourdough, or thick slices of wheat sandwich bread should all be great contenders.
Crunchy Panko French Toast is a great way to use up day old, stale or crusty bread. If you don't have older bread just give it a little pre-toast in the oven.
🍽 Storing
Crunchy Panko French Toast is most yummy if enjoyed while hot. If freezing leftover slices first allow them to completely cool. Then place slices in an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Then when ready to enjoy, simply reheat each slice in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes or in a skillet with a little butter until each slice is heated through and the exterior is crispy again.
📖 Recipe
Crunchy Panko French Toast
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup sugar divided
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon divided
- 1½ cups panko bread crumbs
- 6-10 slices bread
Instructions
- Grease a baking sheet and set aside. Pre-heat the oven to 375℉.
- In a shallow, wide dish whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, vanilla, half of the sugar and half of the cinnamon.
- In a second shallow, wide dish combine the Panko breadcrumbs with the remaining sugar and cinnamon. Set both dishes aside for later.
- Dunk a slice of bread into the egg mixture, turning to coat each side. Allow the excess mixture to drip off back into the dish.
- Place the egg coated slice of bread into the second dish of panko crumbs. Gently press down to help the crumbs stick. Turn the bread over to coat both sides.
- Place the coated bread slice on the greased pan in a single layer. Repeat this process till all slices of bread are coated.
- Put baking sheet in the oven and allow to bake for 12 minutes. Pull pan from the oven and flip each piece over to toast other side. Bake for an additional 4-8 minutes until both sides are golden brown and crispy.
- Remove pan from the oven and serve slices with favorite breakfast toppings and syrup. Enjoy!
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