Use homemade zucchini bread to make zucchini bread French toast, a fun twist on a classic breakfast. Moist, flavorful, and best topped with confectioner's sugar and maple syrup!
Recipe summary
Flavor/texture: Classic French toast and zucchini bread combined. Thick, tender zucchini bread is coated in cinnamon custard and pan-fried until golden brown.
A fun way to use up zucchini bread: Have some leftover quick bread? I've tested this recipe with multiple flavors and pretty much any bread will work!
Yield: 6 slices
Serve with: Maple syrup, fruit compote, confectioner's sugar, whipped cream.
Similar to: Zucchini Breakfast Pancakes
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Zucchini bread - I used leftover slices of my strawberry zucchini bread and pumpkin zucchini bread recipes (pictured above), but any flavor of sweet quick bread works. Choose a bread that isn't too moist or crumbly, and looks like it will hold up to a few gentle flips in the skillet.
- Milk - I used whole milk, but any type of milk works, even dairy-free milk. Keep in mind that higher fat milk makes a creamier custard.
- Eggs - Eggs create the custard mixture that coats your bread slices, an essential part of making French toast.
- Vanilla extract - Adds depth of flavor to your custard mixture.
- Cinnamon - Adds warmth and depth of flavor to your custard mixture.
- Pinch of salt - Enhances the flavor of your French toast.
- Unsalted butter - Can be substituted with ghee if desired.
How to make zucchini bread French toast
- Add custard ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- While your pan preheats, toss bread slices to coat both sides in custard.
- Transfer to preheated pan with melted butter and cook until golden brown on the first side.
- Flip and cook on the second side.
Tips and tricks
Moist bread? - If your zucchini bread is still very moist, toast your slices (lightly) in a toaster oven or toaster before beginning. This dries the bread out, making more room for your custard to soak in.
Don't soak too long - Don't let your bread slices soak in the custard too long. Coat the first side, flip, coat the second side, then transfer to your preheated skillet.
Low and slow is best - Cook your French toast low and slow in a non-stick pan. Too high of heat will brown the outside before the inside has set, making the inside soggy.
Don't use too-thick bread - If your bread is thicker than about 1 inch, it won't cook through in the center. Anywhere around ¾" to 1" is ideal.
Preheat your pan - This helps create crisp edges and starts cooking the custard immediately.
Frequently asked questions
Use 1 egg for every ¼ cup of milk. This ratio coats about 2 slices of bread for every ¼ cup of milk and 1 egg used. How many slices you can coat depends on how dry your zucchini bread is, as well as how thick/wide your bread slices are.
Don't leave your bread slices soaking in the custard too long. Make sure you're allowing enough time in the pan for your bread to cook through in the center. If it's cooked too fast, the center doesn't have time to cook and your bread will look wet and soggy in the middle.
📖 Recipe
Zucchini Bread French Toast
Ingredients
- 6 slices zucchini bread, about ¾" to 1" thick
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Instructions
- In a shallow dish, whisk together custard ingredients: milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
- Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium to medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon of butter and allow to melt.
- Dip three slices of zucchini bread (or however many slices will fit into your skillet at once) into your custard mixture. Once coated on the first side, flip, and coat the second side. Lift, shake excess custard off, and transfer into your preheated skillet in a single layer.
- Cook bread slices until golden brown and crisp, then flip to cook second side. If bread is browning too quickly, turn heat down slightly to allow the center to cook through. Transfer to a plate and lightly cover to keep warm. Repeat with remaining bread slices.
- Serve with a dusting of confectioner's sugar, maple syrup, and/or fresh fruit.
Recommended Equipment
Notes
- Dry bread: Use a sweetened zucchini bread that is a few days old for best success. Or, lightly toast your zucchini bread to dry it out a bit before beginning.
- But not too dry: Use a zucchini bread that isn't crumbly or falling apart, and looks like it can handle a few gentle flips in a skillet.
- To prevent soggy zucchini bread - don't leave it soaking in the custard mixture for too long. Dip to coat each side, then transfer to your preheated skillet. Too high of heat will cook the outside before the centers set, so use a medium-low heat if needed and cook low and slow.
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