How to Cook French Toast 5 Different Ways

French toast always makes for a delicious breakfast or brunch, especially when you dine out. But what about making it at home? To get that perfect texture and flavor, you need to make sure you follow the right steps for making the egg-milk custard and choose your cooking method.

Perhaps you don’t know how to cook French toast, or you’ve made it only on the stovetop before with subpar results. Buckle up because you’re about to learn 5 fabulous methods for cooking your favorite French toast recipe in your kitchen. Soon, the best breakfast or brunch in town will be found in your dining room!

French Toast Pro Prep Tip

Before we get into how to make French toast in 5 different methods, we strongly urge you to consider the bread you’re using. You can make French toast out of any type of bread – sourdough, challah, sandwich slices, or even gluten-free varieties. However, if your bread is soft and fresh, it will become soggy once you submerge it into that egg custard coating.

You can solve this issue and churn out French toast like a pro if you simply dry the bread slices in your preheated oven at 300ºF for about 10 to 14 minutes, flipping at the midway point. You’ll want it to feel dry to the touch but keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t brown. Now, try these 5 methods for how to cook French toast!

How to Cook French Toast on the Stove

When you make French toast on the stovetop, you can choose a pan, skillet, or griddle as your cooking vessel. It’s simple enough to do, and one of the most popular methods for how to cook French toast. You’ll prep your egg mixture, dip the bread slices into it to coat each piece evenly and then place them in a lightly greased pan of your choosing over medium heat.

It should take between 3 and 5 minutes per side to cook your French toast this way. Depending on the size of your griddle, you may be able to cook it all in one batch. If you’re using a skillet though, you’ll need to do them in batches, which could take a bit longer.

How to Cook French Toast in the Oven

French toast in the oven is a brilliant idea if you have a hungry family or if you’re serving a bigger group. You’ll prep your French toast as you would if you were cooking it in a skillet on the stove, but you’ll be setting up the slices on a greased baking sheet. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and once it’s ready, pop the baking sheet inside. Cook for 10 minutes and then flip them over to cook for 4 to 6 minutes longer.

How to Cook French Toast in a Toaster Oven

The toaster oven is the ideal method for how to cook French toast for yourself or a couple other people. You will prep the slices as in any other method and then decide if you’d like to use the convection mode or broil.

When using the convection mode, line the baking pan for your toaster oven and place the prepped slices on it. Heat the toaster oven to 350ºF and then cook the French toast for 7 minutes on each side. You can additionally perfect it by setting the toaster oven to the “toast” setting at level 4 to further toast each side of your French toast slices.

Broiling in the toaster oven is a little less involved. Simply set it to broil, and put your lined tray of French toast inside. It will take about 5 to 8 minutes for the first side. Make sure you flip each piece and broil for another 5 to 8 minutes. The slices of French toast will be golden brown when ready.

How to Cook French Toast in an Air Fryer

If you love your air fryer, you may love it even more as a method for how to cook French toast! Grease the air fryer basket and arrange your prepared French toast slices in one layer. Your air fryer temperature should be set to 350ºF, and you should cook your French toast for 5 to 7 minutes, making sure to keep a watchful eye to flip the pieces halfway through this cooking time.

The only downside to using your air fryer is that if you’re making a lot of French toast, you’re going to have to do this in multiple batches, depending on the size of your air fryer. However, it’s an excellent way to make French toast in smaller servings.

How to Cook French Toast in the Microwave

If you want French toast but don’t feel like actually cooking, the next best thing is to use your microwave. You can make your custard mixture in a microwavable bowl, but with one added ingredient – maple syrup. You’ll also want to cut or cube your bread into pieces, tossing it in the mixture in the bowl. Set the microwave for 90 seconds, stirring it halfway through, and then you’ll have super-quick French toast with the least amount of effort.

This method is perfect if you have kids and need breakfast fast or you live in college dorms and want a quick and tasty breakfast before that morning lecture.

Top Your French Toast Your Way

No matter which of these 5 methods for how to cook French toast you choose, make sure you have your favorite toppings. Syrup, fruit, chocolate chips, sprinkles, whipped cream, and powdered sugar are all popular options that will be the perfect finish!