Gluten Free French Toast

When you find yourself feeding a crowd for breakfast, French toast casserole is a no-brainer. This recipe turns a breakfast favorite like French toast into a multi-serving dish that’s sure to satisfy.



You’ve always heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It gets your metabolism going and provides your body with the energy you need to get a good start to your day.

But who ever said breakfast had to be boring?

Things like steel-cut oats and whole-grain muffins have their place, but breakfast staples like these can get a little boring. On the weekend or on a special occasion, you may want to let loose and enjoy something with a little more flavor and pizzazz.

Gluten free French toast is the perfect way to start your day, no matter what day it is.

French toast is a simple dish at its heart. All you really need is a good loaf of bread, a few eggs, and some milk. Add a splash of vanilla extract and a pinch of cinnamon for flavor and you’re good to go! Unfortunately, if you follow the gluten free diet things may not be so simple. You can’t just grab a loaf of bread from the corner store and get cooking.

The good news is Schär offers a wide range of gluten free breads that are sliced and ready to be made into French toast. Whether you’re craving the familiar flavor of classic white bread or something heartier like a nice multigrain, Schär has you covered.

With a good loaf of gluten free bread, almost anything is possible! Anything having to do with French toast, that is. Read on to see what we mean!

What Kind of Bread Should You Use?

French toast is little more than sliced bread that has been battered and fried. With a dish so simple, however, the details really matter. The wrong bread can make your French toast bland and disappointing or, worse, it might not work at all.

So, how do you choose the best bread for French toast?

The key to good French toast is a high-quality bread with a little bit of density to it. You want the bread to soak up the batter without falling apart. Professional chefs are often partial to spongy loafs like brioche or challah. Even in thicker slices, these breads have some substance to them.

If you follow the gluten free diet, however, these traditional breads may be off limits. Fortunately, Schär makes it easy to enjoy good gluten free bread without going any further than your local grocery.

For delicious gluten free French toast, we recommend sticking with Schär’s Artisan Baker White Bread or Artisan Baker Multigrain Bread. You can certainly try it with deli-style slices or a seeded bread, but you don’t want to mix and match too many flavors that might distract from the flavor of the custard.

When in doubt, it’s usually best to keep it simple.

6 Common Mistakes to Avoid

As simple a recipe as French toast is, it’s also easy to mess up. Choosing the wrong bread is an obvious mistake and one that we’ve already addressed. There’s also room for error when it comes to whisking the custard, soaking the bread, and heating the pan.

Here are 6 common mistakes you want to avoid when making French toast:

1. Using bread that’s too fresh. Fresh bread is the key to a good sandwich, but when it comes to French toast you want the bread to be a little dry to make sure it soaks up as much of the custard as possible. Pre-sliced bread like Schär Gluten Free Artisan Baker bread is perfect for this purpose. If you’re using your own bread, try slicing it and spreading the slices out to dry for a bit.
2. Not thoroughly whisking the custard. The custard is little more than egg, milk, and spices but you need to make sure it’s thoroughly whisked so you don’t end up with big patches of egg white on your French toast.
3. Under-soaking the bread. A quick dip on either side of the bread won’t be enough to give the custard time to soak in. Place the slices in the dish with the custard and gently press down then flip and repeat to make sure both sides have absorbed the custard.
4. Using too much or too little heat. The goal is to achieve perfectly browned French toast, so you need to find the right balance of heat. Too much and the sugar in the custard will caramelize and burn, too little and your French toast will still be soggy in the middle.
5. Not preheating the pan. A hot pan is the key to avoiding a “foot” with your custard. When the pan isn’t hot enough, the batter spreads out to under and around the slice of bread. If the pan is hot enough, the custard starts cooking right away.
6. Cooking with only butter. High heat is necessary to get the right level of brown on your French toast, but butter tends to burn. Instead, try using a light coat of neutral cooking oil with your butter and wipe out the pan between batches to avoid blackened bits on the next slice.

By keeping these tips in mind, you’re well on your way to making perfect gluten free French toast. Once you have the original recipe down, however, you may find yourself ready for a little experimentation.

Dress Up Your Gluten Free French Toast

Once you’ve mastered the art of homemade French toast, a whole world of opportunities opens up before you. You can start tinkering around with different types of bread, different toppings, and even different flavorings in the batter. There’s no right or wrong, so don’t be afraid to experiment!

Here are some ideas for dressing up your gluten free French toast:

• Use cookie cutters to cut your bread into shapes before dipping it in the custard and frying
• Add a dash of liqueur like Grand Marnier to the batter or almond extract instead of vanilla
• Keep your French toast light with a dusting of powdered sugar instead of maple syrup
• Use a panini press to make “stuffed” French toast with cream cheese and fresh fruit
• Experiment with different types of sugar and sweetener in your custard (try honey or agave)
• Throw in a pinch of salt when whisking up your custard to help balance the flavor and sweetness
• Try different types of milk or non-dairy alternatives in your custard (cashew milk is great)

Below you’ll find recipes for plain-and-simple gluten free French toast as well as a recipe for gluten free French toast casserole to share with the family. Try it if you’re feeling adventurous!

Recipe: Gluten Free French Toast

This classic recipe for gluten free French toast takes no more than a few minutes to whip up and the whole family is sure to love it. Scale the recipe easily to serve a crowd.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 slices Schär Artisan Baker White Bread
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ cup milk (or non-dairy alternative)

Instructions:

1. Whisk together the egg, vanilla extract, and cinnamon until frothy.
2. Drizzle in the milk while whisking until well combined.
3. Pour the custard into a shallow dish.
4. Dip the slices of gluten free bread into the custard, turning to coat each side.
5. Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.
6. Grease with a light coating of cooking spray then add a teaspoon of butter.
7. When the butter has just melted, add a slice of bread to the pan.
8. Cook until browned underneath then carefully flip and cook to brown on the other side.
9. Remove the French toast to a plate and repeat with the remaining slices.
10. Serve the French toast warm with your preferred toppings.

Recipe: Gluten Free French Toast Casserole

When you find yourself feeding a crowd for breakfast, French toast casserole is a no-brainer. This recipe turns a breakfast favorite like French toast into a multi-serving dish that’s sure to satisfy.

Servings: 8 to 12

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups milk
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 18 ounces Schär Artisan Baker White Bread

Instructions:

1. Whisk together the eggs, milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon until well combined.
2. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch glass baking dish with cooking spray.
3. Cut the bread slices into cubes and spread them evenly in the baking dish.
4. Pour the custard over the bread cubes and press down gently to soak it thoroughly.
5. Cover with foil then chill for 2 to 15 hours.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F and let the casserole come to room temperature.
7. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the center is set and the top is golden brown.
8. Remove the casserole from the oven to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes:

1. Feel free to customize this recipe by adding chopped nuts or additional spices. The recipe will also work with different liquid sweeteners in place of the maple syrup like honey or agave.