Cinnamon Crunch French Toast

Is anyone else over the summer already? Maybe it’s just me, but something about the impending months of heat/humidity, along with a big desire to just take a breather (when it’s really hard to go anywhere right now) – I’m just ready for fall. At least fall has pumpkins?

I know that sounds a little glass half empty, but I am counting my blessings. My husband and I have been extremely lucky. We have not gotten ill – no one in our immediate families has fallen ill – and our jobs have been extremely accommodating to keep us safe during these hard times.

To keep the news off of the TV, I’ve tapped into my creative side a good bit. I’ve sewn 200+ fabric face masks, I’ve taken up knitting again & I’m cooking a LOT more. It feels good to be productive, I guess? My craft room is incredibly organized lately too – which is awesome.

When it comes to cooking, I thought I would use this time to get back into blogging regularly, but I’m a little late on that one. I figured a good way to ease back into it is to share some carb-y goodness, and who doesn’t love a good carb-y dish during brunch? That’s right, y’all – it’s BRUNCH WEEK!

Welcome to #BrunchWeek 2020 hosted by Love and Confections and A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures! This is our 8th year of #BrunchWeek and while it is a little different this year, 22 bloggers are excited to share all our favorite Brunch recipes. We have a huge variety including French toast, danish, waffles, pancakes, hash, fruit salad, cocktails, mocktails, vegan, keto, and plenty of desserts! We hope you enjoy all our Brunch recipes!

Today, I’m sharing some simple, yet indulgent french toast with a dreamy, crunchy cinnamon topping. It’s so good – really adds some great texture to baked french toast! I purchased apple cinnamon brioche bread for the base for this french toast, but I have also made it with vanilla/plain brioche – either way is fantastic and tasty!

Cinnamon Crunch French Toast
Source: mildly adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

For the french toast/custard:

• 1 large loaf of brioche bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk (I used 2%)
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt

For the topping:

• 4 tbsp. unsalted butter (melted)
• 3 tbsp. dark brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Place the oven rack in the center position of the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Prepare a 9×13 inch baking dish by lining it with butter or spraying a baking/cooking spray on the inside. Then, place the cubes of bread evenly in the baking dish.
3. In a medium sized bowl, prepare the custard. First, whisk the eggs together, and then add the milk, dark brown sugar, 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. of salt. Whisk the mixture well, and pour the custard mixture over the bread, ensuring that there are no dry pieces of bread in the baking dish.
4. In a small bowl, mix together the unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon and pinch of salt. Using a spoon, drizzle the butter mixture evenly over the bread chunks.
5. Bake the french toast in the oven for 35-45 minutes. Allow the french toast to cool until warm (about 10-15 minutes) before serving. Enjoy!

Check out the other great recipes that the other Brunch Week bloggers are sharing today:

Beverages Recipes

• Easy Peach Frosé by Love & Confections
• Healthy Banana Smoothie by Simply Healthyish Recipes

Bread, Grains, and Cereal Recipes

• Blueberry Bread Pudding by Big Bears Wife
• Buttermilk Waffles by The Redhead Baker
• Chocolate Banana Muffins by The Mandatory Mooch
• Cinnamon Crunch French Toast by The Nifty Foodie
• Double Chocolate Banana Muffins by Family Around the Table
• Pear Chocolate Chip Sourdough Muffins by Caroline’s Cooking
• Sourdough Belgian-Style Waffles by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Vegan Anise French Toast by Happily Curated Chaos

Egg Recipes

• Bacon, Brie & Asparagus Quiche by Sweet Beginnings
• Breakfast Tostadas by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Gyro Omelette by Cheese Curd In Paradise

Fruit and Veggie Recipes

• Duchess Potatoes by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
• Greek Broccoli Pasta Salad by Making Miracles

Meat, Poultry, and Fish Recipes

• Carolina Shrimp And Grits by Nik Snacks
• Everything Breakfast Pizza by The Spiffy Cookie

Dessert Recipes

• Keto Macarons by Keto Basic AF
• Lemon Macarons Recipe by April Golightly
• Pasta Frola (Argentinian Lattice Tart) by Tara’s Multicultural Table
• Sprinkle Biscotti by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Strawberry Scones by Kate’s Recipe Box