Croissant French Toast with Strawberry Compote
Bring a French-inspired flavour to brunch (or dessert) with this Croissant French Toast: Buttery and flaky croissants dipped in a rich custard and pan-fried to a slightly crisp, golden crust. The addition of a strawberry sauce topping adds to it’s decadence.
French toast is one of my favourite breakfast meals to make in the morning. There’s something about that custard-dipped bread that’s so scrumptious!
Have you ever have an influx of leftover croissants, because you thought buying a giant box from Costco was a good idea? Using croissants instead of bread slices for French toast is something you can do with the extras that may get a bit stale.
Croissant French Toast Ingredients
Croissants: Make sure that you use day-old or stale croissants for this recipe. Fresh ones tend to be too soft for the custard batter and may break apart when soaked. You’ll hold more custard with dry bread and avoid the sogginess. If you don’t have day-old croissants, after slicing in half you can lightly toast them in the oven before dipping.
Half & Half Cream (10%) or Table Cream (18%): Using a high-fat milk for any custard adds to the creaminess of it. If you don’t have any of these creams, you can use milk or milk-alternatives (but it won’t be as rich-tasting).
Eggs: Eggs and the cream (or milk) are whisked together in this recipe to form a smooth mixture. Eggs act as a thickener for the custard.
Sugar: I’ve always made my custard for French Toast with a bit of sugar. It alleiviates me having to drown it in a lot of maple syrup afterwards, plus it taste great on it’s own. I find that one tablespoon per egg is more than sufficient.
Cinnamon & Vanilla: By flavouring your custard, it adds an (you can even add a bit of liqueur if you’re so inclined).
Butter: Butter is a must for this recipe when it comes to cooking your French toast on your skillet. Make sure that it’s salted to add some extra dimension to the sweetness of this dish. Frying with just oil won’t do, in my opinion! If anything, you can use half butter and half oil.
How to Make Croissant French Toast
As long as you have your day-old croissants and the rest of your ingredients, you’re good to start. Make sure that you have a non-stick frying pan or skillet as well.
Don’t soak your croissants for too long. You don’t want them to fall apart and be soggy. A quick dip for a few seconds on each side of your sliced croissant should be sufficient (gently pressing down to coat if necessary). Drip off any excess batter before you add it to your frying pan. You can remove the dipped croissants from the custard mixture and rest on a plate until you’re ready to fry.
You want your toast to be soft on the inside and crisp on the outside, so you’ll need to make sure that you’re cooking it at the right temperature–medium heat is best. If you still find your French toast burning, then reduce the heat a bit to medium-low.
If you’re making a few of these for a crowd, after each batch is done frying, place them on a baking sheet lined with a rack and keep them warm in an oven with a low temperature of around 80°C (175°F).
For serving, top with a dusting of icing sugar, drizzled with maple syrup, a dollop of whipped cream, or you can make your own strawberry compote (sounds a lot more “bourgeoisie” than “sauce” doesn’t it?) by cooking fresh or frozen strawberries with some sugar.
Having this for dessert? Then top with some vanilla ice cream and sprinkle with nuts!
Croissant French Toast with Strawberry Compote
Ingredients
Croissant French Toast
- 2-3 croissants day-old
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup half & half cream
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp butter salted
Strawberry Compote
- 454g strawberries fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
Prepare your strawberry sauce
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, add the strawberries, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Stir to combine.
- Continue to took over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally (strawberries will release their own juices).
- Mix the cornstarch with the water until dissolved and no lumps remain. Add it to the saucepan and reduce the heat to low.
- Cook for an additional 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Cover until ready to serve.
Prepare your croissant French toast
- Slice each croissant down the middle, lengthwise and set aside.
- In a large, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla.
- Preheat a skillet on the stovetop to medium heat. Melt in a tablespoon of butter (saving the remainder for any additional batches).
- Take a croissant slice and soak it in the egg and cream mixture for several seconds, then flip and soak the second side, making sure it's well coated. Drip off any excess custard into the bowl before frying.
- Add the dipped croissant slices to the prepared pan. Cook each side until golden-brown (about 3-5 minutes per side). Transfer them to a plate or keep them warm on a lined tray in the oven. Repeat with the remaining slices.
- Serve with strawberry sauce or maple syrup.
Notes
- Strawberry sauce:
- If you want more body to your strawberry compote, mash some in the pot or use your immersion blender.
- If you’re using frozen strawberries, your sauce may be a bit more watery due to the ice, so allow to cook a little longer so that it thickens up.
- Any extra sauce can be refrigerated in a sealed container for up to a week.
- To save on time, you can cook and stir the strawberry sauce as you’re frying your toast.
- Croissant French toast:
- Depending on the size of your croissants you may have less or more batter. Be sure to drip off any excess before frying. Add a bit more cream if necessary.
- If you’re making a few of these for a crowd, after each batch is done frying, place them on a baking sheet lined with a rack and keep them warm in an oven at around 80°C (175°F).
- If you want an even more rich recipe, try using 3 egg yolks instead of 2 whole eggs.