Of course, it would be ideal if you could make a perfect amount of French toast for yourself or your guests, but sometimes that’s just not possible.
Whether you’re making breakfast for two or having some friends over for brunch – leftovers are inevitable.
But don’t worry.
There are plenty of things to do with leftover French toast batter so no one will be going hungry at your house.
From sweet to savory, here are some delicious recipes to try when you have extra batter on hand.
Make pancakes
All you need to do is whisk the batter together with an egg and cook as you would for French toast.
Coat chicken fingers or strips
Whisk 1 cup of flour, 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper & 2 eggs together in a bowl.
Dredge 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts through the mixture to coat well.
Heat ½ cup oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve with honey mustard dipping sauce (1/3 cup mayo mixed with 1 Tbsp dijon mustard).
Make cornmeal batter bread
Submerge bread cubes in the remaining batter to make cornmeal batter bread – one of my favorites!
French toast casseroles
Make casseroles by layering leftover bread or muffins with custard.
Great for breakfast, brunch, or potluck dinners.
Chocolate chip zucchini muffins
Make chocolate chip zucchini muffins by subbing 1 cup of the flour in a recipe with ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder & adding ¾ cup sugar, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 1 egg beaten, and 3 Tbsp vegetable oil to the remaining batter.
Fold in 1 cup coarsely chopped zucchinis and ¼ – ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes.
Make some donuts
Whip up some apple cider donuts by paring down a favorite recipe & using leftover batter instead of making it from scratch.
Just add 2 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp salt, and 2 Tbsp melted butter to the leftover batter (or make a new batch of batter using 1 ½ cup milk, 3 eggs, ¼ cup vegetable oil & 2 Tbsp sugar).
If your leftover batter is thick or lumpy add some more milk until it’s the consistency of pancake batter.
Coat apple ring molds with cooking spray.
Spoon in enough mixture for each mold to be about 3/4 full.
Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes until set.
Make mini French toast cups
Make these mini cups by layering cubed bread or English muffins with custard in a muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray.
Cook at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes until custard is firm and browned on top.
French toast sundae
Pour it over ice cream to make a sundae.
Dip 4 slices of day-old challah or brioche in the batter and fry until golden brown on both sides.
Top with chopped pecans, whipped cream, and sprinkles (optional).
What is French toast batter made of?
The batter is made of bread, eggs, milk, and cinnamon.
The bread is soaked in the mixture for a bit.
Then it is toasted in a pan with butter or oil.
Finally, it can be served with honey. (source)
What is the French toast mixture called in French?
It is called “pain perdu” in French.
It’s translated to “lost bread” in English.
This is because people would make this recipe from dry and stale bread to use it up.
To make it, you dip the slices of bread in milk, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla.
My French toast is not crispy, why?
Too much sugar and too much dairy are the main reasons.
They will keep the egg from cooking through and it will never be crispy on the outside with a bit of crispiness on the inside. (source)
Why isn’t my French toast fluffy?
There are a few things you can do to make sure your French toast is fluffy.
First, don’t turn up the heat on your griddle too high- if it’s too hot, the outside will burn before the inside is cooked.
Second, don’t use too much milk in your batter.
If you want non-soggy toast, make sure the batter is more egg- than milk-based.
What is the ideal ratio of milk to eggs for making French toast?
If you want to make French toast, you will need about ¼ cup liquid for 1 egg.
You will also need one egg per two slices of bread. (source)
What kind of bread should be used for French toast?
Brioche is a good choice.
It is thick and sturdy with a plush and tender crumb.
It has a high egg and butter content which makes it an ideal companion for custard made with milk, eggs, vanilla, and sugar. (source)
Can bread be too stale for French toast?
Yes, if the bread is too old or goes bad, then it won’t taste very good.
Normally, mold starts to form after 5 days.
But if you store the bread properly, it will last longer and you can still use it to make French toast.
What temperature to cook French toast is optimal?
You should bake it at 350 degrees F.
It will bake perfectly.
And the final results will be golden brown with no unnecessary burning.
How do you dry bread for French toast?
To dry bread, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Put a wire rack on top of the baking sheet and arrange the bread in a single layer on the wire rack.
Bake for about 15 minutes and that should do the trick. (source)
What’s the difference between eggy bread and French Toast?
These two are different things.
Eggy bread is savory and French toast is sweet.
For the former, think of bacon or a fried egg as the filling, whilst the latter tends to be berries with honey.
What should I serve with French toast?
First, you can have bacon on it.
Some people like scrambled eggs with their French toast.
And fruit, like peaches and bananas, is also good to eat with this toast.
Sausage links are also good to eat here as well. (source)
Why does my French toast taste like eggs?
If you cook French toast and it tastes like eggs, then there is a problem with the milk and the eggs.
The milk should be mixed with the egg to make a custard base that will give French toast its tender richness.
If you have too much of one or not enough of another, then it will taste bad. (source)
Conclusion
Leftover French toast batter is no cause for alarm.
In fact, it can be the base for some pretty delicious dishes.
Whether you’re in the mood for something sweet or savory, we’ve got you covered.
So don’t let those extra slices of bread go to waste – put them to good use with one of the above recipes.