This Almond Croissant-inspired French Toast is the perfect morning treat. Thick brioche slices filled with almond paste, coated in French toast batter and cooked to perfection, and finished with a sprinkle of icing sugar. Quick, easy, and super delicious.
Almond Croissant is having its moment right now, and it’s about damn time. Whenever I’m at a bakery, the humble Almond Croissant is my go-to order. They might be made with stale croissants, but that doesn’t stop them from tasting absolutely delicious.
This French Toast borrows it’s flavors from the Almond Croissant and gives you a breakfast that’s not only delicious, but super easy to make.
It’s really simple – you make a quick, one-bowl almond paste (the same one that’s used inside almond croissants), fill it in the center of a thick brioche bread slice, coat it in a simple French toast batter, cook it until golden brown, and finish with a sprinkle of icing sugar, and you’ll have the tastiest French toast ever.
So let’s get into the details.
Almond Paste
The almond filling is the same as the one you find inside almond croissants, and is made with a simple, one-bowl recipe using only six ingredients – butter, sugar, almond flour (ground almonds), egg, almond essence, and vanilla essence.
Here are the steps for making the almond filling.
- In a bowl, place softened butter and sugar and whisk on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the almond flour and whisk until combined, then add the egg, vanilla essence, and almond essence and whip on high speed for 3-5 minutes until the paste becomes light, thick, and fluffy.
- Transfer the paste into a ziplock or piping bag and set aside until ready to use.
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French Toast
The French toast is made with my signature recipe made with eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla essence. The key for this French toast is to use thick brioche slices as we will be filling the slice with the almond paste in the center. If you don’t use brioche bread, the end result will not be the same.
Here are the steps for making the French Toast batter.
- In a bowl, add the eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla and whisk until fully combined.
- Prep the bread slices: Create a pocket in the center of each bread slice by slicing it in the middle of the flat surface. Just create a slit in the center and don’t cut all the way through.
- Fill the almond paste in the bread pocket until it’s full, then seal the edges. Repeat for each slice.
- Heat a non-stick or stainless steep pan, add butter or ghee and let it heat. Meanwhile, soak each bread slice in the French toast batter for 30 seconds on each side. Don’t soak for longer or the bread will break down.
- Cook the French toast on medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Place on a plate and top with a dusting of icing sugar and sliced almonds. Enjoy warm.
This will definitely become your new breakfast/brunch recipe. You can even make the almond paste a night before and make the job easier, although it takes only 5-10 minutes to make.
Ready to make it? Let’s get started!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are unreliable and can give different measurements, so I suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
Almond Croissant French Toast
Equipment
- Electric mixer with whisk attachment optional, but recommended
- Hand whisk
- Piping or ziplock bag
- Stainless steel or non-stick pan
Ingredients
Almond Paste
- 75 grams unsalted butter softened
- 100 grams granulated white sugar
- 25 grams almond flour
- 1 egg
- 2 tsps almond essence
- 2 tsps vanilla essence
- 1/4 th tsp salt
French Toast Batter
- 2 eggs
- 100 ml full-fat milk
- 50 gs granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 th tsp salt
- 2 thick brioche slices
- 2 tbsp ghee or butter for cooking
- 1-2 tsp icing sugar for topping
- 15-20 grams sliced almonds for topping
Instructions
- Make the Almond Paste: In a bowl, add the butter, sugar, salt, almond flour, egg, almond essence, and vanilla essence and whisk on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes until pale, thick, and fluffy. The paste should be able to hold its shape. Fill the paste in a piping or ziplock bag and set aside.75 grams unsalted butter, 100 grams granulated white sugar, 25 grams almond flour, 1 egg, 2 tsps almond essence, 2 tsps vanilla essence, 1/4 th tsp salt
- Make the French toast batter: In a bowl, mix all the ingredients with a hand whisk until well combined – eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon powder, and salt.2 eggs, 100 ml full-fat milk, 50 gs granulated white sugar, 1 tsp vanilla essence, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 th tsp salt
- Prepare the Brioche slices for filling: Create a pocket in the middle of the thick brioche slice by cutting a slit in the center of the flat bottom side of the slice. Make sure not to cut all the way through the edges; you just want to create a space to fill the paste inside the bread.2 thick brioche slices
- Fill the bread: Place the piping bag inside the bread pocket, and pipe it in until it's filled properly. Make sure not to over-fill, or the paste will start oozing out while cooking.
- Dip the filled bread slices in the egg mixture, 30-40 seconds on each side. Don’t over soak, or the bread will become too soggy and fall apart.2 tbsp ghee or butter
- Cook the French toast: Preheat your pan, then add 1 tablespoon of ghee or butter, and gently place the soaked brioche slices in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Once cooked, transfer the toast to your serving plate.
- Dust with icing sugar and place sliced almonds on top. Serve warm.1-2 tsp icing sugar, 15-20 grams sliced almonds
Notes
If you give this recipe a try, don’t forget to let me know how you liked it in the comments. And of course, share it with me on Instagram.
Until next time!
