This delicious and simple French Toast takes inspiration from the simple, nostalgic, chai and toast combination from our South Asian households and turns it into a comforting, warm, breakfast dish.
If you’re South Asian, you’ve most likely dipped buttered toast into hot masala chai ever so often. If not, you’ve definitely seen your parents do it.
It’s one of those things that seems so simple, but gives so much nostalgic comfort, at least to me. Whenever I have a fever or sore throat, all I want to eat is toast dipped in chai; nothing makes me feel better!
Now if you’ve been around for a while, you know I love making French Toast in every flavor you can imagine. So it was only natural that I turn the chai and toast combo into one!
This French Toast is simple but is jam-packed with masala chai flavor. There is chai in the the batter and we also soak it in a chai milk mixture to double down on the flavor.
It’s full of warm, comforting flavors, and will turn into a regular in your house if you love chai as much as I do.
So, let’s get into the recipe.
PS: If you like French Toast, try out these recipes!
Chai Concentrate
The main flavor in this French toast recipe comes from the chai concentrate, which is super simple to make. You can make it the way you make your regular chai, the only rule is that you can only use milk, no sugar, so that the batter is not diluted.
Since we’re using masala chai, you can add any chai masala or whole spices you prefer. I added whole cardamom, cinnamon, and black pepper. But it’s completely customisable based on how you like to make chai!
Here’s how I make my chai concentrate.
- In a saucepan, add the milk, high-quality tea leaves, sugar (not too much), and whole spices or masala of your preference.
- Bring this mixture to a boil on high heat, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the chai is well cooked. The exact time will depend on how strong your tea leaves are. Remember, you don’t want the mixture to be bitter.
- Strain and let it cool completely before using.
French Toast Batter
The French Toast batter is made like any other French Toast, the only difference is that we use chai concentrate instead of regular milk along with eggs, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla. You can also use white sugar, but I find that brown sugar lends better to the chai flavor.
I would suggest using a few days old thick brioche bread slices for French Toast as it will be able to soak the custard really well which will make each slice more flavorful.
Here are the steps for making the French Toast.
- In a bowl, add the eggs, cooled chai concentrate, brown sugar, cinnamon powder, and salt and whisk until fully combined.
- Heat the pan and add ghee or butter. Soak each bread slice in the batter for 60-90 seconds on each side. Make sure not to soak for too long or the bread will fall apart. But too less, and the bread will not be properly soaked.
- Place the soaked bread slices into the pan and cook on medium-low heat until both sides are golden brown. Don’t cook on high heat as the exteriors will burn but the insides will not cook properly.
- Take them off the pan and top with the chai milk mixture generously, let it soak, then top with whipping cream and caramel sauce (optional).
Chai Milk Soak
The chai milk soak is poured over the French Toast after they have been cooked to reinforce the chai flavor. The recipe is super simple and is inspired by the classic tres leches mixture.
Here’s how to make the chai milk soak: In a bowl, add the cooled chai concentrate with condensed milk and evaporated milk and whisk until fully combined.
Make sure to be generous with the pour to get as much of that chai flavor as possible.
And that’s how simple it is! The chai concentrate and the milk mixture can be made the night before and the process will be even quicker.
Ready to make it? Let’s go!
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.
Masala Chai French Toast
Equipment
- Hand whisk
- Saucepan
- Pan
Ingredients
Chai Concentrate
- 350 ml full-fat milk
- 10-12 grams tea leaves
- 10 grams sugar
- 4 cardamom pods
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5-7 whole black pepper or any whole spices of your choice
Chai Milk Soak
- 150 ml chai concentrate cooled
- 80 ml condensed milk
- 40 ml evaporated milk
French Toast
- 2 thick brioche bread slices
- 2 eggs
- 130-150 ml chai concentrate cooled
- 35 grams brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1/4th tsp salt
- Whipping cream optional for topping
- Caramel sauce optional for topping
Instructions
- Make the chai concentrate: In a saucepan, add the milk, tea leaves, sugar, and whole spices of your choice and cook on high heat until it starts boiling, then lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until well cooked.
- Make the chai milk soak: In a bowl, mix the strained and cooled chai concentrate, condensed milk, and evaporated milk until fully combined. Set aside.
- Make the French toast batter: In a bowl, mix all the ingredients with a hand whisk until well combined – eggs, chai concentrate, brown sugar, cinnamon powder, and salt.
- Dip the bread slices in the egg mixture, around 60 seconds on each side. Don’t oversoak, or the bread will become too soggy and fall apart.
- 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.
- Pour a generous amount of chai soak on top of the warm French Toast and top with whipping cream and caramel sauce (optional)
Notes
Just a few simple steps and you will have the most delicious and nostalgic breakfast at the table. It’s the perfect plate of warming comfort on a cold day.
If you give this a try, let me know how you liked it in the comments, and of course, share it with on Instagram.
Until next time!
