Easy French Toast for Two

This French Toast for Two recipe is an easy breakfast that is brightened up with lemon zest! Serve with syrup, powdered sugar, and fresh fruit for a delicious breakfast.

Losing a parent is hard. Today would have been my dad’s 68th birthday, but we lost him to cancer a little over six months ago. It was one of those situations where we found out he had was sick, and just over two weeks later, he was gone. So quick. And while I would have loved for him to live to be at least 90, I’m happy he did not suffer for too long and we got to say our goodbyes and be by his side a lot of those two weeks.

I’ve been wanting to write a post about him. I thought about doing it on Father’s Day, but it just seemed too soon. So here were are now.

Of course, this is primarily a food blog, and I’ve been thinking about what I could post to tie into what my dad liked to eat. But it’s been hard. My dad was a very picky eater. Meat and potatoes were his thing. He would eat salads… but really only if they were just lettuce and had no salad dressing. He didn’t like pizza. He didn’t like tacos. He wouldn’t eat most of the things I make for dinner now.

Then it hit me. When I was in high school, sometimes I would decide to make French toast at night if I wanted a snack. No one else in the house would want any, except for my dad. So I’d make French toast for the two of us.

So that’s what I’m sharing with you today. A version of the French toast I would make for us, made slightly fancier with lemon zest and blackberries. French toast for two.

Happy Birthday, Dad.

Ingredients:

• Sandwich bread - This recipe uses plain sandwich bread, since that's what I used to use growing up, but you can use slices of French bread or brioche
• Eggs - The eggs help to give the French toast its custardy texture
• Milk - I used whole milk, but almond milk, coconut milk, or oat milk would also be great options
• Vanilla - I use the pure vanilla extract. For an added punch, you can always use fresh vanilla bean as well
• Cinnamon - The cinnamon gives the French toast a bit of warmth
• Lemon Zest - Lemon zest adds a nice brightness. The lemon zest is the yellow part of the lemon peel. You grate it off using a microplane. This is the one I have, and it's one of my most-used kitchen tools! It's also great for grating fresh Parmesan cheese
• Blackberries - I used fresh blackberries in this recipe, but you can use other fresh fruit you have around
• Powdered Sugar - The powdered sugar adds a nice sweetness, but it's optional
• Maple Syrup - The maple syrup is also optional, but I love a bit of it on French toast!
• Cooking spray or butter - You can use some cooking spray or butter to keep the toast from sticking to your pan

Customize your French Toast!

One of the great things about this recipe is that it's easy to make it your own!

• For a less sweet version, leave off the maple syrup, powdered sugar, or both
• You can use orange zest instead of lemon zest
• For a tropical flavor, use lime zest and coconut milk. You may want to use mango or kiwi as fruit
• Use whatever fruit you have around! If you have frozen fruit, you can cook it in a bit of sugar over the stove, and then spoon it over the top for a compote
• Looking for a different French toast recipe? Check out our Bananas Foster French Toast

Print Recipe

French Toast for Two

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time15 mins

Course: Breakfast

Servings: 2

Author: Food Banjo

Ingredients

• 4 slices sandwich bread
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• zest of 1 small lemon
• 10 large blackberries
• powdered sugar
• maple syrup
• cooking spray

Instructions

• Crack eggs into a large bowl, preferably with a flat bottom (this will allow for easier dipping). Add the milk, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whisk with fork to combine.
• Heat medium skillet over medium heat. When warm, coat lightly with cooking spray.
• Dip a piece of bread into the liquid mixture. Turn over and make sure both sides are coated.
• Place into the pan and cook each side until lightly browned, and then set aside. Repeat with the other three pieces.
• Slice each piece of toast diagonally and arrange onto two places. Zest half of the lemon over one plate, and half over the other plate. Add 5 blackberries to each plate. Sift powdered sugar over the French toast, then add warm syrup as desired.

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