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Crème Brûlée French Toast

Crème brûlée French toast with a caramelized sugar crackling top over custardy brioche-style French toast. Dip, pan-fry until golden, then torch a sugar topping for the signature brûlée crust.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

French toast
  • 8 thick-cut brioche or challah bread
  • 4 eggs
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 butter for cooking Use as needed to coat the skillet.
Crème brûlée topping
  • 4 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp butter
Serving
  • 1 maple syrup
  • 1 powdered sugar
  • 1 fresh berries

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet
  • 1 culinary torch

Method
 

Make the custard and preheat the pan
  1. Whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, whole milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a shallow dish until smooth.
  2. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook the French toast
  1. Dip each bread slice into the egg mixture, coating both sides well.
  2. Cook the bread in batches for 2-3 minutes per side, until golden and custard-like inside.
Caramelize the crème brûlée topping
  1. Arrange the cooked French toast on serving plates.
  2. Mix together the sugar and brown sugar, then sprinkle a portion over each toast.
  3. Using a culinary torch or under a broiler, caramelize the sugar topping on each toast until it crackles.
Serve
  1. Serve immediately with maple syrup, powdered sugar, and fresh berries.

Notes

Pro tip: for the custardy center, let each bread slice soak just until evenly coated, then cook right away so the crust stays crisp while the inside turns custard-like. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 2 days; rewarm in a 325°F oven until heated through, then torch or broil the sugar topping again if desired. Freezing isn’t recommended because the brûlée topping won’t stay crisp after thawing. For a lighter swap, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and expect a slightly less rich custard.