If you love cozy holiday breakfasts, this Gingerbread French Toast is going to be your new favourite. Warm spices, crisp golden edges, and a sweet-tart fruit filling tucked right into the centre make it perfect for slow mornings and last-minute celebrations. The gingerbread man/woman cut-outs are a fun, festive touch, but the recipe is just as delicious made simply with classic slices.
It is the kind of breakfast that smells like Christmas morning and tastes even better. Perfect for weekends, brunch with friends, or holiday mornings when you want something comforting and festive.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Holiday flavours: Gingerbread spices make it festive and cozy.
- Make-ahead friendly: The compote can be prepared in advance.
- Crowd-pleasing: Perfect for brunch gatherings and holiday mornings.
- Versatile: Easy to dress up with cutouts or keep simple and classic.
Ingredients
Apple Cranberry Compote
- Unsalted butter
- Honeycrisp apples
- Cranberries
- Brown sugar
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Salt
- Lemon juice
Gingerbread French Toast Custard
- Eggs
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground cloves
- Ground ginger
- Whole milk
- Heavy cream
- Pure maple syrup
- Fancy molasses
- Pure vanilla extract
- Salt
French Toast
- Day-old brioche or challah
- Butter
See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
Instructions
Brown Butter Apple Cranberry Compote
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until lightly browned and nutty, watching closely so it does not burn.
Add the apples, cranberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and the cranberries have burst.
Stir in the lemon juice and reduce the heat to low to keep warm.
Gingerbread Custard
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth.
In a small dish, mix the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Add the spices to the eggs and whisk vigorously until fully incorporated.
Whisk in the milk, cream, maple syrup, molasses, vanilla, and salt until the custard is smooth and well combined.
Pour the custard into a shallow dish.
French Toast
Optional, Gingerbread Cutouts: In our video and photos, we cut gingerbread shapes from the bread before cooking, which made the cutouts delicate to manage. For best results, cook the French toast slices whole first. If you would like gingerbread shapes, use a cookie cutter to cut them out after the French toast is cooked. This keeps the slices sturdy and much easier to handle.
Heat a griddle or a large skillet over medium heat and add a bit of butter to coat the surface.
Dip each full bread slice of bread into the custard (egg mixture), turning briefly to coat both sides. Do not soak.
Cook the bread in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Add more butter to the pan as needed.
Keep cooked French toast warm while you finish the remaining slices.
To Serve
Stack two pieces of warm French toast and top with a generous spoonful of apple cranberry compote.
Finish with warm maple syrup, whipped cream and a dusting of icing sugar, if desired. Serve immediately.
Tips for Success
- Use day-old brioche or challah for the best texture and less sogginess.
- Keep the heat at medium to medium-low so the custard cooks through without burning the outside.
- Dip the bread briefly in the custard. Avoid soaking, which can lead to an undercooked center.
- If the French toast is browned but still soft in the middle, lower the heat and cook a little longer. If needed, transfer the slices to a 325°F (165°C) oven for a few minutes to finish cooking through.
- Make the apple cranberry compote ahead of time and reheat gently before serving.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve with crispy bacon or breakfast sausage for a savoury contrast.
- Add toasted pecans or walnuts on top for crunch.
- Pair with fresh berries, fresh fruit or a citrus salad to balance the richness.
Substitutions
- Apples: Granny Smith or Pink Lady apples work well if Honeycrisp apples are unavailable.
- Cranberries: Substitute chopped dried cranberries if fresh or frozen cranberries are not available.
- Dairy free: Use full-fat coconut milk and dairy-free butter.
- Bread: Thick-sliced French bread works in place of brioche or challah.
FAQ's
Yes. Cook the French toast in batches and transfer the slices to a baking sheet in a 325°F (165°C) oven to keep warm until ready to serve.
The apple cranberry compote can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Reheat gently before serving. The custard, also called the egg mixture, can be whisked together the night before and refrigerated.
Let the French toast cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Store the compote separately for best texture.
Yes. Cool completely, then freeze slices between layers of parchment in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Reheat in a toaster oven or a 325°F (165°C) oven until warmed through. The compote is best enjoyed fresh.
Other Christmas Breakfast Recipes to love:
- Make Ahead Croissant Breakfast Casserole
- Buttermilk Waffles
- Savoury French Toast Casserole
- Everything Bagel Bake
Equipment Used: We cooked everything on the Hestan Provisions Stainless Steel Double Burner Griddle for even heat, plenty of space, and beautifully consistent browning. Prep stays simple with the Hestan Provisions Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl, OvenBond Tri-ply Rectangular Baker, and OvenBond Tri-ply Half Sheet Pan, making this as easy to pull off as it is impressive to serve. Proud Hestan Culinary ambassador, all opinions in the post are our own.
📖 Recipe
Gingerbread French Toast with Apple Cranberry Compote
Ingredients
Apple Cranberry Compote
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 Honeycrisp apples peeled and diced small, about 3 ¼ cups
- ½ cup fresh cranberries or frozen
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Gingerbread French Toast Custard
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 cup whole milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons fancy molasses
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
French Toast
- 8 thick slices day-old brioche or challah
- Butter for cooking
Instructions
Brown Butter Apple Cranberry Compote
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook until lightly browned and nutty, watching closely so it does not burn.
- Add the apples, cranberries, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
- Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and the cranberries have burst.
- Stir in the lemon juice and reduce the heat to low to keep warm.
Gingerbread Custard
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth.
- In a small dish, mix the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Add the spices to the eggs and whisk vigorously until fully incorporated.
- Whisk in the milk, cream, maple syrup, molasses, vanilla, and salt until the custard is smooth and well combined.
- Pour the custard into a shallow dish.
French Toast
- Optional, Gingerbread Cutouts: In our video and photos, we cut gingerbread shapes from the bread before cooking, which made the cutouts delicate to manage. For best results, cook the French toast slices whole first. If you would like gingerbread shapes, use a cookie cutter to cut them out after the French toast is cooked. This keeps the slices sturdy and much easier to handle.
- Heat a griddle or a large skillet over medium heat and add a bit of butter to coat the surface.
- Dip each full bread slice of bread into the custard (egg mixture), turning briefly to coat both sides. Do not soak.
- Cook the bread in batches for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through. Add more butter to the pan as needed.
- Keep cooked French toast warm while you finish the remaining slices.
To Serve
- Stack two pieces of warm French toast and top with a generous spoonful of apple cranberry compote. Finish with warm maple syrup, whipped cream and a dusting of icing sugar, if desired. Serve immediately.
💬Tried this recipe?
- We'd really appreciate a rating and quick review! It helps more home cooks find the recipe, and we love hearing what you think.
Video
Notes
- Use day-old brioche or challah for the best texture and less sogginess.
- Keep the heat at medium to medium-low so the custard cooks through without burning the outside.
- Dip the bread briefly in the custard. Avoid soaking, which can lead to an undercooked center.
- If the French toast is browned but still soft in the middle, lower the heat and cook a little longer. If needed, transfer the slices to a 325°F (165°C) oven for a few minutes to finish cooking through.
- Make the apple cranberry compote ahead of time and reheat gently before serving.
This is perfect for holiday morning ❤️
Hi Shanley,
Thank you ❤️ It’s perfect for holiday mornings, but we won’t judge if it shows up on a random weekend too.
Happy holidays!
Elaine & James