Gingerbread French Toast with Apple Cranberry Compote
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.
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.
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Video
Notes
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.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!