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This French toast recipe for one is ready in just 15 minutes, with buttery, crisp edges and a soft, fluffy center. It’s a quick and comforting dish, ideal for busy mornings or anytime you’re craving something delicious.
Looking for breakfast recipes made just for one or two? Try our fluffy short stack of pancakes, a golden-brown single waffle, a savory breakfast casserole, or our moist and flavorful Morning Glory Muffins. Each recipe is perfectly portioned for smaller servings without compromising on taste or quality.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple: Made with basic pantry ingredients you likely already have on hand.
- Quick: From start to finish, it’s ready in just 15 minutes.
- Customizable: Top it with fruits, nuts, or your favorite syrups to make it your own.
- Easy to Double: Need more? This recipe doubles easily if you’re cooking for two.
French Toast is simply bread dipped in a mixture of milk and eggs, then pan-fried to golden perfection. While it’s a popular breakfast in the U.S., you’ll find versions of it all over the world—called “eggy bread” in England, “pain perdu” in France, “fattiga riddare” in Sweden, and “arme ritter” in Germany. This easy French Toast recipe is designed just for one, making it ideal when you want a warm, satisfying breakfast without leftovers. Made with a few basic ingredients and ready in minutes, it’s a delicious way to start your day.
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Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this single serve French Toast recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Butter: Prevents the bread from sticking to the pan and adds flavor.
- Egg: Helps the mixture set as it cooks, giving the French toast a perfect texture.
- Vanilla and cinnamon: Add warmth and sweetness to the dish.
- Milk: Use any milk you prefer—whole, skim, 2%, or even plant-based options like soy, almond, or coconut milk.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar adds a touch of sweetness, but feel free to use a sugar substitute or leave it out if you prefer.
- Bread: Use whatever bread you have on hand—sourdough, cinnamon-raisin, white, or wheat. This recipe is also great for stale bread, which soaks up the milk mixture beautifully.
Recipe Variations
- Pumpkin Spice French Toast: Add a dash of pumpkin spice and a spoonful of pumpkin purée to the egg mixture for a cozy fall twist. The warm spices blend perfectly with the rich pumpkin flavor.
- Mocha French Toast: Stir in 1/8 teaspoon instant coffee and 1/4 teaspoon cocoa powder to the egg mixture for a light mocha flavor. Top with powdered sugar for a touch of sweetness.
- Savory Herb and Cheese French Toast: For a savory spin, mix in grated cheese and finely chopped herbs like chives or parsley. This gives you a cheesy, herby flavor that’s great for those who prefer savory breakfasts.
- Gingerbread French Toast: Add molasses, ground ginger, and a hint of nutmeg to the egg mixture for a gingerbread-inspired flavor—perfect for the holiday season!
How To Make French Toast
These photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make a single serving of French toast. See the recipe box below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg and milk. Add the vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon, and whisk until everything is well blended.
- Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture, flipping to ensure both sides are fully coated.
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place the coated bread slices in the skillet and cook until golden brown on one side, then flip and cook the other side until golden.
- Serve warm with syrup.
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Expert Tips
- Make a Good Custard: Start by lightly whisking the egg before adding the milk and spices. This helps create a smooth mixture. Feel free to add extra flavors like a pinch of nutmeg or a little citrus zest for a unique twist.
- Give the Bread Time to Soak: Let the bread sit in the custard for at least 30 seconds. For thicker slices, soak a bit longer to fully absorb the flavor.
- Preheat the Skillet: While your bread soaks, heat the skillet or griddle to medium. This keeps the French toast from burning on the outside while undercooking on the inside.
- Try a Casserole Version: For a change, make a single serving French toast casserole. Use leftover croissants or pastries, layer them in a small baking dish, pour the custard over, and bake for a delicious twist.
Serving Suggestions
- Fresh Berries: Top with strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries for a pop of color and natural sweetness.
- Maple Syrup and Pecans: Drizzle with real maple syrup and sprinkle with chopped pecans for a deliciously nutty crunch.
- Whipped Cream and Chocolate Chips: Add a dollop of whipped cream and a few mini chocolate chips for a dessert-style twist.
- Yogurt and Honey: Spoon some Greek yogurt over your toast and drizzle with honey for a creamy, lightly sweet option.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although you can use just about any type of bread, thick-cut bread like brioche, challah, or French bread works best as it absorbs the custard well and has a soft texture when cooked.
Yes! Stale bread is ideal because it soaks up the custard without getting too soggy.
You can use any milk you like—whole, skim, or plant-based options like almond or soy milk all work well.
Make sure to use thick slices of bread and allow them to soak for about 30 seconds, but not too long. Cooking at medium heat also helps avoid sogginess.
Make sure your skillet or griddle is preheated and well-buttered to prevent sticking.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this french toast or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
Also, if you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see!
Easy French Toast For One
Watch How To Make This
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk (use whole, skim, soy, almond, or coconut)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 slices bread
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
Instructions
- Whisk together the egg and milk in a medium-sized bowl. Add the vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon and whisk until well incorporated.
- Place bread slices, one or two at a time, into the egg mixture and flip to make sure both sides of bread are well-coated.
- Melt the butter in a medium-sized skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place one of both slices of the bread into the skillet and cook slices until golden brown, then flip to cook the other side. Serve with syrup.
Notes
- Make a Good Custard: Start by lightly whisking the egg before adding the milk and spices. This helps create a smooth mixture. Feel free to add extra flavors like a pinch of nutmeg or a little citrus zest for a unique twist.
- Give the Bread Time to Soak: Let the bread sit in the custard for at least 30 seconds. For thicker slices, soak a bit longer to fully absorb the flavor.
- Preheat the Skillet: While your bread soaks, heat the skillet or griddle to medium. This keeps the French toast from burning on the outside while undercooking on the inside.
- Try a Casserole Version: For a change, make a single serving French toast casserole. Use leftover croissants or pastries, layer them in a small baking dish, pour the custard over, and bake for a delicious twist.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Fantastic with your homemade pancake syrup! I completely dried out my bread slices the day before so they’d soak up as much custard as possible. Next time, I may try replacing the egg with two yolks — see if I can make the interior custard even creamier.
Thanks Joanie!
Thank you so much for your feedback! I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed the casserole with the homemade pancake syrup—it’s truly a delicious combination! I’d love to hear how it turns out with two yolks if you give that a try.
Quick, easy,delicious
I loved this recipe because the vanilla and cinnamon elevated it beyond the norm. Perfect portion, too. I made it with 15 grain bread which is what I had on hand. It was delicious and was fun to treat myself to a special breakfast.
I added powdered sugar instead of syrup and it was HEAVEN
Way too much milk/egg, so imo it didn’t cook up well. Flavor was fine. Next time I’ll put half the amount of milk and add more vanilla and cinnamon, then it will be perfect.