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This French toast for one is made with two slices of bread, egg, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon, and ready in about 15 minutes.
Featured Comment
“Sometimes you just gotta treat yourself to French toast! I use this recipe a couple times a year and it always comes out perfect.”
– Hali
Quick Look
- Prep: 5 minutes
- Cook: 10 minutes
- Total: 15 minutes
- Servings: 1 serving (2 slices)
- Equipment: 10-inch skillet
- Cook method: Stovetop over medium heat
- Difficulty: Easy
Two slices of bread soaked in a cinnamon-vanilla custard and cooked until golden. This single serving French toast recipe works with any bread you have on hand.
My Favorite 15 Minute Breakfast
French toast is one of the breakfasts I make most often. I usually have everything I need on hand, bread, an egg, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon, so it’s easy to pull together when I want something warm and homemade.
What I love most is how quickly it comes together. In about 15 minutes, two slices of bread turn into a breakfast that feels a little more special than cereal or toast.
The inside stays soft, the edges turn golden in the pan, and it is just right with powdered sugar, fresh fruit, or a drizzle of homemade syrup.
Looking for other breakfast recipes for one? Try pancakes for one, a breakfast bagel, a single serve waffle, mini breakfast casserole, or morning glory muffins.
Watch How To Make French Toast For One
Table of Contents
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this single serve French Toast recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Butter: Butter keeps the French toast from sticking and helps it turn golden in the pan.
- Egg: The egg forms the base of the custard and gives the French toast structure as it cooks.
- Vanilla and Cinnamon: These give French toast its classic flavor. Even a small amount makes a big difference.
- Milk: Milk loosens the egg mixture and creates a smooth custard. Whole milk gives a richer texture, but 2%, skim, and plant based milks also work well.
- Sugar: Just a little sugar lightly sweetens the custard. You can leave it out or use a sugar substitute if preferred.
- Bread: Use whatever bread you have. Sourdough, cinnamon-raisin, white, or wheat all work well. Stale bread actually works better than fresh because it soaks up the egg mixture without falling apart.
Recipe Variations
This recipe is easy to customize.
Pumpkin Spice French Toast: Mix a spoonful of pumpkin purée and a pinch of pumpkin spice into the egg mixture before dipping the bread.
Mocha French Toast: Stir in 1/8 teaspoon instant coffee and 1/4 teaspoon cocoa powder into the egg mixture. Top with powdered sugar before serving.
Savory French Toast: Skip the vanilla and cinnamon and add grated cheese and finely chopped chives or parsley to the egg mixture instead.
Gingerbread French Toast: Add a small amount of molasses, ground ginger, and nutmeg to the egg mixture. A good option during the holiday season.
How To Make French Toast For One
These step-by-step photos show how to make single serving French toast. See the recipe card below for full ingredients and 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 and, flipping so that both sides are fully coated. Let the bread soak for about 30 seconds total.
- 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.
Expert Tips
Whisk the egg well. Make sure the egg is fully beaten before adding the milk and spices. This keeps the custard smooth and evenly mixed.
Let the bread soak. Give each slice at least 30 seconds in the custard before cooking. Thicker slices need a little more time.
Preheat the skillet. Get the pan warm before adding the bread. A cold pan leads to uneven cooking.
Try a casserole version. Use croissants or leftover pastries, layer them in a small baking dish, pour the custard over the top, and bake for a single serving French toast casserole.
Troubleshooting
My French toast is soggy. This usually means the bread was too fresh or soaked for too long. Fresh bread often doesn’t hold up in the custard. If you can, use day-old bread.
My French toast is burned outside but raw inside. The heat is too high. French toast needs medium heat so the custard has time to set while the outside browns. Lower the heat and give each side the full 2 to 3 minutes.
My French toast tastes too eggy. The egg wasn’t fully whisked into the milk before dipping the bread. Streaks of unmixed egg cook into visible bits of scrambled egg and give the French toast an eggy flavor. Whisk the custard thoroughly until it’s smooth and evenly colored before adding the bread.
My French toast tastes bland. This could be old cinnamon or vanilla extract, which lose their potency over time. Smell them before using. It could also be personal taste. If you like a stronger flavor, add an extra pinch of cinnamon or a splash more vanilla to the custard.
My French toast is sticking to the pan. The pan wasn’t hot enough or there wasn’t enough butter. Melt the butter fully and wait until it foams before adding the bread. A properly heated, buttered pan gives you a golden crust without sticking.
My French toast is dry. Either the bread soaked too briefly or it sat too long after cooking. Give each slice a full 30 seconds per side in the custard. Serve immediately after cooking.
How To Serve French Toast For One
French toast is good on its own, but these toppings make it even better.
Fresh Berries: Strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries add a fresh, bright contrast to the warm toast.
Pecans and Homemade Pancake Syrup: Chopped pecans add a little crunch and our homemade butter pecan syrup is worth making if you have a few extra minutes.
Whipped Cream and Chocolate Chips: A dollop of homemade whipped cream and a small handful of chocolate chips turns this into something closer to dessert.
Caramelized Bananas: Made from our single serving bananas foster recipe, these are one of the best things you can put on French toast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sturdier breads like brioche, challah, and Texas toast work particularly well because they are thick enough to absorb the egg mixture without falling apart. Sourdough, white, and wheat bread all work too.
Do not soak the bread too long. Most thicker breads, like brioche, only need about 30 seconds. Thin, pre sliced sandwich bread absorbs the custard much faster and usually only needs 5 to 10 seconds per side. Cook the French toast over medium heat so the center cooks through before the outside gets too dark.
Whole milk gives the richest result but any milk works. Skim, 2%, and plant-based options like almond, soy, and coconut milk all produce good results.
Yes. Stale bread actually works better than fresh because it absorbs the egg mixture without getting too soft or falling apart in the pan.
Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in a toaster oven. The microwave tends to make it soft and wet rather than crisp.
For a single serving (2 slices), 1/2 cup of milk to 1 egg creates a very rich, custard-like interior. If you prefer a “drier” French toast or are using thin bread, reduce the milk to 1/4 cup.
RELATED: 20 Breakfast Recipes That Are Worth Waking Up To
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 small batch french toast recipe 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!
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 the egg and milk together in a medium bowl. Add the vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon and whisk until combined.
- Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture and flip so both sides are fully coated. Let each slice soak for about 30 seconds.
- Melt the butter in a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Add the bread and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden brown. Serve warm with syrup.
Notes
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.
Makes enough for 4 slices.
made it with homemade bread, tastes great.
Instead of vanilla extract use Grand Marnier. What a wonderful treat.
This was my first time making French toast, and it was sooooo good! Kinda want to sneak in the kitchen to make another batch already…
Tried this today; left out the sugar and used a healthy dash of Pumpkin Pie Spice in place of just the cinnamon. Afterwards a quick drizzle of honey and it tasted fabulous! I will be saving the other pieces (really one slice of Sourdough cut in half) to heat up in the oven for tomorrow.
soo delicous! I used about a teasoop o-f vanila in my recipe- I DEFINATLY RECOMEND!!!!!! I am currently sitting on the couch eating it with some syrup and icecream. Thank you soo much for th recipe.
-annika
It tasted sooo good! I used a whole teaspoon of vanilla and much more than a pinch of cinnamon 😋 my bread wasn’t thick so the mixture might be enough for four slices if you’re not using thick slices of bread.
I used days old sliced brioche french bread; added a dash of orange extract along with vanilla. PERFECTO !!
I made some tweaks but overall excellent base recipe. I added strawberries and almonds. Delicious 😋.
This was absolutely perfect!!!
Had to try it without vanilla but my boyfriend said they were amazing🎉(cooking isn’t my easiest task)
Tried the French toast recipe this morning with buttermilk. OH, MY, DELICIOUS!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Debra. Thank you.