Making French toast with whole wheat bread is incredibly easy to make and requires only a few basic kitchen staples. Whole Wheat French Toast is a perfect healthy breakfast because of its high fiber and protein content, so it’ll keep you satisfied all morning long! 

french toast with whole wheat bread topped with syrup, blueberries, and raspberries

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Why We Love This Recipe For Whole Wheat French Toast

My household loves French toast so deeply that we’ve created many iterations of it. I even made a Healthy French Toast Casserole to spice things up! This whole wheat french toast is full of fiber and protein to nourish your body but it’s still chock full of the rich French toast flavor and custardy texture we all know and love. 

One of the greatest things about french toast, though, is that it’s decadent but accessible, so serve this for a holiday breakfast, a family brunch, or on a random school day morning (if you’re not too tired). This whole wheat french toast is easy enough for anyone, anytime!

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Key Ingredients for this Recipe

ingredients to make whole wheat french toast on a table
  • Whole Wheat Bread – I recommend Arnold Oat Nut Bread for folks who like softer French bread or Great Harvest Bread 9 Grain for a more dense texture. You can also make your own whole wheat bread or soft honey wheat sandwich bread from scratch. Using one or two-day-old bread works best because it absorbs more batter.
  • Cinnamon and Vanilla Extract – for flavor
  • Kitchen Staples – eggs, milk, and cooking spray or a neutral oil like canola oil.
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Step By Step Instructions To Make This Recipe

whisk batter and prep skillet

Step 1: Whisk Ingredients

In 8-inch square baking dish, whisk the eggs, milk, cinnamon, and vanilla together until combined.

Step 2: Prep Your Skillet

Coat your non-stick skillet (or griddle) with cooking spray, or brush it with a teaspoon of neutral oil. Heat the pan over medium-high heat. 

Step 3: Soak Bread

Dip a slice of bread into the egg mixture and then flip it over to soak in the batter. Gently lift the bread out of the batter and allow the excess egg to drip off before transferring it to the skillet or griddle.

Repeat with the remaining slices of bread until the skillet or griddle is full. 

The Key To The BEST French Toast

Soak the bread for the perfect amount of time! Leave the bread in the batter long enough that it absorbs as much batter as possible but doesn’t start to fall apart when you try lifting it out of the batter.

For softer bread – 15 seconds is about the max amount of time to let it soak in.

A more dense bread (like the Great Harvest Bread) – soak for 45 seconds or longer!

Step 4: Cook and serve

Allow the French toast to cook on the first until the bottom is browned, which should take about 2 minutes. Flip the toast and let it cook on the second side until it’s browned and the batter is cooked along the edges. This second side should take 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked french toast to a sheet pan or plate and keep it warm.

Wipe your cooking surface if necessary and then recoat with your cooking spray or oil. Dip the remaining bread in the remaining batter and repeat cooking, adjust the heat down to medium-low if the skillet starts to smoke. Serve with your choice of toppings and enjoy!

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wheat bread french toast cut into triangles on a plate served with fruit, maple syrup, and pats of butter.

FAQs and Expert Tips

Can whole wheat french toast be frozen?

You can freeze your french toast on a baking sheet and then once it’s solid, transfer the pieces to a resealable plastic bag. Freeze them for up to 1 month. To rewarm, microwave 2 slices, side-by-side on a microwave-safe plate for 2 minutes. 

How can I prep my wheat bread french toast ahead of time?

You can prepare it ahead of time if you mix the batter and keep it covered and refrigerated for up to three days ahead of cooking it.

Serving Suggestions For French Toast

You can serve your whole-wheat french toast with a variety of toppings and sides.

  • Go the classic route and serve it with maple syrup or powdered sugar.
  • Pile on your choice of fresh fruit, such as berries, sliced bananas or whatever is in season.
  • When in season (or if you canned it in the spring) Rhubarb Compote is wonderful with French toast.
  • Drizzle on Simple Strawberry Coulis and add a dollop of whipped cream for a decadent topping.
  • I also like to add chopped toasted nuts for a contrasting crunch. (Try sliced bananas, honey and walnuts!)
  • Peanut butter is amazing with French toast! It also helps really keep me full all morning long. To add sweetness, add a dollop of homemade Peach Jam for a deconstructed PB and J of sorts!
  • On the side, I love a little salty breakfast meat such as bacon, sausage or ham. For a lighter option, try turkey bacon or chicken apple sausage.

Substitutions and Variations

  • Use non-dairy milk to make this dairy free.
  • Sub eggnog for the milk and use Creme Sherry instead of vanilla for a holiday treat.
  • Substitute in Grand Marnier or another flavored liquor (like Frangelico or Amaretto) for the vanilla.
  • Use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon for more spice!
  • Use 1 1/2 cup egg beaters or liquid egg whites instead of whole eggs.

Additional Whole-Wheat Breakfast Recipes

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Healthy Whole-Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Whole Wheat Crepes
whole wheat blueberry pancakes with maple syrup poured overtop

Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Pancakes
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Whole-Wheat Morning Glory Muffins
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Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes
healthy banana bread

Healthy Banana Bread with Dates and Walnuts
More Breakfast and Brunch Recipes
french toast with whole wheat bread topped with butter and drizzled with maple syrup

At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie

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two slies of french toast on a white plate with berries, butter and syrup

Whole Wheat French Toast

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5 from 6 reviews

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Description

Making French toast with whole wheat bread is incredibly easy to make and requires only a few basic kitchen staples. Whole Wheat French Toast is a perfect healthy breakfast because of its high fiber and protein content, so it’ll keep you satisfied all morning long! 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 6 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 8 slices whole wheat bread, preferably 1 to 2 days old
  • Cooking spray or neutral cooking oil

Instructions

  1. Whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon and vanilla in a 8-inch square baking dish.
  2. Coat non-stick skillet or griddle with cooking spray or brush with 1 teaspoon oil and heat over medium-high heat. 
  3. Dip bread into the egg, and flip over in the batter. Let soak for about 15 seconds for soft bread and 45 seconds for more dense bread. Gently lift the bread out of the batter and allow excess egg to drip off. Transfer to the skillet or griddle. Repeat with remaining slices of bread until the skillet or griddle is full.
  4. Let the French toast cook on the first side until the bottom is browned, about 2 minutes. Flip over and let cook until the second side is browned and the batter is cooked along the edges of the French toast, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a sheet pan or plate and keep warm. Wipe the skillet or griddle if necessary and recoat with cooking spray or brush with more oil. Dip the remaining bread in the remaining batter and repeat cooking, adjusting the heat down to medium-low if the skillet starts to smoke.

Notes

Make Ahead:

Freeze on a baking sheet and then once solid transfer to a resealable plastic bag. Freeze up to 1 month. Microwave 2 slices, side-by-side on a microwave-safe plate for 2 minutes.

Or, you can prepare it ahead of time if you mix the batter and keep it covered and refrigerated for up to three days ahead of cooking. 

  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Active Time: 15 mins
  • Cook Time: 10 mins
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Method: Stove Top
  • Cuisine: American

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 2 pieces
  • Calories: 277
  • Sugar: 6 g
  • Fat: 10.3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 25 g
  • Fiber: 4 g
  • Protein: 18.2 g

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