Pecan French Toast Recipe

5 from 1 vote

This pecan French toast recipe features sweet egg-soaked slices of French baguette coated in chopped pecans with a hint of cinnamon.

Prep Time20

Cook Time8

Total Time28

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: (makes 10-12 slices))

Calories: 507kcal

Slice the baguette into even slices that are a little thicker than 1/2 inch.
Whisk eggs, heavy whipping cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon together in a wide bowl until well combined.
Mix chopped pecans and 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon, until evenly incorporated, in another shallow bowl

Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, letting it soak up the egg on both sides.
PRO TIP: Make sure to give it 15-20 seconds on each side because baguette is a little more dense than Brioche, so it will soak up egg mixture a little slower.
Dip the egg-soaked bread slices into the bowl with prepared chopped pecans. Press each wet slice of bread into the pecans, on both sides. Give it a pat on each side to make sure it’s crusted well. Coat all the slices before starting to cook.
PRO TIP: Preheat the pan but don’t make it too hot! Use a setting between medium and medium-low. If you make it too hot, the nuts will burn.
Add some oil to the pre-heated pan and place the coated French toast slices into it. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook a few minutes (2-3 minutes), until the bottom side is golden. Flip and cover again, let is cook for few more minutes (2-3 more minutes).
Serve with maple syrup or whipped cream as you wish!

Other Bread Opti0ons: While baguette is the best option to use for this pecan French toast recipes and others that are stuffed and/or encrusted with something, you can also use challah or Italian loaf. (Brioche is the best bread for classic French toast but it’s quite delicate and may not stand up well to encrusting and stuffing.)
Gluten Free Option: You can also use gluten free bread instead! There are brands that make gluten free baguettes, like Schar.
Other Nuts Options: if you would rather not use pecans (since they can be quite pricey), you can use chopped walnuts or almonds instead. (Note, use chopped whole almonds, not sliced.)
Substituting Heavy Whipping Cream: The reason I like to use heavy whipping cream is because of the rich and creamy consistency that it brings to the custard. You can use half and half or whole milk if absolutely needed but not with less fat.
If you need to keep it dairy free, I recommend using oat milk or plant based heavy whipping cream