Cinnamon Raisin Waffle French Toast
It’s no secret my children and I are fond of our waffle maker. We love to make waffle grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch and mini pumpkin waffles for storing in the freezer, and lately we’ve been experimenting with waffle French toast.
Just as the name suggests, we’ve been cooking ordinary French toast in the waffle maker, and the results have received big thumbs-up from everyone at the table. We love the flavour of French toast, but covet the nooks and crannies of waffles that allow us to capture all that runny maple syrup, and this cooking method combines both to deliver a breakfast worth bragging about.
You can make this just as you would regular French toast and the results will be tasty, but through trial and error I’ve come up with a few tips that help take this dish from good to great. For starters, begin with dry bread. I like to leave my slices uncovered on the counter overnight so it goes a bit stale. This will help to prevent the French toast from turning soggy. Also, thick-cut slices of bread create those deep waffled pockets we all love so much, so look for something that’s at least ½-inch thick. You can always buy a loaf of challah or French bread and cut the thick slices yourself if you have trouble finding something suitable in the store. We’re partially to cinnamon raisin bread for this breakfast, but use your family’s favourite for best results.
For an extra special treat, let any leftover waffled toast pieces cool completely, then spread one piece of bread with a thick smear of vanilla ice cream. Top with a second waffle, cut in half and wrap each ice cream sandwich in plastic wrap and tuck in the freezer for later.
Serves 4 to 6
You’ll Need
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup, plus extra for serving
- pinch of salt
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 8 slices thick-cut cinnamon raisin bread
- Optional: powdered sugar, fresh fruit
Prep and Cook
- In a shallow baking dish, whisk together eggs, milk, maple syrup, salt and cinnamon.
- Press bread slices—you may need to do this in batches—in the egg mixture, thoroughly coating each slice of bread.
- Place bread slices in pre-heated and oiled waffle iron and cook until it reaches desired doneness, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Serve warm with extra maple syrup and powdered sugar and fresh fruit, if desired.
