In this post: Milk & Honey French Toast Bake with Ginger

This Milk & Honey French Toast Bake with Ginger is subtly sweet and has that elusive, “Hmmm what is it that I taste that is SO delicious?! Wait, is that ginger?! Yes! That’s ginger! Can I have this recipe?” factor.

That’s a thing. Because it happened when I served it to a crowd last weekend. Also, it has a sexy little ring to it too … Milk & Honey French Toast Bake … I’m a sucker for marketing, and the sound of this recipe alone is enough to hook and reel me right in.

That all said, there is more to this Baked French Toast than its name – or that fetching coating of sugar snow resting atop its peaks. Let me break this baby down for you right quick:

The toast gets its mellow, subtly sweet flavor from a combination of sweetened condensed milk and coconut milk which, when whipped up with eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon, make for a perfect leisurely soak for some challah bread. I add some grated fresh ginger to the mix, and the hint of aromatic flavor that it adds is really lovely.

One good rule of thumb to follow when you make Baked French Toast (or stovetop French toast, for that matter) is to really let your bread sit in that sweet custard for a good long while. You want it to soak up all of that liquid, leaving as little behind in the pan as possible before popping it into the oven. This eggy custard will almost change the structure of the bread as it bakes, transforming it into much more of a pudding-cake situation than a bread one. There is literally no difference between this French Toast Bake and a bread pudding, in fact. It’s all in the packaging – it’s all in when you serve it and what you want to call it, you know? Okay, my articulation is tanking here …

So, in sum: plan to let your soaking bread rest for a few hours before baking, as this will ensure your final results are the best they can be. Once the toast has cooled for a while, go ahead and shower it with a snowstorm of powdered sugar and a drizzle of honeyed maple syrup (literally a combo of honey and maple syrup – 1 to 1 ratio).

Enjoy this one! And happy weekend to you all.

Milk & Honey French Toast Bake with Ginger

An elegant yet casual and cozy French Toast Bake, studded with sweetly warm flavors. I like to combine honey and maple syrup in a small bowl to drizzle over the toast as I serve it. If you can’t find challah, try it with brioche or even slices of your favorite loaf bread.

Course Breakfast

Servings 6

Ingredients

1 loaf of slightly stale challah cut into ¼-inch thick slices (give or take)
6 eggs
½ cup sweetened condensed milk
14.5- ounce can coconut milk
¼ cup honey plus extra for serving
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1.5- inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and grated
Confectioner’s sugar for dusting
Maple syrup for serving

Instructions

Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with a natural non-stick spray. Arrange the bread slices in the pan, sort of shingling and layering them a bit over one another, until you’ve covered the pan’s surface.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and add the condensed milk, coconut milk, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and ginger. Stir to mix well and then pour it all over the bread in the pan, making sure to cover each piece. Press down a little on the slices, to help them soak up that custard.
Place the pan in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or overnight (this is ideal), to allow the custard to be fully soaked up.
When you’re ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the French Toast for 35 to 45 minutes (just keep an eye on it) or until golden brown and slightly puffed on top. Cool for a while before showering it with confectioner’s sugar and drizzling with maple-honey syrup.