Thick and hearty whole grain French toast infused with warm gingerbread flavors and molasses, topped with vanilla maple mascarpone cream and toasty pecans. Wholesome and satisfying holiday breakfast for one on the stovetop or baked for a crowd.
It is January 2nd. My Christmas tree is still up, nightly Christmas tunes still playing, and I will be eating gingerbread flavored French toast and pancakes and muffins and Christmas cookies for the duration of the month. New Years resolution done.
Luckily it’s very easy to gingerbreadify all the breakfast staples–pancakes, waffles, French toast, oatmeal, muffins, granola–with some ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, molasses, and mapley toppings.
I love this recipe because it’s a perfect filling breakfast for one with bread you have on-hand. But, it can also make a decadent family feast for Christmas morning, baked up casserole-style using cubed hearty bagels, brioche, or challah. Either way, cover it in rich maple vanilla mascarpone cream for a next-level gingerbread experience.
Gingerbread French Toast
Notes
To adapt the recipe for 4 servings Baked Overnight Gingerbread French Toast:
Replace the sliced bread with ~4 whole grain bagels OR ~13 oz challah/brioche/French bread, chopped into large cubes. Grease a medium to large baking pan with butter and distribute the bread evenly in the pan.
In a bowl, mix 4 whole eggs + 4 egg whites, 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp half & half, 6 packets sweetener (or 3-4 Tbsp sugar), 1 Tbsp molasses, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg, 1/2 tsp ground cloves. Pour the egg mixture over the cubed bread. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Bring the dish to room temperature. Bake about 30 minutes, or until crisp on top.
Whisk 4 Tbsp mascarpone, 1.5 Tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and a pinch ground cinnamon. Pour over French toast when done. Toast and chop a few handfuls pecan halves and sprinkle over top.
Ingredients
For the French toast:
- 2 slices thick cut brioche or whole grain bread (about 90g total)
- 1 whole egg + 1 egg white
- 1 Tbsp half & half
- 1.5 packets sweetener
- 1/2 tsp molasses
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
For the toppings:
- 1 Tbsp mascarpone
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
- Dash ground cinnamon
- 3-5 pecan halves, roasted and chopped
Instructions
- Add egg through cloves to a shallow container (just wide enough to fit the bread). Gently beat with a fork until evenly incorporated. Coat both sides of both slices of bread in the egg wash, then leave in the mixture to soak, turning/flipping every couple minutes to evenly coat both slices, until nearly all the mixture is absorbed.
- Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick pan over low heat. Transfer soaked bread to the hot pan. Cook, undisturbed, about 5 minutes per side, or until golden and toasty. Transfer to a paper towel 1-2 minutes, then slice and plate.
- To make the maple mascarpone, simply combine mascarpone, maple, vanilla, and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Drizzle over French toast. Finish with toasted chopped pecans.
