IHOP French Toast Recipe (Copycat)

Prepare for this classic IHOP French Toast copycat recipe to soon become a breakfast staple in your home. This soft, fluffy French toast dish is light and sweet and a great way to begin your day.

IHOP – International House of Pancakes – is a US restaurant chain founded in 1958, which now has over 1,000 outlets. Customers love its breakfast recipes such as waffles, pancakes, omelets, and of course, their French toast.

IHOP also offers yummy lunch and dinner meals. But their French toast meals are very popular as they offer different varieties, including stuffed French toast, as well as fruit versions such as strawberry banana and blueberry toast combos.

You’ll soon discover that this is the best French toast you can make in your own kitchen. For anyone with a sweet tooth, it’ll really get your taste buds going in the morning.

So follow our quick and easy recipe and learn how to make this special tasty breakfast dish for your family.

Tips and Tricks For Making The Best IHOP French Toast

• Allow your fresh bread to dry out overnight on a rack – especially if you’ve chosen a white bread. When the French bread is slightly dry, it’ll absorb the egg mixture more easily.


• Look carefully at the milk to egg ratio in this recipe and stick to it for the best results. So if you’re cooking double or triple the amount of French toast, keep with this ratio.

  If there’s too much egg, the bread will struggle to absorb the batter properly. And if you have too much milk, your bread will go soggy!



• Experiment with different toppings other than vanilla and powdered sugar. You could try spicing up your IHOP French toast with a little cinnamon or nutmeg, or add some brown sugar if you have some in your store cupboard.


• Remember not to over-soak your French bread! Around 90 seconds on each side should be enough time to stop the bread from going soggy, and you can then transfer your bread slices to a plate until you’re ready to fry them.

Picking The Best IHOP French Toast Ingredients

Bread

French toast is normally made from brioche bread, baguette (French bread), or challah bread. These bread types are not as soft as standard loaves and so are perfect for soaking up the egg mixture.

They’re also denser than other varieties and so are ideal for cooking or frying with, as they’ll keep their shape in the skillet.

Try to pick thick bread that’s unsliced and then you can cut it up according to your personal preference. But keep the slices at least 1 inch thick, otherwise, anything thinner might go soggy or break up in the pan.

Milk

Milk provides the liquid element to the batter. It offers more flavor than if you just used plain water, and also contains protein, fat, and sugar.

The nutrients found in milk allow the bread to toast well and help to give it that lovely golden brown color. The fat gives the mixture a creamier consistency which makes sure that the liquid attaches to the bread well – so whole/high-fat milk is best.

Eggs

Eggs help to bind all of the ingredients together. They also contain ‘good’ fats which are good for you and make the flavor of your dish richer.

The egg whites contain protein so we’d recommend using the whole egg and not just the egg yolks. When the egg mixture is heated, this protein solidifies and helps the liquid to firm and crisp on the bread’s surface.

Sugar

You can use any type of sugar in your dish. But for this IHOP French toast copycat recipe, we’d suggest that you use powdered sugar.

This kind of sugar dissolves very quickly. Whereas granulated sugar needs more whisking time and can sink to the bottom of your mixture, not giving you an even texture.

All-purpose Flour

The flour will turn your mixture into a proper batter. This lets you dip the bread more easily and makes your French toast nice and fluffy.

Butter

Use butter rather than cooking oil in your frying pan. This gives your dish a richer taste so you’ll enjoy it all the more!

Vanilla

Vanilla is a classic ingredient in French toast recipes. It smells amazing while you’re cooking and provides more sweetness, giving you an intense sugar rush after eating!

But if you like, you can also add different flavors such as cinnamon powder. This would give a little warmth and earthiness to your breakfast.

Method

1. Mix the Ingredients
   

   Take your mixing bowl and add the whole milk, eggs, flour, and vanilla extract. Use a whisk or an electric mixer if you have one.

   Whisk or beat until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
   

2. Cook the Bread
   

   Put your skillet or frying pan on a medium heat on your stove. When it’s hot, add the butter.

   Dip bread one slice at a time into your batter. Make sure that each side is well-coated.

   Place the French or brioche bread slices into the melted butter. Cook on each side for 2 to 3 minutes until the bread has turned golden brown.

   Repeat this process with the remaining slices of bread. If you have a large skillet, you’ll be able to cook more at once but might need a bit more butter.
   

3. Serve
   

   Cut the bread slices into half along the diagonal. You can do this while the bread is still in the pan (be careful not to mark the bottom of your skillet) if you want to brown the edges too.

   Neatly arrange your buttery IHOP French toast on a plate. A good presentation is to slightly overlap the slices before you add your toppings.

   Sprinkle the powdered sugar over your French toast. Serve immediately with some fruit, maple syrup, or honey, and enjoy!
   

IHOP French Toast Toppings

• Fresh Fruit is the perfect accompaniment to your French toast meal. You can choose whatever is in season or your personal favorites, such as sliced strawberries, mangoes, apples, bananas, or other berries.

  The fruit adds extra sweetness but also a touch of tartness to go with your soft, fluffy bread dish.



• Maple syrup served over French toast is a delicious, classic dish and is really for you if you have a sweet tooth. Try to get a thicker, high-quality syrup that will not get your French toast too soggy.


• For some indulgent breakfast cuisine, try adding some whipped cream. It’s soft and fluffy and will add some depth to the thicker texture of your IHOP French toast.


• And as it’s so light, you get some extra flavor without filling up too quickly. A great combo is the whipped cream with some fresh fruit.


• A sprinkling of white, powdered sugar over the golden brown French bread looks aesthetically pleasing for your Insta pics. It also tastes great due to being incredibly light and sweet.

  For a yummy, sugary glaze, mix the sugar with a little milk or creamer, and then drizzle it over your IHOP French toast.

Storage Instructions

You should put any leftovers from your French toast copycat recipe into the refrigerator within 2 hours of you cooking it. Store it in an airtight container and it’ll last for up to about 3 days.

Freezing your French toast is also an option. Allow it to cool fully on a wire rack.

Single pieces of your buttery IHOP French toast can be reheated in your toaster. If you want to heat several at a time, it’s best to put them on a baking sheet in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes at 375oF.