Coconut French Toast

With Easter and Mother’s Day right around the corner, this Coconut French Toast is great for a special occasion Breakfast or Brunch. The Coconut Milk gives off such an amazing fragrance and then the addition of toasted coconut on top enhances the mild coconut flavor. The thick Brioche bread works extremely well soaking up the egg and coconut mixture and then is cooked to golden brown perfection. It’s crispy on the outside and sort of like a smooth custard on the inside. I topped with Blackberries and Maple Syrup which was delicious and maybe just a little bit decadent. I especially like this French Toast as a make ahead option. If you have time the night before, the French Toast can be prepared, then placed in an Oven Safe Casserole Dish or Baking Sheet, stored in the refrigerator and heated up in the oven the next morning. Just follow #10 in the Options, Tips and Substitutions! section.

Options, Tips and Substitutions!

  1. Almost any bread would work for this dish, but thicker breads like the Brioche I used or a Challah Bread would yield the best results. Mainly because this type of bread is able to soak up a lot of the egg mixture and will not fall apart or become soggy.
  2. This was pretty rich using coconut milk, but you could also use coconut cream for an even more rich and creamier French Toast.
  3. I used can coconut milk, the kind where the top tends to solidify and then underneath is watery. This happens because the fat separates. It left my coconut milk chunky and not smooth. To fix this, I microwaved for a few seconds to warm up the coconut milk and then a few stirs made it nice and smooth. You could also heat it up for a little in a saucepan on the stovetop.
  4. When I dipped the Brioche bread into the egg mixture, I held it down for about 10 seconds so the bread could soak up the egg mixture and then flipped over to soak the other side. Now this could just be more of my preference because I tend not to like when the inside of French Toast is super soft. To me it can taste mushy, but again, that might just be me. If you like a big contrast of a crispy outside and super soft inside, you could always soak the bread for longer. The longer the bread soaks in the egg mixture, the more it will absorb.
  5. Because there are only 4 ingredients in the egg mixture, I recommend using pure vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla extract.
  6. I had a bit of the egg/coconut mixture leftover, so if you have a larger loaf of bread, or more slices, there should be enough for additional slices than the 12 that I made.
  7. I used unsweetened shredded coconut, but you could also use sweetened coconut. Sweetened coconut tends to toast quicker, so you might want to check on it a bit more.
  8. You could also toast the coconut on your stovetop. In a frying pan add the shredded coconut and on medium heat stir every few minutes. It takes about the same amount of time with either way, so it’s whatever your preference is.
  9. I wish I had some sliced almonds when I made this, because I think they would have made a great addition.
  10. This can be made ahead and then heated up in the oven the next morning. Prepare the French Toast following the instructions, and after it cools for a bit, put in an oven safe baking dish with a top and refrigerate. You can also make the toasted coconut ahead and the keep separate in a container or zip lock bag. The next morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake until French Toast is warm. Top with the toasted coconut and fresh berries.

I hope you enjoy!

Coconut French Toast

Thick sliced Brioche Bread is dipped in a coconut milk and egg mixture and then topped with toasted shredded coconut. Add berries and maple syrup for a special breakfast or brunch.

  • griddle or large frying pan, baking tray
  • 1 loaf thick sliced Brioche-12 slices (challah bread or similar thick breads can be substituted)
  • 4 large eggs
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 1 cup shredded coconut (I used unsweetened)
  • butter or non-stick spay
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350° for the toasted coconut.

  2. Mix eggs, coconut milk, vanilla and sugar in a shallow bowl. Whisk until all are incorporated for about a minute.

  3. If your bread is not pre-sliced, using a serrated knife, cut slices that are at least 1 inch thick.

  4. Turn griddle on to 325° or begin heating up frying pan on medium-low heat. Add a pat of butter or oil. I used just a little bit of non-stick olive oil spray.

  5. Spread out shredded coconut in a thin layer on a baking try.

  6. Dip bread in egg mixture on one side and hold it down and allow the bread to soak up mixture, then flip over to the other side and repeat the process. Lift up and hold over bowl for a few seconds to allow excess mixture to drip off before transferring to a griddle or frying pan.

  7. Repeat this process with each slice of bread. If using a frying pan, you will most likely need to cook your French toast in batches.

  8. Cook for 2-3 minutes. French toast will be ready to flip when the outside is golden and edges are crispy. Flip and then cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until other side is golden and edges are crispy.

  9. While French toast is cooking, place baking tray with shredded coconut in the oven. Bake for 2 minutes then with a spatula toss and spread coconut around so that the coconut will toast evenly. Repeat this process of baking and flipping about every 2 minutes until coconut is toasted a golden brown color. It took me about 3 times turning it over for a total of 6 minutes.

  10. Top French Toast with toasted coconut. Serve warm with maple syrup and berries.

Breakfast

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