Croissant French Toast is the Crispiest French Toast You’ll Ever Make

I love all kinds of French toast, from the classic version with slices soaked in custard to the fun pull-apart type. If you dip bread in custard and cook it in butter, I’ll always be first in line to load up my plate. While French toast is a great way to use up stale bread (among other smart ideas), I recently started making it with something else — and it resulted in a French toast so good my daughter asked for it three times in a week.

So what was the tasty base for this French toast that got rave reviews? Croissants! These classic French pastries, with their flaky layers, cook up into crispy French toast with buttery flavor in each bite. The process for croissant French toast is no different than with regular French toast, but the result is just a little bit more luxe and special with no extra effort. Here’s how to make the Frenchiest French toast ever.

• So crispy. As the outside of the croissants cook, it gets nice and crispy (crispier than regular French toast).
• Croissants make it special. Using croissants gives this French toast an extra-buttery flavor and makes it a touch more special without any extra work.

• Croissants: Skip the fancy, pricier bakery croissants and use grocery store croissants (especially day-old) instead. I recommend the larger croissants that are sometimes labeled jumbo.
• Dairy: Use whole milk or half-and-half for the custard and skip the cream, which is too rich when soaked into buttery croissants. You’ll also need two pats of butter for cooking the French toast.
• Eggs: I like the ratio of 1 large egg for every 1/2 cup of dairy in the custard, so you’ll need 3 of them here.
• Brown sugar: Just a tablespoon adds a little sweetness to the custard and helps with browning during cooking.

1. Make the custard. Whisk the milk or half-and-half, eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together.
2. Soak the croissants. Soak half of the split croissants in the custard just until soaked but not drenched and falling apart; this will take about 20 seconds per side.
3. Cook the French toast. Cook the soaked croissants in butter in a nonstick pan until golden-brown and crisp. While the first batch is cooking, soak the second batch. Serve dusted with powdered sugar.

• If you can only find small croissants, use 8 of them instead.
• Swap out the cinnamon for ground nutmeg or cardamom for a different flavor profile.
• I like the flavor that brown sugar brings to the custard, but granulated sugar can be used in its place. This type of sugar burns more quickly, so you may need to reduce the heat as the French toast cooks.

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a 300ºF oven until warmed through, 8 to 10 minutes.

While maple syrup is a perfect fit for topping croissant French toast, whipped cream and fresh berries also work well. You can skip the butter, as the croissants are already buttery!