I Tried This Waffle French Toast Recipe and It’s the Best of Both Worlds

When I go out for breakfast, there is one dilemma that I always have: deciding between waffles or French toast. I just can’t decide (and I have a feeling I’m not alone in this). Of course, the restaurant may be known more for one over the other — which makes my decision easier — but man, if only I could eat both without my stomach actually exploding.

Well, sometimes a boy’s wishes do come true because Claire Lower over at Life Hacker recently clued everyone in to her recipe for waffle French toast, and it’s seriously one for the books. Not only does her recipe give you the best of both worlds, but it is also quite literally a time-saver.

Get the recipe: Waffle French Toast

The best part of this recipe (besides the obvious two-for-one deal you’re getting) is you’re looking at a total cook time of about five to 10 minutes. It’s very basic, which makes it easy to double (or triple!) your measurements depending on how many people you are cooking for.

Start by beating egg, half-and-half, vanilla extract, sugar, and salt together in a mixing bowl. Whisk until well-combined, then heat up your waffle iron to medium heat. Next, dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture, covering both sides, and lay them on a wire rack to allow excess to drip off. You can use white bread or sourdough, although Clair suggests a thick-cut white bread.

Once the waffle iron is ready, place a slice of your egg- and dairy-soaked bread in the center and cook for two to four minutes, or until the toast is browned and crispy on the outside. Remove and add some butter and your favorite maple syrup and enjoy! 

To be brutally honest, I was very skeptical when I first looked into this recipe. Having friends that are self-proclaimed French toast snobs, I was kind of unfairly judging this recipe before I even tried it. My skepticism didn’t last long, though, because I love a good kitchen hack that helps me save precious time in the kitchen and still results in a flavorful meal.

Claire boasts how waffling French toast is an extremely efficient move, and I couldn’t agree more. Instead of having to flip your toast halfway through, the waffle iron cooks both sides at the same time. I don’t know about you, but streamlining a process that, in turn, gets food into my mouth faster, sounds like an excellent idea to me.

I’ll be adding this one to my regular breakfast rotation, and you better believe I’m going to be looking for new things to waffle from here on out.  

1. Dry out your bread. Your bread can absorb more liquids if you dry it in the oven first. This is especially helpful if you are using a fresh loaf of bread. Ideally, your leftover bread that is already stale would work best.  
2. Give it a little extra time on the press. This recipe calls for leaving your waffle in the iron for two to four minutes before removing. I gave it an extra 30 seconds to a minute to get a nicer crisp to my waffle. This is totally your call and a preference you can figure out over time.  
3. Spice it up. While the recipe does not call for cinnamon, I opted to use a healthy amount because, why not? What I like about recipes like this is that it leaves room for creativity and the ability to tweak things to your taste without too much risk of messing it up. So, experiment and create the perfect French toast waffle!  
4. Thick slices save lives. The thicker the slice, the fluffier it will be after waffle-ing your French toast. Any thick-cut sliced bread will do the job, but I recommend taking an extra minute at the market to compare loaves. That way, you’ll be able to make sure you’re getting the thickest slices possible. Not only will it keep your waffles from being flat, but they’ll also be able to hold more liquid.