When it comes to breakfast (or dessert), sometimes you want something that feels extra special. That’s where this recipe for Crème Brulee French Toast with Salted Caramel comes in. This sweet combination has a silky, vanilla custard paired with buttery, caramel-infused pastry that is topped with a drizzle of rich, salted caramel. It’s indulgent, elegant, and just the kind of dish that will make your brunch table feel like a celebration.
Made with Butter Braid® Caramel Pastry Rolls, this recipe takes the work out of creating the perfect base for French toast while still delivering that homemade, bakery-worthy flavor. Whether you’re planning a holiday spread, hosting a family brunch, or simply treating yourself to something decadent, this dish is guaranteed to impress.
Materials Needed
- Medium-sized saucepan
- Mixing bowls, multiple sizes
- Whisk
- Strainer
- Small-sized saucepan
- Baking sheet
- Round ovenproof pan
How to Store Crème Brulee French Toast
For any leftover Crème Brulee French Toast, place the slices in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can re-heat the French toast in either the oven or an air fryer. For the oven, bake your French toast slices in a single layer in an oven pre-heated to 350°F for 15-20 minutes. If you’d rather use an air fryer, pre-heat to 350°F and bake for roughly 5 minutes.
Crème Brulee French Toast with Salted Caramel
Course: BreakfastCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Moderate6
servings510
kcal9
Ingredients
- Custard:
8 egg yolks
1/3 c. sugar
1 vanilla pod (or 1 1/2 tsp. quality vanilla extract)
2 c. whole milk
2 c. heavy cream
4 tbsp. cornstarch
- Caramelized Toast:
1 pkg. Butter Braid® Caramel Pastry Rolls with caramel glaze packet
1 tsp. flaky sea salt
Optional: Powdered sugar
Directions
- Prepare the Custard
- Split the vanilla pod and scrape out the seeds.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm the milk, cream, vanilla seeds, and pod. As soon as it reached a simmer, remove from heat. Let steep for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks. Add sugar-cornstarch mixture and whisk until smooth and pale. If you’re using vanilla extract instead of the pod, add it now.
- Slowly temper the eggs. While whisking, gradually stream in the hot milk-cream mixture, 1 cup at a time, until fully combined.
- Strain the mixture back into the saucepan, discarding the pod.
- Cook over medium-low heat, whisking until thickened to a pudding-like consistency, about 5-6 minutes.
- Remove from heat. Cover with cling film, pressing it directly onto the surface to prevent a skin. Chill in the refrigerator.
- Prepare the Caramelized Bread
- Set your Butter Braid® Caramel Pastry Rolls out on a baking sheet to thaw for 1 hour.
- Roll out the pastry onto the pan until the dough is flat.
- Let the dough rise for 5 hours then bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Cut the pastry into 2-inch cubes.
- Make the Salted Caramel
- In a small saucepan, heat the caramel glaze that was included with your pastry rolls until smooth.
- Stir in flaky sea salt.
- Keep warm while you make your Crème Brulee French Toast
- Assemble the French Toast
- Remove the custard from the refrigerator and whisk until smooth.
- Spread the custard in an even layer in a round, ovenproof pan.
- Arrange the caramelized pastry cubes on top, pressing gently into the custard. Place any extra pastry cubes on top.
- Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until heated through.
- Drizzle with warm salted caramel and dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Recipe Video
Tips for Making Crème Brulee French Toast
- Make sure to cut your pastry roll cubes to the recommended size. Using thinner cubes may result in your pastry not soaking up enough of the custard mixture or falling apart when cooking.
- When making your salted caramel, we recommend using a light-colored saucepan as it will allow you to easily keep an eye on the color of your caramel.
