Sheet Pan French Toast with maple syrup and fresh strawberries.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My effortless Sheet Pan French Toast is the perfect way to feed a holiday or weekend brunch group! Thick slices of buttery brioche soak up vanilla-cinnamon custard and broil until golden and crisp on the outside and creamy in the middle.

Hands-off: Make six slices of French toast all at once instead of standing over a skillet and cooking them one by one.
Irresistible vanilla-cinnamon flavor: Every bite is buttery, sweet, and comforting.
Beautifully crisp outside, custardy interior: Broiling the toast caramelizes the outside, while the thick brioche stays plush inside.
Easy to prepare ahead: Soak the bread a few hours before or even overnight. Just cover and refrigerate until ready to broil.
Easy to double! For an extra-large crowd, make a couple of pans and broil them one by one.

As a professional chef, one of the biggest lessons I learned while running my breakfast catering company was that whenever you’re feeding a crowd, it’s all about working smarter. And with my Sheet Pan French Toast, you make a whole pan at once, so you can spend more time with your guests and less time being a short-order cook.

My most important tip for this recipe is to watch the French toast carefully when it’s under the broiler. It only takes a few minutes for it to get evenly cooked and wonderfully golden, but it can go from golden to burnt very quickly. Stay by the oven and keep a sharp eye on the toast, especially during the final minute. I have a French Toast recipe for every occasion! You’ll also love Banana Bread French Toast, French Toast Croissant Casserole, Gemma’s Best French Toast, French Toast Sticks, and Overnight French Toast Casserole.

What is Sheet Pan French Toast?
Tools You Need
Key Ingredients and Substitutes
How to Make Sheet French Toast
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
FAQs
More Sheet Pan Recipes

What is Sheet Pan French Toast?

Sheet Pan French Toast is an easy way to make classic French toast for a crowd. Brioche slices are soaked in a flavored egg and cream mixture, placed on a baking sheet, and broiled all at once instead of being fried one or two at a time in a skillet. The French toast in oven cooks up golden and crisp on the outside and custardy inside. The practice of soaking day-old bread in egg and milk goes back to Roman times, and Sheet Pan French Toast is a newer twist on an ancient recipe.

Tools You Need

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

Eggs

Eggs provide structure and bind the custard mixture.
Additionally, eggs also help create the creamy custard center of the French toast in the oven, add rich flavor, and add a golden color.
Use room temperature eggs here so they mix up smoothly.
Here are my easy tips on How to Get Room Temperature Eggs.

Whole milk

Whole milk gives the custard a creamy texture without making it overly heavy.
Substitutes: Use an equal amount of half-and-half for a richer, more custardy French toast in oven recipe.
- For a dairy-free option, use the same amount of unsweetened oat milk. Note that the French toast will be lighter and not as rich.

Vanilla extract

Vanilla extract enhances the custard, adding warm sweetness and a floral note.
Substitute: Use the same amount of Vanilla Bean Paste if you prefer.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon adds a warm spice flavor that complements the buttery brioche and vanilla custard.
Substitute: You can replace the cinnamon with an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice.

Salt

Salt brings out all of the flavors in this Broiled French Toast recipe and keeps it from tasting flat.

Brioche

Brioche, an enriched bread made with butter and eggs, has a rich, tender crumb that soaks up custard perfectly.
It’s important to use thick-cut brioche slices for this recipe, because they absorb the custard while staying sturdy enough to hold their shape under the broiler.
I don’t suggest using softer sandwich bread in this recipe, because it can easily become overly saturated.
For the best texture, use bread that’s a day old or slightly dried out.
Substitute: You can also use thick-cut challah, or sourdough instead.

Butter

Butter spread on the bread adds richness and buttery flavor and helps the bread get a beautifully browned, crisp exterior.
Additionally, the butter helps the sugar caramelize.
Substitute: You can use a firm-style plant-based butter.

Granulated sugar

Sugar sweetens the French Toast.
Importantly, the sugar helps caramelize the outsides of the toast, making it deeply flavorful and crisp.
Substitute: You can use the same amount of light brown sugar or dark brown sugar.

How to Make Sheet French Toast

Make the Sheet Pan French Toast

Prepare to broil. Preheat the broiler on high. Line a baking sheet with foil and generously butter the foil.
Whisk ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and salt until smooth.
Butter bread. Spread the butter on one side of the brioche slices.

Soak bread and place on sheet. Dip each slice into the egg mixture, then arrange the slices in a single layer, buttered side up, on the prepared baking sheet.

Add sugar. Sprinkle evenly with the granulated sugar.

Bake the Sheet Pan French Toast

Broil toast. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

Serve Sheet Pan French Toast

Enjoy! Serve immediately with maple syrup and fresh berries, or bacon and sausage.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW!

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

You can double this recipe. Be sure to only cook 6 slices at a time. Overcrowding the pan will result in uneven cooking.
Watch the oven very carefully. When broiling baked French toast, it can go from toasted to burnt quickly.
Really big crowd? To serve a larger crowd, try my Overnight French Toast Casserole.
Change up the flavor. You can change the flavor of this French Toast by adding different spices in place of the cinnamon, like cardamom or nutmeg, switching the vanilla extract for a different extract or adding some orange zest.
Turn it into a dessert. Serve oven French toast with a scoop of Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and a drizzle of Salted Caramel Sauce.
Make Stuffed French Toast. Sandwich two slices of easy baked French toast with homemade Strawberry Cream Cheese and fresh sliced strawberries.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make-ahead tips

You can soak the brioche slices and arrange them on the baking sheet a few hours ahead of time, or overnight.
Cover and place in the fridge until ready to broil.

How to Store Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Reheat briefly in the microwave or in a 350°F (180°C) oven until warmed through.

FAQs

Can I make this French toast egg-free?

Because this recipe cooks so quickly under the broiler and eggs are crucial to the texture (they help create the golden, crusty exterior and creamy insides), I don’t recommend using an egg substitute here.
For an egg-free option, check out my baked Overnight French Toast, which has egg substitute options.

How do I make gluten-free Sheet Pan French Toast?

To make gluten-free Sheet Pan French Toast.
Simply substitute gluten-free brioche for the regular brioche.
You can also use thick slices of another sturdy gluten-free bread.

Can I cook this French Toast in a pan instead of broiling it?

Yes, you can cook the custard-soaked slices in a pan over medium-high heat.
Note that they won’t have the same crisp, golden exteriors that come from the fast, high-heat broiling method, which caramelizes the butter and sugar.

More Sheet Pan Recipes