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A fancy French toast recipe for those special occasions or lazy Sundays. This easy French toast features thick, fluffy, cinnamon bread paired with Earl Grey whipped cream and an easy blueberry compote. If you’re looking for a fancy French toast recipe, look no further!
It’s Mother’s Day this weekend! When you guys think of a breakfast recipe for Mother’s Day, what comes to mind? Other than seeing Mom in bed with her feet up, wearing a puffy housecoat and covered in warm blankets, being waited on hand and foot….wait, is that just me?
I feel like breakfast has to be something special, like a pile of pancakes with fresh fruit, a gourmet egg dish or…..a fancy French toast!
French toast is one of those brunch recipes that I seem to gravitate towards when I see it on a restaurant menu. When Etienne and I went to Australia a few years ago, one of our first breakfasts was a stuffed French toast with caramelized bananas. It was SO good. We still talk about it!
I make French toast quite often, since it’s quick and easy and the kids love it. I thought it was time I tried a fancy French toast recipe!
I guess the “fancy” in this recipe mostly comes from the Earl Grey whipping cream, since thinking about it just automatically makes me want to eat this French toast with my pinky finger out.
The method for the flavored whipping cream is exactly the same as the one I use in my vanilla-bean rooibos bread. Which actually makes me think, vanilla-bean rooibos whipped cream would be SO good on this French toast too!
How do you make Earl Grey whipping cream?
Making Earl Grey whipping cream is beyond easy. You will want to prepare it a few hours before you start the French toast, or I suppose, overnight if you’re planning breakfast for the next day! Heat up plain whipping cream in a small pot on a stove, over medium-heat until it starts to bubble. Remove it from the heat, add the tea bags, place the lid on and let it steep for 30 minutes. When it’s done steeping, squeeze the bags gently to release more of the flavor, then discard. Refrigerate the cream until completely cool, and you’re ready to whip it up!
The rest of the fancy comes from the blueberry compote.
Have you ever tried your hand at blueberry compote? It may be a tricky thing to say…is it compOAT or compot-AY…? But it IS a simple thing to make, and adds so much flavour to pancakes, waffles or even ice cream. I’ve been known to mix it into my oatmeal too 😉
This is a great article on the difference between compote, jam and conserve.
How do you make blueberry compote?
Simple! You make blueberry compote by heating up blueberries on the stove to release their juices, and add in a bit of honey, water, and lemon juice for flavor until it starts simmering. Mash the blueberries a bit, and add a cornstarch slurry (optional) to thicken it up a bit.
Can you use make blueberry compote with frozen blueberries?
You can absolutely use frozen blueberries – in fact – I find them much juicier, so it’s my favorite way to make blueberry compote! You can make the blueberry compote ahead of time, but I like to make it at the same time as I’m doing the French toast.
The French toast itself is super quick and easy. If I can find brioche or challah I love using it for French toast, but any thick-cut bread would work too. Look for an artisanal loaf at the bakery or grocery store!
My recipe makes about 12 pieces of toast, and the compote and whipped cream is proportional to that amount. If you’d like to half the recipe, you can either make the full amount of the whipped cream and compote and keep the extra, or half those amounts too!
I hope you give this recipe a try the next time you’re looking to make something a little special. A special time would be this Sunday. Mother’s Day. Your Mom. She likes to be spoiled. Don’t forget the mimosas. 😉
Need another fancy French toast recipe in your life?
Try my Nutella-pear baked French toast
Spoil Mom on the big day with some of these other recipes from the blog:
Chocolate and Raspberry Mousse
More Rise & Shine Breakfast Ideas
Finish off your Mother’s Day with this beautiful cake from my friend Kirsten at This Celebrated Life.
Honey Cake with Peach Mascarpone
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Earl Grey French Toast with Blueberry Compote
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
Description
A fancy French toast recipe for those special occasions or lazy Sundays. This easy French toast recipe features thick, fluffy, cinnamon bread paired with Earl Grey whipped cream and an easy blueberry compote. If you’re looking for a fancy French toast recipe, look no further!
Ingredients
Earl Grey Whipped Cream
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (33-36%)
- 3 bags of Earl Grey tea
- 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
Blueberry Compote
- 2 cups blueberries*
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp water
French Toast
- 8 eggs
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 12 – 1” slices thick artisanal bread*
Instructions
- Prepare the whipped cream. Beginning at least a couple of hours before you want to make the French toast, or the night before, pour the heavy cream into a medium saucepan on the stove and heat over medium-high heat unti just before boiling. Add the tea bags, place the lid on the pan and remove the pan from heat. Allow the tea to steep for about 30 minutes. When discarding the tea bags, gently squeeze them to release the flavoring into the cream first. Place the infused cream in the fridge, in an airtight container, until completely cooled*, about 2 hours. I often place the bowl and whisk attachment for the whipped cream in the fridge too, for that extra chill factor.
- Make the whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a handheld mixer, whip the cream on high until it begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar and continue to whip on high until stiff peaks begin to form. Set aside.
- Make the blueberry compote. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat on the stove, add the blueberries along with the water (see notes). Once simmering, add the honey and lemon juice, and cook for about 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water to form a slurry and then add it to the mixture. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until thickened.
- Make the French toast. In a wide, flat dish, whisk together the eggs, milk and cinnamon until combined. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat on the stove. Add 1 tbsp of butter, and stir it around once it melts to coat the pan. While the butter is melting, dip a slice of bread into the egg mixture, turning it to coat both sides. Place the slice of bread in the pan. You can add as many pieces side by side as you can fit. Cook the bread on one side for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Flip and cook the other side for an additional 3-4 minutes. Remove the bread and keep warm in the oven, preheated to 250 F, or serve immediately. Repeat with the remaining butter and slices of French toast. Serve by plating the French toast, followed by the whipped cream on top and then the compote. Enjoy!
Extra whipped cream and compote can be kept in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 2-3 days. Extra French toast can either be frozen or kept in the fridge in an airtight container.
Notes
- If using fresh blueberries, add 1/4 cup water to the pan. If using frozen, use 3 tbsp
- This recipe would work for about 1 loaf of challah or brioche, cut into 1″ slices
- Be sure not to try whipping the cream until it is COMPLETELY cooled, or it may not whip up!Â
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
This makes the yogurt I’m having for breakfast look kind of pitiful :). I’m definitely going to ask Cookie to make it for me for Mother’s Day! Which means I’ll probably have to make it myself if I really want it. . .but oh well. You’ve outdone yourself! Happy early Mother’s Day, Katherine!
Haha I hope that Cookie has been practising, Kelsie!! 😉 Although I have to say, I actually really love yogurt for breakfast!! I hope you had a great weekend! XO
What a beautiful meal, perfect for Mother’s Day! Love that you infused the whipping cream too! I wouldn’t want anything besides this for brunch…well, this and lots o coffee! Have a wonderful Mother’s Day 🙂 P.S. Never forget the mimosas 😉 XO
Thanks Dawn!! The whipping cream is by far the best part. So good! And ya – can’t forget the coffee. Haha!!
Katherine that Earl Grey whipped cream is awesome! So special! Such a lovely breakfast. Have a Happy Mother’s Day!
Thanks Kelly!! It definitely makes for a special breakfast 🙂 I had a wonderful Mother’s Day!!
I am not the biggest tea drinker in the world, but Early Grey has a special place in my heart, just love its deep flavors. So very intrigued by the idea of infusing cream with it and making whipped cream, Katherine! Love it and will be requesting it this weekend on top of my French toast, lol. Pinned!
I adore Earl Grey too! There’s something so comforting about it 🙂 Thanks Milena!! I bet you’ll love it. If you give it a try, please let me know what you think of it!!
I LOVE Earl Grey tea Katherine! And this is the breakfast I want for Mother’s Day. Loving that blueberry compote too. Happy Mother’s Day Katherine!
Yay! I think you’d love it, Mary Ann. I hope you had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend!! XO
I’ve made Earl Grey truffles, but not French toast!! Sounds AMAZING, Katherine! Beautiful and perfect for Mother’s Day!! And Happy, Happy Mother’s Day to you, my sweet friend!
Earl Grey truffles sound amazing!!! I will have to go check out that recipe! Thanks Marissa. I had a wonderful Mother’s Day weekend!
Can you just save that entire bowl of Earl Grey whipped cream for me, please? 😉 Oh my goodness – what a PERFECT Mother’s Day recipe! I absolutely love all of the components! I sure hope your kiddos make this for you! You deserve a treat <3
Haha too late, Haylie. We ate it all!! And very quickly!! Haha but you definitely need to make yourself a batch. Thanks my friend, I had a lovely Mother’s Day!
French toast is our fav breakfast!! This looks like an excellent recipe.
I love it too!! It’s so easy and SO delicious. Thanks Sheenam!!
This is definitely a special occasion brunch dish! I’m a huge fan of french toast, but I haven’t made it in ages. I may have to make a batch this weekend! That blueberry compote is just calling my name! Have a great Mother’s Day weekend Katherine!
We make French toast quite often, since the kids love it and it’s pretty easy to throw together! The blueberry compote is so good!! I finished it off with a spoon after brunch 😉 Thanks Leanne!
Love this. I love all of the components! No I just need to find someone to make this for me…
Aww I wish I could make it for ya! It’s so good. You deserve it 😉