Cooking French toast in a waffle iron, instead of on the stovetop, creates a supremely crisp toast that’s studded with waffle-like wells. It’s served with an irresistible combination of butter and maple syrup, which is vigorously whisked together like a salad dressing to create a luscious, caramelly sauce perfect for filling all those nooks and crannies. To give the French toast some sturdiness, the bread is dried out overnight like you’re making a stuffing. The staleness makes the bread extra absorbent so it’s custardy, not soggy, once cooked. Any waffle iron will work. It doesn’t matter if it’s round, square, thin, or a thick Belgian-style one. The size of the waffle iron may affect how many you can cook at one time, so allow extra time for a smaller iron.
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Ingredients
4 servings
Waffles
6
¾”-thick slices Texas toast, Pullman, or other white sandwich bread
6
large eggs
½
cup heavy cream
¼
cup sugar
1
tsp. vanilla extract
½
tsp. ground cinnamon
¼
tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
½
tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt
2
Tbsp. unsalted butter
Toppings and Assembly
½
cup plus 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
¼
tsp. kosher salt
½
cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½
cup heavy cream
Chopped pecans or fresh berries (for serving; optional)