Tsoureki French toast, Greek Easter bread French toast

Delicious French toast made with tsoureki, the sweet, Greek Easter bread that is flavoured with masticha and mahlepi. The bread elevates an already delicious French Toast to another level. Top with fresh fruit and real maple syrup for a truly special breakfast.

Can you ever have too much of a good thing?  I don’t think so.  Tsoureki is one of those very good things, and like me, you may find yourself having an abundance of it around Greek Easter.  This time of year I spend several hours baking loads of loaves (or tsoureki buns!) which I then offer to family and friends, many of these family and friends end up presenting me with their tsourekia.  We all break even!  How wonderful!

There are so many ways to enjoy tsoureki, and I have put together a great collection of recipes using leftover tsoureki, Greek Easter bread.  I love to have a plain slice of tsoureki in the morning along with my Greek coffee.  When I make Tsoureki rolls or muffins, I like to enjoy them with some jam and cheese. Often on the weekends, which easily lend themselves to decadent breakfasts, I like to start the day with tsoureki French toast. I either make this basic French toast, or if I am feeling particularly fancy I make Tsoureki French toast sandwich with cream cheese and jam or Banana and chocolate tsoureki french toast.

Why this recipe is great

This recipe takes an already great breakfast idea and elevates it by using the sweet, flavourful tsoureki Greek Easter bread.

The texture of tsoureki is perfect for soaking up the milk and egg mixture.

Key ingredients

Tsoureki I love to find creative ways to use the delicious Greek Easter bread called tsoureki. I always use my fail-proof tsoureki recipe for the fluffiest and most flavourful bread.

Cinnamon I like to make cinnamon sugar using ground cinnamon that I combine with the sugar.

Sugar Plain granulated sugar is used to make cinnamon sugar, for a touch of sweetness. The sugar also caramelizes when the toast is fried in the butter

Milk I usually use any milk that I have on hand for my tsoureki French toast. The richer the milk (think, full fat milk) the richer your French toast will be.

Eggs I use large eggs that i whisk really well to fully break up the yolk and egg white.

Vanilla A touch of pure maple syrup goes so well in this French toast

Butter Of course I fry my French toast in butter! The flavour is amazing!

How to make it

Step 1
Make some cinnamon sugar by combining the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and mixing it together.

Step 2
In a shallow bowl whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla.  Add the cinnamon / sugar mixture and whisk again.

Step 3
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in skillet set over medium – high heat.  Be careful not to have the heat on too high as the butter will burn.

Step 4
Figure out how many tsoureki slices you can fit into your pan at one time.  Then, take those slices and dunk them into the egg mixture.

Step 5
Place the egg-coated tsoureki into the frying pan and cook for a few minutes on each side, until they are golden brown on both sides.  Repeat with any remaining tsoureki slices.

Step 6
Top with real maple syrup, and some fresh fruit.

Helpful hints

Keep your tsoureki fresh

If you want to be sure that your tsoureki doesn’t spoil, despite how quickly you are committed to eating it all up, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, insert it into a plastic freezer bag, and freeze it.  Alternatively, you can keep you tsoureki in the fridge for easier eating. When making tsoureki French toast it is always best to start off with room temperature bread; it seems to soak up the egg mixture easier this way.

Real Quebec maple syrup is the way to go!

This French toast is made all the more delicious by topping it with real maple syrup. Canada produces 71% of the world’s pure maple syrup (no coincidence that our flag is graced with a maple leaf) and 91% of that originates from within Quebec; la Belle Province that I call home.  I know that I am very lucky to live where the sap flows so bountifully.  There is no denying that pure maple syrup is more expensive than table syrup, but with good reason.  It is absolutely, naturally, delicious.  Splurge if you can and keep in mind that a little goes a long way.

Recipe substitutions

If you don’t have tsoureki available you can make this French toast with another bread. Challah, which is similar in texture and its slight sweetness, would be a lovely alternative.

Instead of frying your French toast in butter you can use a bit of oil, cooking spray or even margarine. In my opinion, butter is best though!

Recipe variations

You can get really creative with tsoureki French toast. Beyond this relatively basic version, you can give this Banana and chocolate tsoureki french toast a try – it is phenomenal!

How to serve

I love to serve tsoureki French toast topped with fresh fruit, especially berries. Next I pour on some delicious pure maple syrup

If you don’t have access to real maple syrup, or if you just don’t like it (I won’t hold that against you…but I am concerned), you can also top your tsoureki French toast with a light dusting of confectioners sugar, honey or whipped cream!  Add some fresh fruit and you are good to go!

Related recipes

Looking for some more tsoureki inspired recipes? Check these out!

Tsoureki and feta grilled cheese

Tsoureki Paximadia

Tsoureki bread pudding

Tsoureki French toast sandwich with cream cheese and jam

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