Coconut French Toast is a crispy, chewy spin on the classic French toast recipe. Also included is a recipe for a knockout coconut syrup that tastes amazing on pancakes and waffles, too. It’s loaded with coconut and is definitely a coconut recipe you’ll want to try.
Looking for more French toast recipes? You can also try this Stuffed Coconut French Toast, Mixed Berry French Toast, or my classic French Toast Bake.
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Coconut French Toast
This coconut French toast is the perfect breakfast recipe for just about any occasion. Each slice of bread is dipped in a brown sugar and coconut custard, then baked until crisp and golden brown.
It's great for those busy mornings when you need to hurry to get the kids off to school. But, it's also special enough for Easter Brunch or Christmas morning.
We've also included our recipe for homemade coconut syrup, made with buttermilk, sugar, butter, and coconut. It's delicious on ice cream, waffles, pancakes, and especially on this golden Coconut French Toast.
Topping Ideas
- Berries- Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries
- Powdered Sugar
- Toasted Coconut Flakes
- Whipped Cream
- Whipped Honey Butter
- Buttermilk Syrup
- Berry Syrup
- Lemon Syrup
- Applesauce
- Candied Nuts
Key Ingredients
- Eggs- every French toast custard needs eggs. They help hold the custard together as it bakes.
- Milk- I like to use whole milk for this recipe but you could substitute coconut milk.
- Spices - cinnamon and nutmeg compliment the brown sugar and coconut flavors perfectly.
- Shredded Coconut - sweetened coconut is a little chewier than unsweetened, and obviously sweeter. This is what I like to use, but you could use unsweetened if you want to cut back on the sugar a little.
- Coconut Extract- This secret ingredient really gives this breakfast recipe a ton of sweet coconut flavor.
- Bread - for French toast, you need a bread that is sturdy enough to be soaked and still hold itself together. I like to use brioche, challah, or French bread.
- Buttermilk- trust me, this makes the syrup amazing!
How to Make Coconut French Toast
- Whisk together the egg mixture. In a wide medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Add the shredded coconut and mix again.
- Cook the French toast. Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt the butter. Dip a slice of bread in the egg mixture on both sides and place onto the hot skillet. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook until the other side is golden. Repeat with all of the slices of bread.
- Make the coconut syrup. In a large pot, add the sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, baking soda, and coconut extract. Bring to a boil, then continue to boil for about 7 minutes while stirring constantly. When the syrup starts to turn from a whitish color to a golden color, it's done!
- Cool and serve. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Pour the coconut syrup over the Coconut French Toast. Any leftover syrup can be kept in a glass jar in the fridge and warmed up again easily in a pot on the stove. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
The best bread for French toast is one that is sturdy enough to hold up to being soaked lightly. I love to use brioche, Texas toast, French bread, or challah.
My personal favorite is brioche. It's buttery, dense, and is the perfect bread to soak up all that amazing egg custard and coconut flavors. It makes a light and fluffy french toast. This is used in classic french toast recipes and also what you will get if you order bread at a restaurant. It's so good in this amazing French Toast Casserole.
French toast definitely tastes best soon after it is cooked so I wouldn't plan on making and cooking it ahead of time. You could, however, mix together the egg mixture and store it in the fridge overnight.
Coconut French Toast Recipe
Ingredients
Coconut French Toast
- 6 slices Bread brioche, French bread, or challah
- 3 large Eggs
- ⅔ cup Milk
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- ½ tsp Cinnamon
- 1 pinch Nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon Coconut Extract
- ⅓ cup Coconut sweetened and shredded
Coconut Syrup Recipe
- 1½ cups Sugar
- ¾ cup Buttermilk
- ½ cup Butter
- ¼ cup Corn Syrup
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 teaspoons Coconut Extract
Instructions
- In a wide medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. Add the shredded coconut and mix again.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt the butter.
- Dip a slice of bread in the egg mixture on both sides and place onto the hot skillet. Cook for about 1-2 minutes until golden brown, then flip and cook until the other side is golden. Repeat with all of the slices of bread.
How to Make Coconut Syrup
- In a large pot, add the sugar, buttermilk, butter, corn syrup, baking soda, and coconut extract. Bring to a boil, then continue to boil for about 7 minutes while stirring constantly.
- When the syrup starts to turn from a whitish color to a golden color, it's done! Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- Pour the coconut syrup over the Coconut French Toast. Any leftover syrup can be kept in a glass jar in the fridge and warmed up again easily in a pot on the stove. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Best Breakfast Recipes
- Sausage, Egg and Biscuit Casserole
- Pumpkin French Toast Recipe
- Classic French Toast
- Mini Cheese Quiche
- Coconut French Toast Bake
- German Pancakes
- Egg and Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole
- Triple Berry Sweet Rolls
- More Breakfast Recipes
- More French Toast Recipes
This coconut french toast recipe with the best coconut syrup is what dreams are made of. It's a 5-star breakfast that all your guest will love.
Tara
Can the coconut syrup be frozen? Was thinking of using it in an ice cream cake.
Jill Baird
You'd be better off making caramel sauce but instead of adding the vanilla extract, add about 1/2 teaspoon of coconut extract. https://thecarefreekitchen.com/homemade-caramel-sauce/. I'm afraid the coconut syrup is a little too runny for an ice cream cake.
Luisa
This dish speaks to my soul!!!
Julenejo
WOW! That looks amazing!
The Carefree Kitchen
Thank you!