Pantry Plan Share a recipe Sign in Menu

French Toast · Sheet Pan

Sheet Pan French Toast for a Crowd

Twelve slices of French toast at once with no standing at the stove. The bread soaks right on the pan and bakes until puffed and golden, so everyone eats together.

New, no ratings yet0 reviewsby Simmerbee Kitchen

Prep
15 min
Cook
22 min
Total
47 min
Serves
12 slices
Level
Easy
Start cook modeAdd to planSave
Print
Full pageOne page, ingredients and steps4×6 cardIngredients on the front, steps on the back3×5 cardIngredients on the front, steps on the back
Jump to recipe

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
    Swaps for unsalted butter

    Instead of butter

    • Salted butter: The same amount, with about ¼ tsp less salt per stick (½ cup) elsewhere in the recipe. Nothing noticeable once you cut the salt.
    • Plant-based butter sticks: The same amount. The closest swap.
    • Refined coconut oil: The same amount: solid when the butter is soft or cold, melted when it is melted. It is all fat, so bakes are a bit more tender and rich, with no butter flavor.

    All 4 swaps for butter

    Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups whole milk
    Swaps for whole milk

    Instead of milk

    • Unsweetened soy milk: The same amount. The closest plant milk for baking: its protein helps things brown and set.
    • Unsweetened oat milk: The same amount. Creamy and mild with a hint of sweetness.
    • Unsweetened almond milk: The same amount. Thinner and less rich, so cakes are a little paler and drier.

    All 5 swaps for milk

    Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
    Swaps for brown sugar

    Instead of brown sugar

    • White sugar + molasses: 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp molasses (light) or 2 tbsp (dark). The same as store-bought.
    • White sugar: The same amount. Crisper, paler cookies with less caramel flavor.
    • Light and dark brown sugar: The same amount, either way. Dark brown sugar tastes stronger and makes bakes a bit darker and moister.

    All 4 swaps for brown sugar

  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
    Swaps for vanilla extract

    Instead of vanilla extract

    • Vanilla bean paste: The same amount. Stronger, with visible vanilla seeds.
    • Vanilla bean: The seeds of 1 bean for each 1 tbsp extract. A deeper, floral flavor and visible seeds.
    • Alcohol-free vanilla: The same amount. Made with glycerin; a slightly milder taste.

    All 5 swaps for vanilla extract

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    Swaps for ground cinnamon

    Instead of cinnamon

    • Pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice: The same amount. Mostly cinnamon, with ginger, nutmeg and allspice or cloves: a little spicier.
    • Ground allspice or nutmeg: About ¼ the amount. Much stronger and different, but warm in the same way.

    More for cinnamon

  • ¼ tsp kosher salt
    Swaps for kosher salt

    Instead of salt

    • Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
    • Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.

    More for salt

  • 12 slices bread, day-old sandwich or brioche slices
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
    Swaps for powdered sugar

    Instead of powdered sugar

    • Homemade powdered sugar: 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp cornstarch, blended. Slightly grainier in uncooked frosting; fine in glazes and for dusting.

    More for powdered sugar

  • maple syrup, to serve
    Swaps for maple syrup

    Instead of maple syrup

    • Honey: The same amount. Thicker and sweeter, browns faster, and it isn't vegan.
    • Agave syrup: The same amount. Sweeter, with no maple taste.
    • Pancake syrup: The same amount. Sweeter and flatter in flavor (it is mostly corn syrup); fine on pancakes, not great in baking or glazes.

    More for maple syrup

Cooking for a crowd? Pans, timing and salt for 12 to 50.

Missing something? Tap Swaps next to an ingredient, or see all substitutions.

Cook to 160°F inside (check with a thermometer).

Steps

Kid helper. A child can do steps 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8: no knife, no heat. Steps marked “Grown-up” use heat. Cooking with kids

  1. Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the middle.
    425°FGrown-up: heat
  2. Line (how to line a pan) Line a pan Cover the bottom (and sometimes sides) of a pan with parchment or foil so food doesn't stick and lifts out easily. 1. For a sheet pan, tear parchment the size of the pan and lay it flat.2. For a round cake pan, trace the bottom on parchment, cut the circle out and press it in.3. For brownies and bars, leave two long sides hanging over to make handles (a "sling").4. A little grease under the paper holds it in place. Done when: The paper lies flat with no folds where the batter could run under it. How to line a baking pan with parchment: mistakes to avoid
    a sheet pan with parchment and brush the melted butter all over the parchment.
    Kid step
  3. Whisk (how to whisk) Whisk Beat ingredients with a whisk to mix them smoothly or to add air. 1. Use a bowl big enough to whisk without splashing; set it on a damp towel to stop it spinning.2. Hold the whisk loosely and move it in quick circles or side to side, touching the bottom.3. For lumpy mixtures, add liquid a little at a time and whisk after each.4. For sauces on the stove, keep the whisk moving across the whole bottom of the pan. Done when: The mixture is even with no lumps or streaks of egg. How to whisk: mistakes to avoid
    the eggs in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in the milk, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt.
    Kid step
  4. Pour the custard onto the buttered sheet pan and tilt it so the custard covers the whole bottom.
    Kid step
  5. Lay the bread slices on the pan in 3 rows of 4, pressing them into the custard.
    Kid step
  6. Let the bread soak.
    ⏱ Soak side 1: 5 minKid step
  7. Flip every slice with tongs or a spatula so the dry tops can soak up the rest of the custard.
    Kid step
  8. Let the second side soak until almost all the custard is absorbed.
    ⏱ Soak side 2: 5 minKid step
  9. Bake until the bottoms are golden brown.
    425°F⏱ Bake side 1: 12 minGrown-up: heat
  10. Flip the slices and bake until the second side is golden, the slices are puffed and no wet custard shows when you press the center (160°F inside).
    425°F⏱ Bake side 2: 8 minGrown-up: heat
  11. Dust with powdered sugar, if using, and serve hot with maple syrup.
    Grown-up: heat

Tap an underlined word for how to do it, or see all techniques.

Tips

  • Rimmed pans only. The custard will run off a flat cookie sheet.
  • Swap half the milk for half-and-half for a richer, more custardy middle.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F oven or toaster until hot all the way through.

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage.

Quick answers

What can I swap?
  • Instead of butter: Salted butter.
  • Instead of milk: Unsweetened soy milk, the same amount.

Swap half the milk for half-and-half for a richer, more custardy middle.

Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

Answered from this recipe's own storage, make-ahead and swap notes.

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories
340
Protein
13 g
Carbohydrates
37 g
Fiber
2 g
Sugars
11 g
Fat
14 g
Saturated fat
7 g
Sodium
460 mg

Whole recipe, 6 servings: about 2,010 calories.

Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 8 of 8 ingredients.

How we estimate

We add up USDA FoodData Central values for each measured ingredient as written and divide by the recipe's 6 servings, so changing the servings or units here doesn't change a serving. Brands, swaps, trimming and cooking all change the real numbers.

Not counted: powdered sugar (optional); maple syrup (to taste or as needed).

Estimated cost

About $0.55 a serving

About $3.40 for the recipe as written (6 servings).

Estimate; prices vary by store and region. U.S. average prices for September 2026 from BLS Average Price Data and USDA ERS Purchase to Plate prices updated with the BLS Consumer Price Index. Priced: 5 of 8 ingredients, 99% by weight.

How we estimate

Each measured ingredient is weighed as in the nutrition estimate and priced at the U.S. average: BLS's average price where BLS publishes one, else USDA ERS's Purchase to Plate price for 2017-18 raised to September 2026 with the CPI for that food group. Whole packages, store brands, sales and regions all change the real cost: treat it as a ballpark.

  • bread $1.40 BLS
  • eggs $1.15 BLS
  • whole milk $0.40 BLS
  • unsalted butter $0.35 BLS
  • brown sugar $0.10 ERS

Not priced (no official average price we can match, so not in the total): vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, kosher salt.

Not counted: powdered sugar, maple syrup (optional, or to taste).

More dishes for less: cheap eats.

Keep this one

Sign in to save recipes into your own collections, log the days you cook them and keep private notes, like "use less sugar next time". Only you see them.

Sign in to saveNo password: we email you a code.

Gear for this recipe

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Brands are suggestions; any similar item works.

Cleanup score 4/5 (easy cleanup): 2 things to wash, sheet pan, mixing bowl. More sheet-pan recipes.

More kitchen gear and our gear guides

Reviews (0)

No reviews yet. Made it? Tell us how it went.

simmerbee.com/r/french-toast-sheet-panSimmerbee