How to Make French Toast (Without Cinnamon)

French toast is an excellent alternative for a delicious brunch or breakfast. Soaking bread in an egg and sugar mixture and then frying it is a simple method to make a tasty breakfast.

Cinnamon is used in many French toast recipes. Many people associate cinnamon with the typical taste characteristic of this family favorite.

However, it is not always feasible to use cinnamon in your French toast. Perhaps you ran out of the spice, or perhaps someone in your household is allergic to it.

You can make great French toast without using cinnamon. Here are a few ideas for developing nuanced taste profiles without using cinnamon.

Why Do People Put Cinnamon in French Toast?

You must first grasp the purpose of cinnamon in the recipe before you can comprehend how to create French toast without cinnamon.

Traditional French toast is produced by combining eggs, milk, sugar, and spices to make a custard. Then, somewhat stale bread pieces are dipped in the eggy mixture and cooked.

Chefs add cinnamon to the egg custard concoction into which the bread is dipped. Others put cinnamon on top of their French toast for decoration and taste.

The good news is that cinnamon isn’t as important to the construction of French toast as eggs or bread are, so you can simply leave it out. It does, however, lend a refined twist to a meal that would otherwise taste like bread and honey.

Alternative Spices

While you may just leave out the cinnamon in your French toast, this may result in a dull meal. Replace the cinnamon with another spice to add variety to your French toast.

Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds sweetness and a rich vanilla scent to French toast. Because vanilla extract is such a versatile flavoring agent, you don’t want to buy the cheapest bottle you can find.

Here’s a list of the top vanilla extract companies for making your French toast taste like delicious vanilla beans rather than artificial flavorings.

Nutmeg: Although cinnamon and nutmeg are both powdered spices with comparable taste qualities, nutmeg is significantly less pungent. As a result, several dietitians prescribe it to persons who are sensitive to cinnamon.

You may also use mace, which is derived from the nutmeg plant.

Cloves and ginger: A spice combination of cloves and ginger is an excellent method to simulate the taste of cinnamon without actually using the spice. Cloves lend an earthy depth to your meal, while ginger’s acidity lightens it.

Spice blends: Do you want to add cinnamon but don’t have any in your pantry? Check your spice cabinet for sweet spice combinations like pumpkin pie spice. Most of them also include cinnamon and may give a fun, seasonal twist to your French toast.

Cardamom: Cardamom is a strange cinnamon alternative, but it works. It is used in Arme Riddere, the Norwegian form of French toast.

Okay, so wine isn’t a spice. However, for an adult, alcoholic variation on the classic morning meal, soak your French toast in wine before dipping it in custard. This variant is seen in several southern European nations, including Spain.

Alternative Toppings

When cooking French toast, some individuals choose to use cinnamon as a topping rather than incorporating it to the egg custard mixture. If you don’t have cinnamon on hand, a nice, ornamental topping will suffice.

Powdered Sugar: In terms of texture, powdered sugar is the most similar to cinnamon. For an additional sweet kick, sprinkle some on top of your French toast.

Whipped cream: Once you add a cloud of whipped cream on the top of your French toast, you’ll forget about the cinnamon. You can buy it in a can or make it yourself using heavy cream, sugar, and a lot of elbow work.

Another classic topping for French toast is a sprinkle of maple syrup. You don’t have it? Instead, use honey.

Fruit: To add a nutritious touch to your French toast, cut up some fruit and place it on top. Strawberries, blueberries, melon, or whatever is in season are all good options.

Stuffed French Toast Variations

Stuffing French toast is a good technique to add flavor if you don’t have any spices on hand. This results in a French toast sandwich with two layers of eggy bread held together with your choice of filling.

When it comes to making filled French toast, your only true limitation is your imagination. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Hong Kong French toast: In the Hong Kong version of French toast, the bread is stuffed before it is fried. Combine two pieces of bread with a peanut butter, jam, or other spread of your choosing, then dip it in an egg mixture and fry it.

Cream cheese lends a flavorful acidity to French toast that would otherwise be cloyingly sweet.

Spread melted cream cheese with powdered sugar and a dash of vanilla flavor over cooked French toast. You may also include some fresh fruit.

Fruit may be combined with another filling, such as cream cheese or peanut butter, or it can stand alone. Add some seasonal berries, apples or bananas, or even raisins soaked in rum for a boozy kick.

Nuts: Nuts are an excellent way to add texture (as well as nutritious protein) to your French toast. Add chopped pecans, walnuts, or other preferred nuts to your cream cheese spread or stuffing of choice.

Savory French Toasts

If you can’t or don’t want to use cinnamon in your French toast, try a savory version that doesn’t need the spice at all.

Savory French toast, often known as eggy bread, is simply bread dipped in an egg custard without the addition of sugar or sweet spices. Serve it with other savory breakfast mainstays like bacon and eggs, or on its alone.

While brioche or Texas toast is the ideal bread for conventional French toast, several loaves may be used for savory French toast. Thinner slices lend themselves well to savory mixtures, and you may even pair it with crusty whole-wheat bread.

Here are some ideas for savory French toast servings.

Add Parmesan: Parmesan is not just a delicious addition to pasta and risotto dishes. For a salty, pungent explosion of flavor, add some grated parmesan to your savory French toast egg mixture.

Herbs: Add herbs to the egg mixture for savory French toast, or cut them up and sprinkle them on top. You may experiment with dried mustard, garlic, thyme, oregano, or any other herb of your preference.

Add Global Spice: If you don’t want to use cinnamon, you may add any spice from anywhere in the globe. Add an Indian twist to your breakfast with some garam masala, or chop up some jalapenos for a fiery Mexican toast.

Savory French toast or eggy bread is the ideal vehicle for any additional delicacies you choose to add to your morning. For a twist on the English breakfast, fry an egg, mash an avocado, or sauté tomatoes and mushrooms.

Who Needs Cinnamon?

While cinnamon is a tasty ingredient to many French toast recipes, you can have a fantastic breakfast, lunch, or even supper (hey, we don’t judge) without it. After all, cinnamon is just used in French toast recipes to provide taste and is not required for the dish’s structure or heating.

If you dont have any cinnamon on hand, you can still add flavor to your French toast with another spice, vanilla extract, or even wine. Some spices, such as nutmeg and cloves, have a similar taste to cinnamon but are less irritating to persons with allergies or sensitivities.

You can also add flavor by changing up the way that you serve your French toast. Powdered sugar, whipped cream, or fresh fruit may be sprinkled over top. You may also load the French toast with cream cheese and fruit, or go international with Hong Kong French toast.

You may also add flavor by varying how you serve your French toast. Powdered sugar, whipped cream, or fresh fruit may be sprinkled over top. You may also load the French toast with cream cheese and fruit, or go international with Hong Kong French toast.

French toast is a flexible recipe that welcomes experimentation and innovation. In your kitchen, experiment with various spices and tastes until you discover a flavor combination that fits you.

To vary the texture, use unusual ingredients such as fruits and nuts. Finally, you may not even know the cinnamon is absent!