The Sweetener Alton Brown Uses For French Toast

No matter how dreary the morning, French toast makes for a sweet start to any day. The pillowy breakfast treat speaks to the strongest of sweet tooths, letting you begin your day with what is, essentially, dessert disguised as a meal.

Those who prefer something a little different from time to time can get experimental with their French toast bread. According to the Kitchn, sandwich bread yields a less creamy — but no less flavorful — French toast, while French bread results in chewier slices.

If you're looking to keep things classic, however, opt for a loaf of challah bread or a buttery brioche. And if you truly want to embrace all things sweet, spoon a scoop of vanilla ice cream over the dish (or go even further and mix ice cream into the egg custard), skipping straight over breakfast to dessert.

But while French toast comes in a range of options — from the ultra-sugary to the savory adjacent — certain recipes are particularly worth a taste. Celebrity chef Alton Brown makes his French toast with only one kind of sweetener, and the end result is as simple as it is perfectly sweet.

Maple syrup tends to top French toast once the toast reaches the plate, but Alton Brown opts for an alternative — yet still syrupy — sweetener, best used before your toast is even, well, toast.

Per Brown's French toast tutorial on YouTube, honey is the only sweetener his recipe utilizes. He also skips the spices; while French toast variations tend to add flavor via cinnamon or nutmeg, Brown prefers to keep his recipe clean and straightforward.

According to the Food Network, which published the written version of Brown's recipe, the honey gets mixed into what Brown deems a custard: one egg, half-and-half, salt, and, yes, honey. The slices get drenched in the custard and then cooked in butter. Once golden, Brown keeps his French toast warm with yet another trick. He warms slices on a baking tray in the oven, keeping them nice and toasty — and ready to eat.