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This Irish soda bread French toast is toasted until browned and topped with powdered sugar and fresh berries. The perfect St. Patrick’s Day breakfast!
French toast was my mom’s go-to “breakfast for dinner” option. I think French toast is top-tier, especially over pancakes. I mean, pancakes are fine, but French toast is where it’s at.
That’s why I knew when I had leftover Irish soda bread that I should turn it into the perfect St. Patrick’s Day breakfast! And you don’t need to get fancy with this. You can use homemade or store-bought bread. Whatever you want.
For this recipe, I’m using a soda bread that contains raisins, and I think it works great for French toast. However, I would avoid loaves that use caraway seeds since the flavors may not pair well with the sweetness of the custard and the maple syrup.
I kept it simple for the custard by combining half and half, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, vanilla bean paste, kosher salt, and just a touch of Irish whiskey. The whiskey is optional but a fun twist if you’re feeling adventurous.
Ingredients needed
- Irish soda bread
- Eggs
- Half and half
- Brown sugar
- Irish whiskey, optional
- Vanilla bean paste
- Kosher salt
- Cinnamon
My Pro Tips
Irish Soda Bread French Toast Recipe Tips
Cut your slices at least 1 inch thick to ensure they will hold up to being dipped in the custard and pan-fried without falling apart.
Use vanilla extract or a cut and scraped vanilla bean instead of vanilla bean paste.
Leave out the Irish whiskey, as it’s optional. However, other fun options are Fireball, honey whiskey, or bourbon.
Soda bread with raisins works well here because they add to the bread’s slight sweetness. Please avoid soda bread that contains caraway seeds, as it won’t pair well with the French toast flavors.
Use store-bought or homemade Irish soda bread. Both are great options.
Storage and leftovers
Leftover French toast can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. I like popping it in the toaster oven to crisp it and warm it throughout before re-serving.
You can freeze cooked French toast for up to 3 months.
More French toast recipes
Irish Soda Bread French Toast
Ingredients
- 1 loaf raisin Irish soda bread, store-bought or homemade
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons Irish whiskey, optional
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For topping:
- Unsalted butter
- Maple syrup, for topping
- Powdered sugar, for topping
- Fresh berries, for topping
Instructions
- Sliced Irish soda bread into 1 inch thick slices and set aside.
- In a shallow dish whisk together eggs, half and half, sugar, Ir
- Melt two tablespoon butter in a 12-inch pan over medium heat.
- Dip the sliced Irish soda bread into the cream mixture and add to the hot pan with melted butter. Cook until both sides are golden brown.
- Continue cooking (adding more unsalted butter to the pan if needed) until all the French toast has been cooked.
- Top with maple syrup, powdered sugar and berries if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love that you turned irish soda bread into french toast! Brilliant! Oh, and I”ll share all those Girl Scout Cookies with you π
Very clever repurposing of Irish Soda Bread. Well done!
I love this version of Irish soda bread! Beautiful matte photos too π
I so wish I had this over salad today!! And no shame with the Girl Guide cookies… I am totally going to do the same!
Definitely the perfect use for soda bread! This sounds so wonderful!
Super smart idea if you’ve got left over Irish soda bread after St.Patty’s! Heck even if I don’t have left over and just buy it to make this recipe, my kids would love it!
This is such a good idea! Who could resist this french toast??
You are an absolute GENIUS! This is such a great idea. And I love girl scout cookies too π
There is always soda bread around here the month of March. I just baked two loaves this weekend and ended up giving most of it away. I should have saved some to make this lovely French toast!!
I wish it was breakfast all over again.