This recipe is everything you love about French toast, but with a little south-of-the-border flair in just 30 minutes! Start your Cinco de Mayo off right with a hearty Mexican French toast breakfast before margaritas and sunshine. Try this recipe with almond milk as a healthier alternative to whole milk. Enjoy this recipe any time of the year because it is sure to make it to the top of your most loved brunch recipes!
Why I LOVE This Recipe
Love crispy grilled toast? Up the crunch with a coating of crushed tortilla chips.Want a smooth, sweet topping? Coconut and key lime yogurt from Noosa mixed with fresh avocado and lime juice is to die for. A fan of fresh fruit? Make it tropical with mangoes, blueberries, and blackberries.
Recipe for Success
Typically when I make almond milk French toast I go for a slightly stale bread with a sturdy structure. Something that will absorb a lot of the egg/milk mixture without crumbling in the pan. This was especially important for this recipe so the bread would also support the weight of tortilla chip coating.
This dish is so customizable to your tastes. We used fruit that we could find fresh and in season: blackberries, mangoes, and blueberries, but you could go many different directions!
Putting it all Together
Get a feel for the recipe with this quick video! Check out that avocado technique! Cubing it in the skin is working smarter not harder!
Making the Toast
- Create a “sop” by whisking the eggs and almond milk (or your milk of choice) together in a dish about the same width as your bread. Add a squeeze of lime to the mixture for a little extra kick!
- Crush the tortilla chips in a bag with a rolling pin (little helpers are great at this job) and empty onto a plate.
- Allow your bread to thoroughly soak up the almond milk French toast sop and coat completely in the tortilla chips.
- Layer the bread in the dish as above to help achieve a crispy bottom!
Making the Topping
While the toast is baking we can mix up the topping. The sweet and slightly acidic flavors of yogurt pair surprisingly well with buttery avocado and sharp lime. As a bonus, this mixture is a comparatively healthy addition to a traditionally carb-heavy dish.
As a side note, this recipe isn't sponsored by Noosa. I just really think their yogurt is exceptional. I like to use it whenever I can in my recipes. Plus, when I eat it as a snack, it feels like dessert instead of a healthy choice!
- Halve the avocado, slice while still in the skin, and scoop out the avocado flesh with a spoon (I love this instructional video from Sweet Peas and Saffron)
- Mix the avocado, yogurt, and lime juice in a small bowl until smooth.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and spoon the toppinng over the toast. Sprinkle with fresh fruit.
- As a finishing touch, top the dish with a little maple syrup (it is French toast after all) and some chopped mint to taste.
Expert Tips
- Bread: If you’re short on old bread, you can let your bread sit out over night, or warm it in a low oven for 10 minutes or so before you begin.
- Sop: While all you really need for traditional French toast is eggs and milk, adding additional flavors can help ensure a memorable morning meal. A squeeze of lime juice in the sop rounds out the saltiness of the chips.
- Baking: Prop each slice of bread up on the previous slice in the dish to prevent a soggy bottom!
- Extra Spice: If you like things spicy, dice a small jalapeno with the seeds removed and add to the topping. You could also substitute a jalapeno-flavored tortilla chip for the coating.
Celebrate the Season
In America, Cinco de Mayo is a wonderful celebration of Mexican-American culture. Take the opportunity this May to learn more about Mexican cooking and the wide influence the food has had on tastes here in America.
You can start your day off right with a Mexican-inspired breakfast, and if you’re looking to continue celebrating, try our Pork and Pumpkin Mole Chili from January 2015 or the Blueberry Sweet Corn Salsa from September of 2015!
If you love this recipe, give it a star rating below! And make sure to tag me on Instagram @littlerustedladle with your Mexican French creations!
Don’t wait for a special occasion, create one!
Jena
In collaboration with food stylist Jim Rude of Rude on Food.
Mexican French Toast Bake
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread cut into 1" slices
- 3 Eggs beaten
- 1 cup Almond milk
- 2 cups Tortilla chips crushed
- 1 Avocado diced
- 1/2 cup Key lime yogurt My favorite is Noosa!
- 1/2 cup Coconut yogurt My favorite is Noosa!
- 1/2 Lime (juice)
- 1 Jalapeno minced (optional)
- Fresh blackberries, mango, and blueberries
- Maple syrup
- Mint chopped, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Whisk eggs and almond milk together in a bowl. Add a squeeze of lime juice if desired.
- Crush tortilla chips and place in a shallow dish.
- Soak bread slices in egg mixture until saturated. Then dip both sides in the crushed tortilla chips before laying in a baking dish.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until your desired level of firmness.
- Meanwhile, cut the avocado around the seed and dice in the skin. Use a spoon to scoop the diced avocado into a small bowl.
- Mix diced avocado, yogurt, juice from half a lime, and minced jalapeno if desired until smooth.
- Remove the French toast from the oven. Spoon the avocado mixture over the baked toast, sprinkle with fresh fruit, and drizzle with maple syrup. If desired, top with freshly chopped mint.
Notes
- Bread: Use a bread with a sturdy structure that is a little stale. If you’re short on stale bread, you can let your bread sit out over night, or warm it in a low oven for 10 minutes or so before you begin.
- Sop: While all you really need for traditional French toast is eggs and milk, adding additional flavors can help ensure a memorable morning meal. A squeeze of lime juice in the sop rounds out the saltiness of the chips. Make almond milk French toast for a healthier alternative.Â
- Baking: Prop each slice of bread up on the previous slice in the dish to prevent a soggy bottom!
- Extra Spice: If you like things spicy, dice a small jalapeno with the seeds removed and add to the topping. You could also substitute a jalapeno-flavored tortilla chip for the coating.
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