Who doesn’t love French toast? It’s easy to make at home for weekend brunches, whether it’s for yourself or a big group.
You can make it with just about any type of bread, and the topping options are endless.
Whether you want to go classic with just butter and syrup or have an extra decadent meal with fresh fruit, crème fraîche, stuffed toast, or whipped cream, French toast is always delicious.
I love French toast so much that I usually end up making way too many pieces and have a ton of leftovers.
So I decided to look into the best ways to store and reheat French toast.
There’s a variety of methods to choose from, based on how much time you have or how you want to eat your French toast breakfast.
Keep reading to find your preferred method!
How to Freeze French Toast
If you’re going to eat already prepared French toast in the next couple of days, you can just store it in a sealed container in the fridge. I usually go with a glass Pyrex with a tight lid.
However, if you have a ton of leftovers, or have purposefully made extra to freeze for later mornings, there are two freezing methods.
- Cook your French toast as usual and allow it to cool. Put a sheet of wax paper in between each slice so they don’t stick together, and then wrap the stack tightly in foil. You can also place the stack into a heavy-duty freezer bag instead of the foil. Or both! Eat this French toast within one or two months to get the best possible quality.
- The second option is to just soak the bread in the batter and then freeze. There’s no cooking until you’re ready to eat it. Simply place the soaked slices on a greased baking sheet and flash freeze in your freezer for about 45 minutes. Then transfer to your freezer-safe container. Flash freezing makes it easy to get one slice at a time, so you only have to cook what you will eat.
Most methods of reheating French toast allow for heating directly out of the freezer, but if you are going to use the toaster or a skillet, you should defrost first.
The best way to defrost is just to let it sit in the fridge overnight. This is a slower defrost, but it is the safest, since it won’t expose it to any bacteria.
How to Reheat French Toast in the Oven
This option is the best if you are reheating a large amount of French toast to feed your family or brunch group.
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a baking sheet. Lay out the slices of French toast in one layer with at least a ½ inch in between slices.
Watch your French toast carefully as it bakes. Still-frozen French toast needs 3 to 4 minutes per side, and defrosted slices need less time.
Turn your slices over so that both sides get nice and crispy. A convection oven is best for crisping your French toast.
The only thing bad about this method is waiting for the oven to preheat. If your crowd is waiting and hungry, this can feel like a lifetime.
Once your French toast is done, serve it up to your waiting crowd and make sure to get everyone’s favorite toppings!
How to Reheat French Toast in the Toaster
If your French toast is defrosted and looks firm and not too crumbly, you can use a toaster to reheat. Set your toaster to medium-low, and pop the slices in.
This is also a good method because you have a fair amount of control over how crispy the slices get.
Be sure to clean out the crumb tray afterward, as the sugary bread is likely to burn and smoke easier than your usual toast.
You can also use a toaster oven. This is a really quick and easy method for busy mornings, and you get crispy on the outside, moist on the inside French toast.
Place them on the tray in the toaster oven and toast until hot and crispy. For both a toaster or toaster oven, be careful not to overcook or burn your French toast.
It is best to underestimate the time and add some more in intervals if needed.
How to Reheat French Toast on the Stovetop
This is a great option because this is how French toast is usually cooked to begin with. Make sure your French toast is totally defrosted, or it will reheat unevenly.
Next, heat a skillet or stove-top griddle on medium heat and coat it with a bit of cooking spray to grease the pan.
You can really only do one or two slices at a time to get the best results. Place your pieces of French toast on the pan and watch them closely.
They should only need a minute or two on each side to warm up. Once they’re heated, remove the slices from the heat.
If your French toast is still a little too soggy, put the pan on a higher temperature, add in some butter, and re-crisp the outsides.
Again, watch them closely so they don’t burn. Overheating French toast can make it dry and not as edible, and all your preparation will be for nothing.
How to Reheat French Toast in the Microwave
French toast reheats really quickly in the microwave, which is great for mornings when you’re in a rush.
Try not to microwave for too long, or it may get a little chewy or dried out. Microwave 2 slices of French toast for about 30 seconds and they will come out piping hot.
If you are microwaving frozen French toast, lay a paper towel underneath the slices to soak up some extra moisture.
The only con to using the microwave is that your French toast won’t be crispy, but it will still taste awesome.
Once your French toast is warm, smother it with butter and sprinkle a little sugar on top.
Let the slices cool, and you’ll have a delicious breakfast you can eat as you hurry out the door or drive to work!