This gingerbread French toast is packed with warm spices, creamy yoghurt, and extra protein. It's a festive twist on a classic French toast bake that can be cooked in the air fryer as a single serve, or multiplied and cooked in the oven for a big family Christmas Breakfast Meal Prep.
TL;DR
- Prep time: 10 minutes (+ resting) Cook time: 15 minutes (longer for bigger bakes)
- Single serve but can be multiplied!
- Meal prep: prep ahead and then bake on the day, or bake and have for the week (hot or cold)
- Fridge storage: 3 days - not baked or baked
- Freezer storage:
- Reheating: ~5-10 minutes airfryer or oven; or 2 minutes microwave
- Customise: Adjust gingerbread spices, add fruit, add yogurt
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Why you'll love this recipe
Festive Flavors. Packed with gingerbread spices like a gingerbread baked oats or gingerbread pancakes, it's a Christmas twist on breakfast!
Versatile. Make it as a single serve or multiply the recipe and create a family-sized like my hot cross buns French toast bake.
Protein-Packed. Because I have a lot of the recipes I create as a meal prep, I like to add in extra protein where I can so I have substituted the heavy cream with yoghurt and added extra protein.
Ingredients and substitutions
Bread roll. The base for this gingerbread French toast. I used a Hawaiian bread roll but you can substitute for any type of bread of your choice.
Brown sugar. Adds a rich sweetness to the dish and gives a caramel-like flavour typical in Gingerbread Cookies.
You can substitute for other sweeteners like maple syrup, but it will lose a little bit of the impact of the gingerbread.
Protein. I recommend using a vegan-based protein powder as whey protein can change texture under heat and sometimes makes the final dish taste funky. Use a vanilla, neutral or cinnamon flavour - or omit if you're not a fan.
Yogurt. Instead of a cream base for the French toast, I opt for Greek yoghurt. You can substitute with cream or different types of yoghurt if you prefer. You can also omit and add a little more milk instead.
Milk. You can use any milk of your choice. If you are using a firmer yogurt or cream, you may have to adjust the amount of milk so the batter is relatively runny.
Gingerbread spices. The spices are made up of cinnamon, ginger, cloves and allspice. You can mix-and-match to suit your preferences (e.g. if you're a big ginger fan, add more ginger!)
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity.
How to make gingerbread French toast
Step 1: In a bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, brown sugar, protein, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves until smooth.
Step 2: Tear the bread roll into bite-sized pieces and place them into the batter mixture. Stir to coat. Allow to sit for at least 10 minutes so the flavor has time to sink in.
Optional: for an overnight French toast bake, you can leave the bread pieces to soak up the batter overnight (or even a few hours). This will provide a more in-depth gingerbread flavour.
Step 3: Grease a ramekin (or oven-safe container) and pour the soaked pieces in. Press gently so they won't fall out.
Step 4:
Air Fryer. Place the ramekin in the air fryer and bake for 15 minutes at 180°C (350°F), or until the top is golden and the centre is set (you can test this with a skewer and it should come out mostly dry).
Oven. If making a single serve, bake for 20 minutes at 180°C (350°F). If making a larger batch, you may need to increase the cooking time slightly to ensure the whole bake is set.
Step 5: Let the baked French toast cool slightly, then serve warm with toppings like maple syrup, yoghurt, some raspberry chia pudding or a dusting of powdered sugar. Perfect for a cozy Christmas breakfast alongside some gingerbread pancakes and gingerbread granola.
My Top Tips
Choose the Right Bread. While most breads will work, having one that is slightly stale will help it soak up the batter without becoming too soggy.
Choose your appliance. If you have an air fryer, the single serve French toast is the way to go - it'll take less time and you'll have breakfast super quickly.
If you want to make a larger batch, especially for a family Christmas breakfast, choose the oven method.
Meal prepping French toast
Meal prepping gingerbread French toast bake is a convenient way to enjoy a festive breakfast with minimal effort. You can assemble it as a make-ahead dish by letting the bread soak overnight (or up to 3 days) in the batter or baking it completely and serving it the next day (or up to 3 days).
You can have the French toast cold, or you can reheat in the air fryer or oven at 180°C (350°F) for 5-10 minutes, or in the microwave for about 2 minute for a quicker option.
If you want a balanced meal prep, I recommend serving with some fresh fruit and yogurt.
Or if you're vibing the decadence with your healthy eating, I recommend my peanut butter chocolate ice cream (yes, it's breakfast friendly)
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
French toast pairs beautifully with toppings like fresh fruit, maple syrup, whipped cream, or powdered sugar. I also recommend a Raspberry Chia Jam which can also be made ahead and gives a fresh touch to the warmth of the gingerbread spices.
For a more filling meal, serve it with crispy bacon, scrambled eggs, or even a side of yoghurt for a well-rounded breakfast. With gingerbread French toast, consider festive additions like candied nuts or a drizzle of caramel.
Yes, French toast casserole can be frozen. Bake it first, let it cool completely, and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or store it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the oven or air fryer before serving.
However, the texture will deteriorate upon freezing and thawing so I wouldn't recommend if you're a stickler for texture.
Absolutely! French toast can be baked as a casserole or as a single serve. Simply assemble the ingredients in a greased dish, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), and bake for 20-30 minutes until golden and set.
Brioche, challah, or slightly stale bread rolls are ideal for making gingerbread French toast. These bread types soak up the batter without becoming overly soggy, ensuring a soft and fluffy texture with a perfectly crisp edge.
Other Christmas breakfast ideas
Or check out my breakfast meal prep recipes for more delicious recipes!
I hope you enjoy this as much as I do - Love & Pasta, Lauren x
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Recipe
Gingerbread French Toast Bake
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Ingredients
- 50 g (2 oz) bread roll, approx.1, see note 1
- 15 g (1 tablespoon) brown sugar
- 30 g (2 tablespoon) protein, optional (see note 2)
- 20 g (1 tablespoon) Greek yoghurt
- 1 egg
- 60 ml (¼ cups) milk, see note 3
- 8 g (1 tablespoon) cinnamon, see note 4
- 3 g (1 teaspoon) ginger, see note 4
- 3 g (1 teaspoon) allspice, see note 4
- 3 g (1 teaspoon) cloves, see note 4
Instructions
Prepare
- Whisk the 1 egg, 15 g (1 tablespoon) brown sugar, 30 g (2 tablespoon) protein, 20 g (1 tablespoon) Greek yoghurt , 60 ml (¼ cups) milk, 8 g (1 tablespoon) cinnamon, 3 g (1 teaspoon) ginger, 3 g (1 teaspoon) allspice, 3 g (1 teaspoon) cloves in a bowl until combined.
- Tear the 50 g bread roll into bite-sized pieces and toss them in the batter until evenly coated. Let soak for at least 10 minutes. For deeper flavour, let the bread soak in the batter for a few hours or overnight.
- Grease a ramekin and transfer the soaked bread pieces, pressing them gently to keep them compact.
Bake
- Air Fryer: Preheat to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 15 minutes, or until golden on top and set in the centre (a skewer should come out mostly clean).
- Oven: For single serves, bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20 minutes. Larger batches may require additional time to ensure the bake is fully set.
- Let cool slightly before serving warm with toppings like maple syrup, yoghurt, or powdered sugar.
Sally
Just made this for breakfast to use up the stale ends of my sourdough loaf that I'd usually throw away and it's so good! I did use less spices than written and the gingerbread flavour is still very prominent. French toast always seems like a lot of effort for a single serve but this was super easy - will definitely make again!
athletelunchbox
Thank you for your lovely comment, Sally! I really appreciate it 🙂 Yes, the gingerbread flavours are very prominent in this one (which is why I recommend adjusting to taste). So glad you enjoyed it!