Best cracker barrel french toast recipe (copycat)

Hey foodies! Today, I am going to share a recipe that will make your morning extra special. A cracker barrel french toast recipe. It doesn’t matter whether you are making it for holiday brunch, special guests, or just want to treat yourself on a lazy Sunday morning, this french toast recipe will bring a smile to your face.

Make these delicious breakfast favorites at home and save a few dollars. Pair it with scrambled eggs, and bacon just as you get in Cracker Barrel and enjoy!

What is a cracker barrel?

Cracker Barrel is a renowned American gift store and restaurant chain founded back in 1969. It mainly focuses on southern-style food. They offer homestyle dishes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Along with the food, I always find incredibly interesting home decor things, toys, and fashionable clothing that you won’t find anywhere else.

What is so special about this cracker barrel french toast recipe?

1. Easy to make.
2. Freezer friendly.
3. Can be made ahead of time.
4. Perfect breakfast delicacy.
5. Easily customizable.
6. Tastes almost similar to the one you get in cracker barrel restaurant.

What’s in cracker barrel french toast?

Here is the list of ingredients for the cracker barrel french toast recipe. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements and a printable version of the recipe.

French toast ingredients

1. Sourdough bread – This is the star of the dish and it is also used in cracker barrels. This gives a fluffy texture and can hold the egg mixture nicely.

2. Egg – Required to make the base for french toast batter.

3. Milk – Use regular whole milk for a rich dairy flavor. 

4. Vanilla extract – Just a splash will elevate your french toast to the next level.

5. Butter – Use regular butter here. This creates the beautiful golden color that we always aim for in French toast. (not shown in the pic)

Cracker barrel french toast topping ingredients

6. Maple syrup – French toast is incomplete without maple syrup. You can not skip this 🙂

7. Icing sugar – This is completely optional as Maple syrup will give the required sweetness. Use this if you want to make it less sweet. Make your own icing sugar or use store-bought.

8. Berries – Again this is optional but berries will break the sweetness, resulting in a perfectly balanced dessert. 

Any substitute?

Bread – If you do not have sourdough bread, don’t worry. You can replace it with brioche, Texas toast, french bread, or ciabatta or simply use any thick slice of bread. You can use fresh bread or stale bread. In fact, stale bread is the perfect for this recipe.

Maple syrup – If you want to make it sweet but avoid direct sugar, feel free to replace it with sugar-free syrup.

Tools needed

1. Mixing bowl
2. Griddle
3. Measuring cups
4. Measuring spoons
5. Weighing scale

Cracker barrel french toast (step-by-step) recipe

1. Heat the pan –  Keep your skillet or pan on low to medium heat. add 1 teaspoon of butter and coat the entire pan. 

2. Prepare egg mixture – In a large bowl, add eggs, milk, and vanilla extract and combine until it is light and frothy. 

3. Soak the bread –  Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture for 15 to 20 seconds. Do not dip more than this, otherwise it will become soggy.

PS – If the bread is not pre-sliced then cut the bread into thick slices. If the cuts are already made, just remove a few slices of bread and nothing else.

4. Cook – Place the soaked bread slices into the pan. cook on both sides until they are golden brown and cooked through. 

5. Serve – Once cooked, transfer them to a serving plate. 

6. Garnish – Garnish them with a drizzle of maple syrup and your choice of fruit, such as banana, strawberry, blueberry, or raspberry. I have tried using raspberry sauce which tasted delicious.

How to serve?

Any regular French toast must be served warm, straight from the pan and the cracker barrel style is no different. You can serve them just with maple syrup or your favorite fruits. Here are some of my favorite toppings that I have used to impress my guests

1. Sprinkle powdered sugar – As I mentioned above, this is completely optional but if you add a little icing sugar on top, it will add a nice visual to the French toast.
2. Whipped cream – This is my all-time favorite topping that compliments almost everything, be it a chocolate pudding, any iced coffee, or simply a hot chocolate. Just add a swirl on top or the side, as you get with cheesecake from the cheesecake factory.
3. Stacking – To make it more appetizing, stack them on top of each other and drizzle with maple syrup. I am confident that your guests will want to dig them right away.
4. Vanilla ice cream – Any dessert in this world pairs well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and cracker barrel french toast is no exception :).
5. Fresh fruits – Just serve with fresh fruits; it will never go wrong.

Which one would you choose? Tell me in the comments section below. Also, I would love to know in case if you tried something different. 

Watch us making (video)

Storing and freezing instructions for cracker barrel french toast recipe

Just like any other dessert, you can either store or freeze this cracker barrel french toast. 

Storing instructions

To be honest, I rarely have any leftovers from this but if you do, let them cool down to room temperature first. Cover each piece with plastic wrap and refrigerate in an airtight container. This will keep them safe from any unpleasant odors from outside. 

This stays ok for up to 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Freezing instructions

To freeze, use the similar method as when storing in the refrigerator, or if you want to keep them together, add a layer of parchment paper in between them and then cover the entire portion with cling wrap. Finally, place them in an airtight container or freezer-friendly bag.

They stay ok for up to 2 months.

Thawing instructions

When you want to eat, remove those many slices and either microwave them for 30 to 40 seconds or reheat them over the skillet on low heat.  I prefer to reheat over the pan as warming in the microwave will make them soggy.

In short, 

Sr. No.	Storing Place	Duration (Days, Weeks, Months)
1.	Refrigerator	3 to 4 days
2.	Freezer	2 months

Helpful tips to make the perfect french toast – a cracker barrel style

Below are my secret tips for avoiding soggy french toast.

1. Use thick bread – To reproduce the cracker barrel french toast, use thick bread. I recommend sourdough. If you don’t have it, use any other thick-sliced bread instead. If you use thin slices, they may turn soggy after dipping into the egg mixture.

2. Cooking temperature – Cook the soaked bread over low to medium heat otherwise it will have an eggy smell and it may burn from the outside while remaining undercooked inside.

3. Do not soak too long –  Oversoaking the bread will make it soggy and cause it to fall apart once removed from the egg mixture.

FAQ’s

Can I make it in large batches? Yes of course. I understand that you might want to serve it for large gatherings and enjoy spending time with guests rather than spending time in the kitchen.  Once all of your French toasts are ready, place them on a baking sheet. Cover them with aluminum foil and keep in the oven at 200F until you are ready to serve.

Can I use oil instead of butter for cooking? Yes, but it can change the taste as oil might have its own flavor. You may use flavorless oil, but to create the exact copycat recipe, I would recommend using butter or a mixture of oil and butter.

Want to try other dessert recipes?

If you love this cracker barrel french toast recipe, try one of these breakfast foods

1. Lemon blueberry muffins
2. Chocolate chip muffins
3. Banana oatmeal chocolate chip muffins
4. Apple cinnamon muffins

Did you make it?

I make this cracker barrel french toast recipe at least once a month. My son really loves it. Have you tried it yet? If not, make it as quickly as possible and you will always prefer to make it at home rather than eating at the restaurant.

Please let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you, and your feedback is very important to me.

If you share the pictures on Instagram, do not forget to tag @DessertKatta or use the hashtag #DessertKatta.

Recipe card