Fluffy, sweet and bursting with fresh lemon and blueberry flavors! If summer was a breakfast food, this would be it!
French toast was my jam growing up! (In fact now that I think about it, I was never really into pancakes or waffles that much… But french toast, that was always my breakfast of choice! 😉 ) And since it’s almost summer and I feel like I’ve been trying to incorporate lemon into everything lately, this easy lemon french toast with blueberry compote seemed like it was just begging to be made! It’s crispy on the outside, light and airy and exploding with fresh citrus and blueberry flavor!
Ingredients
French toast is essentially 3 basic ingredients; bread, eggs and milk. For this recipe, we’re just adding a little lemon-y spin to them and incorporating some lemon juice and lemon zest too! Here are all the ingredients you’ll need listed below:
- Thick sliced bread: Always use thick sliced bread for french toast! (See more info below.)
- Eggs: Helps to form a crispy “crust” on the outside of the bread.
- Milk: Any type of milk works for this recipe! (I used unsweetened almond milk to keep my recipe dairy free.)
- Fresh lemon juice: DO NOT use store bought lemon juice! It was a very processed taste which can muddle the flavors of your french toast. Real lemon juice is much more bright and vibrant in flavor.
- Lemon zest: This recipe calls for the zest of one lemon (or around 1 Tbsp.) If you want to add even more lemon flavor to your toast, I would suggest adding more zest to your batter.
What is the best type of bread to use for this french toast recipe?
I would suggest using a thick cut white bread. I’ve found that white bread seems to work the best because it has a much milder flavor than most other breads and really allows the lemon to shine. If you use a wheat or sourdough bread, it can overpower the flavor of the lemon.
I’ve also found that thicker sliced bread works better too. If you’re bread is sliced too thin then it can easily become soggy from the batter and won’t hold up very well.
How to make easy blueberry compote
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- Combine all ingredients in a sauce pot and heat them over medium heat. Stir continuously and cook for 6-8 minutes or until some of the berries have bursts and the sauce starts to thicken.
*Compote can be made a few days in advance.
To store the compote, pour it into an air tight container and place it in the fridge until your ready to eat. Heat it up on the stove or warm it in the microwave before serving.
Tips for making lemon french toast:
- Add more lemon zest to the batter if you want a stronger lemon flavor. DO NOT add any more lemon juice!
- Dip both sides of your bread in the batter very quickly! The longer your bread sits in the batter, the more it will soak up and take longer to cook. (This can lead to soggy french toast!)
- Make the blueberry compote the day before (or a few days before) you plan to use it. This just makes your life a little easier come breakfast time. 😉
- To keep your already done french toast slices warm, place them on an oven safe pan and keep them in the oven at 200 degrees until all of your slices are done.
More recipes like this:
- Parmesan Egg Clouds (One of my most popular posts on the blog!)
- Banana Bread French Toast
- Cinnamon Banana Bread Bagels
- Dalgona Coffee: 3 Ways!
[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my social media @kalefornia_kravings – I love seeing what you create!]
Lemon French Toast with Blueberry Compote
Ingredients
For the french toast:
- 6-7 slices thick white bread
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- zest from 1 lemon (about 1 Tbsp)
- Optional toppings: powdered sugar, lemon zest, blueberries
For the blueberry compote:
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- ½ tsp lemon juice
Instructions
To make the blueberry compote:
- Spray a sauce pot with non-stick cooking spray. Place all the compote ingredients in the pot and heat them over medium heat. Stir and cook for 6-8 minutes or until most of the blueberries have burst and the sauce slightly thickens. Set it aside until your ready to use it.
To make the french toast:
- Whisk the eggs, almond milk, lemon juice and lemon zest together in a bowl. Set the batter aside.
- Heat a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Once it's hot, spray it with non-stick cooking spray. Then one at a time, dip your bread slices into your batter and place them in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, flip them and cook for 2-3 more minutes on the other side (or until golden brown).
- Serve with your warmed blueberry compote and enjoy!
