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Use leftover mashed sweet potato to make this sinfully delicious sweet potato french toast! Pair it with apple cider syrup and whipped creme fraiche for a delightful fall brunch.
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What makes this dish special
What's the best part about Thanksgiving? Using the leftovers to make an epic breakfast the next day. Have extra mashed yams or canned pumpkin lying around? Then this sweet potato french toast is calling your name. Got an extra bottle of apple cider? Make the accompanying apple cider syrup. This breakfast is incredibly easy to prepare and so delicious that you'll forget that it was made from leftovers!
I'm a huge sucker for french toast. It's such an easy concept, dip bread in a mixture of eggs and milk with vanilla and cook on a griddle, but it's so good. This sweet potato french toast is one version made specifically for the holidays. Waking up to the smell of sweet potato, apple cider, cinnamon, and maple syrup is how I want to wake up every day.
If you want another delicious holiday breakfast idea, try this pumpkin Dutch baby cake, overnight gingerbread french toast, or pumpkin hotteok!
Ingredients
- Apple cider: Its reduction creates a rich and flavorful syrup.
- Creme fraiche: Adds a creamy and tangy element to the whipped topping. If you can't find creme fraiche, you can omit it.
- Mashed sweet potato: Provides moisture, sweetness, and a hint of earthy flavor to the French toast batter. You can use mashed sweet potatoes that have been prepared with cream and butter or plain mashed sweet potatoes without any additional ingredients.
- Eggs: Serve as a binding agent in the French toast batter. They also contribute to the golden brown color and custardy texture of the cooked toast.
- Cinnamon: Infuses the French toast batter with warm and aromatic notes.
- Thick white bread: Use any type of thick white bread, such as challah, brioche, French bread, or Texas toast.
Substitutions and variations
- Gluten-free: Use your favorite gluten-free thick toast.
- Spices: You can add additional spices such as ginger, allspice, or cloves. You can also use a chai spice blend or pumpkin pie spices to flavor the toast.
Recipe
Sweet Potato French Toast
Ingredients
Apple cider syrup
- 2 cups apple cider
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup brown sugar
Whipped crème fraiche
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup crème fraiche
Sweet potato french toast
- 1 cup mashed sweet potato
- 3 egg whites
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- pinch of salt
- 8 slices thick white bread
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- Make the cider syrup. Combine apple cider with maple syrup and brown sugar in a medium saucepot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to low and continue to simmer for 30 minutes or until the syrup has reduced by half.
- Meanwhile, make the whipped crème fraiche. Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in the crème fraiche. Chill until ready to serve.
- Prepare the batter for the sweet potato french toast. Blend together mashed sweet potato with egg whites, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt until smooth. The batter will be thicker than the normal french toast batter.
- Dip the sliced bread into the batter, scraping off the excess. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a griddle or non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Cook the french toast until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, melt another tablespoon of butter, and repeat with the remaining bread.
- Serve sweet potato french toast with cider syrup and whipped crème fraiche.
Notes
Step-by-step instructions
Step 1: Prepare apple cider syrup
Before you prepare the french toast, make the apple cider syrup. Combine apple cider with maple syrup and brown sugar in a medium pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes or until it's reduced by half.
The syrup will thicken slightly as it cools, so make sure not to reduce it by more than half. You can also make the syrup a couple of days beforehand. I made a batch of this syrup, served it with apple pretzel pie bars, and saved the rest for this breakfast.
While the syrup is reducing, make the whipped creme fraiche. Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form and fold in creme fraiche until fully incorporated.
You might be wondering, why even bother with the creme fraiche? The rich creme fraiche adds a slightly tangy flavor to the whipped cream while adding a smoother and more velvety texture. It's an easy way to elevate plain whipped cream, and I highly recommend it.
Step 2: Make batter
Next, make the sweet potato french toast batter. Combine leftover mashed sweet potatoes with egg whites, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt in a blender and puree until smooth.
The batter will be thicker than regular french toast batter.
If your mashed sweet potatoes were particularly thick, resulting in a very batter, add a splash of milk to loosen it.
Step 3: Cook french toast
Now that all the components are ready, it's time to cook the french toast.
Dip thick slices of white bread in the batter, scraping off the excess. If you can, buy a loaf of bread and slice it yourself to adjust the thickness of each slice.
Heat a griddle over medium-low heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Place the bread in an even layer and cook until golden brown on both sides. If you don't have a griddle, you can also use a nonstick pan.
Whenever I use a griddle, I have to rotate the slices of french toast around while it's cooking to ensure even browning. Some spots get hotter than others, so it's important to know which side is which.
Continue cooking all the bread slices and serve the french toast with a dollop of whipped creme fraiche and apple cider syrup.
Recipe tip
If the syrup is too thick, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds until it warms up.
The sweet potato french toast alone is already good, but the whipped creme fraiche and apple syrup make it exceptional. Every bite is oozing with fall flavors, with notes of cinnamon, sweet potato, and apples.
Even if you don't have leftover mashed sweet potatoes, you might want to try this dish anyway!
Make-ahead and storage
- Make-ahead: The french toast can be cooked ahead of time and kept warm in the oven at 200 degrees F until ready to serve.
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 4 days.
Frequently asked questions
The cider syrup is ready when it has reduced by half and has a slightly thickened consistency. It will thicken as it cools, so make sure not to reduce it by more than half.
Absolutely! Canned sweet potato puree works just as well in this recipe as canned pumpkin.
While it's best enjoyed fresh, you can freeze leftover cooked French toast slices in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to a month. To reheat, simply toast them in a toaster or warm them in a skillet until heated through.
More french toast recipes
Looking for more french toast recipes? Try these:
Macy says
Loved this french toast! The sweet potato with the cinnamon added a subtle taste that made it feel like fall.
Christine Ma says
I agree, it tastes like fall in brunch form!