French Toast Gets A Flavor Boost From This Creamy Staple In Your Fridge

Whether because, or in spite, of French toast's basic nature, there is no shortage of ways to dress it up. You can swap the typical stale bread with babka for a decadent French toast twist, for example, or factor in some sweet potato for a secret ingredient. You can even tip in some of the coffee creamer otherwise dedicated to your morning cuppa for a lower-lift enhancement that makes the plate seem a little more gourmet.

An average French toast batter should not only give your chosen carb a rich, custardy interior once it's soaked and sizzled on the stovetop, but also make it actually taste like something. Since a lot of coffee creamers are already flavored with things like caramel, hazelnut, or the oft-devisive pumpkin spice, it can bring a lot to the table. But, as always, you need to adjust your usual preparation a bit to accommodate the repurposed liquid.

This is a great way to use up any leftover coffee creamer you might have kicking around the refrigerator, or you can choose a new one from the 12 coffee creamer brands we ranked if you're out of stock. Once you identify one you like, you can swap it in for the milk you'd normally use for the full flavor effect, or use half creamer, half milk (or even less creamer and more milk) for a more subtle enhancement.

Also, take a look at the creamer's ingredients — and taste it — to determine what elements are more or less pronounced. If you picked a vanilla creamer, for example, you can withhold vanilla extract. The same goes for the nutmeg that's usually apparent in pumpkin spice. You can also cut most of the sugar you might have added to any other batter, sweet as coffee creamer can be. Otherwise, make coffee creamer French toast the way you'd whip up any other kind: by dipping the bread in the batter and cooking it in butter over medium heat on the stovetop until both sides get nice and golden.