Brioche French Toast: A Canoe Camping Breakfast

After a chilly night and a beautiful morning paddle on Waterbury Reservoir, we were ready for a warm, hearty breakfast. Fortunately, we’d done most of the preparation at home. We combined our precut brioche with homemade vanilla custard in a cast-iron skillet and let the bread soak for about 15 minutes.

With the skillet covered and the camp stove set to low, we let it cook for another 25 minutes. As the brioche turned golden brown, with a few lightly charred edges, the aroma of cinnamon and vanilla filled our campsite. We scooped generous portions into our bowls and topped them with Vermont maple syrup we’d picked up in town the day before.

It was exactly the kind of breakfast we needed on a crisp October morning. The warm, custardy bread, hints of cinnamon and vanilla, and rich maple syrup made for a delicious Vermont treat. We both went back for seconds.

Read more about our Vermont adventure.

Brioche French Toast: A Canoe Camping Breakfast

This cast-iron brioche French toast bake is a warm, hearty breakfast that's perfect for a chilly morning at camp. Made with rich brioche, cinnamon, vanilla, and maple syrup, it's easy to prepare ahead and cook over a camp stove.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 2 generous

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Calories: 650

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• ½ loaf brioche or challah bread approximately 4 cups, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup whole milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• Pinch of salt
• Maple Syrup for serving

Equipment

• Cast-iron skillet with lid
• Camp stove or campfire cooking grate

Method

 

1. Prepare the bread. Cut the brioche into approximately 1-inch cubes and place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Make the custard. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, and salt until well combined.
3. Combine. Pour the custard over the bread, gently tossing until all pieces are coated. Allow the bread to soak for 10–15 minutes.
4. Prepare the skillet. Lightly grease a cast-iron skillet with butter and preheat over low heat.
5. Cook the French toast. Transfer the soaked bread and any remaining custard to the skillet. Cover and cook over low heat for approximately 20–25 minutes, until the custard is set and the bottom is golden brown. Adjust the heat as needed to prevent burning.
6. Serve. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve warm with Vermont maple syrup.

Notes

Make-Ahead Tip: To make breakfast easier at camp, prepare the custard at home by whisking together the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, maple syrup, and salt. Cut the brioche into cubes and pack it separately. Keep the custard chilled in a cooler until ready to use. At camp, simply combine the bread and custard, let it soak for 10–15 minutes, and cook in a covered cast-iron skillet over low heat on your camp stove.

Camp cooking tip: Keep the heat low and use a lid to help the center cook evenly without burning the bottom. Cooking times will vary depending on your skillet and camp stove.