As the first person to wake up, you may have decided to make breakfast for everyone. You decide to make some French toast.
It can be sweet and savory to suit anyone’s morning taste buds. Nevertheless, not everyone may share your early bird attitude.
The rest could take a while to wake up, leaving your French toast cold. If only you knew how to keep French toast warm.
Luckily, there’s a way to warm it before everyone joins the table. One of the warming methods could be leaving the French toast in a preheated oven.
Having said that, stick around if you’re interested in knowing more about how to keep French toast warm.
Methods to Keep Your French Toast Warm
In some cases, you may have made French toast first and will prepare other breakfast foods after. Leaving the toast out for too long can make it too cold and soggy.
Although you can make the French toast last, your other breakfast dishes won’t fare so well either after being left out.
Consequently, we recommend taking a look look at some methods below for keeping the food warm while you’re preparing the rest.
Method 1: Use an Oven
This is the commonly used method for keeping any food warm in households. The first thing you want to do is preheat your oven to the lowest heat setting.
That setting could range between 150 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. The next step involves preparing the French toast to go in the oven.
To do so, grab a baking sheet and place some parchment paper over it so the French toast doesn’t stick. Afterward, put the toast on top of the paper, but make sure you don’t stack one toast piece above the other.
This could sog and flatten the bottom toast. If there’s no space to fit all the French toast, then get another baking sheet and repeat the process.
You can optionally cover the French toast with a layer of aluminum foil to keep it better heated. The best part about this method is that the toast won’t dry up.
Method 2: Use a Griddle
If you have a griddle, you can use it to keep the French toast warm. This could seem like a bad idea since the griddle top can burn the toast.
For this reason, you can lay your French toast on top of a wire rack. Similar to the oven method, make sure the griddle is at the lowest heat setting, which can go at around 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
Next, you can put a lid on the wire rack to keep the heat in. If you don’t have a lid, you can use a sheet of aluminum foil to cover the French toast.
If you alternatively have an electric skillet, you can use the same method as the griddle to warm your French toast.
Method 3: Use a Slow-Cooker
Traditionally used for stews, chilies, and pulled meats, a slow-cooker is also a suitable option for keeping your food warm.
Firstly, keep the slow cooker next to you so that you can place each French toast piece in straight away. Next, adjust the slow-cooker setting to “warm.”
Now, while you may be tempted to just stack the toast, don’t. It’ll make the bottom pieces soggy and flat.
Instead, you’ll want to organize each piece vertically, sort of like a filing system. That way, you’ll be able to fit in more French toast and it’ll all be equally warmed up.
Method 4: Use an Electric Warming Plate
Unsurprisingly, there’s a specialized invention made just to warm up your food. The electric warming plate resembles a mini griddle.
The difference is that it’s electrically powered and smaller. To use it, you can plug the device into any socket near you while you’re preparing the French toast.
Then, place a heat-proof plate on top of the electric warming plate. All you have to do then is just set the French toast on the plate and it’ll stay warm however long you want.
Alternatively, you can use an electric heating pad if you don’t have a heat-proof plate. Be sure to wrap the pad in a towel before placing the plate above the warm surface.
That being said, we recommend using these methods if you’re not preparing a large portion of French toast.
Method 5: Use a Chafing Dish
This method is best used if you’re making several servings of French toast. It could be ideal for brunch parties or potlucks.
Correspondingly, you can use a chafing dish. If you’ve ever been to a buffet, you’ve probably seen food options served in these large metal dishes.
The plate is composed of two layers. The bottom layer is where the hot water is poured in, while the top is where you’ll set the French toast.
Additionally, most chafing dishes contain a bottom holder for canned heating fuel to keep the water above heated.
Method 6: Serve in a Ceramic Dish
If you’re using a ceramic dish to serve your French toast, then you’ll already have better chances of keeping it warm.
Given that ceramic has better heat retention properties than metal or glass, this type of plate can be your go-to.
Before you set the French toast on the plate, preheat your oven and place the ceramic dish inside to warm it up.
That way, it’ll mimic an electric skillet without the electricity. After laying the French toast on the heated ceramic plate, you can cover it with aluminum foil to keep the dish warm.
Like the electric warming plate method, the ceramic plate option is best used for small amounts of French toast.
How to Reheat French Toast Leftovers
In other cases, you could be reheating your leftover French toast, rather than simply warming it up. All the same, this process would be much easier.
Here are some of the methods to reheat your French toast.
Method 1: Use a Microwave
Breakfast is one of the most rushed meals, especially if you’re late to work. The good news is that you can easily reheat your French toast in a microwave and pack it.
Chances are, you probably have a microwave in your home. Over 90% of American households own one.
That being so, you can pop in a couple of slices for about 30 seconds and you’re good to go. Even though the process is easy, the outcome may not be as good as the other methods.
Microwaved leftover French toast won’t be as crispy, but it’ll still taste almost the same as when you first made it.
Now, if the French toast is originally frozen, then you can put a paper towel below the slices. That way, any excess moisture will be sucked out.
Method 2: Use a Toaster Oven
If you’re not a fan of soggy bread, then you can use a toaster oven to reheat your French toast. First off, set your toaster oven to medium-low and push your slices in.
You can leave the French toast inside however long you prefer, depending on the amount of crispiness you like. Make sure to clean out any leftover crumbs.
Otherwise, you’ll be left with burnt sugary bread pieces that’ll be hard to remove later on.
Final Thoughts
Making French toast is the easy part, but keeping it warm could be more troublesome. Regardless of this, there are several methods on how to keep French toast warm.
You can pick out any of the ways mentioned depending on the number of servings you’re making. Either way, we’re sure your friends or family will appreciate you making French toast for them.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.