You can use any kind of milk, from skim to whole, or you can make the dish a little more indulgent by using heavy cream instead. You can also use a non-dairy option, like almond milk or coconut milk, if you prefer. A cake pan or serving dish would be perfect for this. Whatever dish you choose, make sure it has a rim so your ingredients don’t spill. Also, it’s best if the dish has a flat bottom so you can dip the bread easily.

Keep reading for a more detailed list of vanilla substitutions, as well as the measurements you’d use for each one!

About 1/2-1 tbsp (7-14 g) of butter should be enough to cook 2 pieces of bread at a time. If you are making 8 pieces of bread, you’ll need this amount of butter 4 times.

If you’re cooking 2 pieces of bread at a time, quickly dip the second piece and add it to the pan as well. You want the bread to be a rich golden brown on each side. Continue cooking the bread in batches until it’s all finished.

Other toppings might include jam, honey, caramel syrup, apple butter, or peanut butter. If you won’t be serving the French toast right away, place it on a baking sheet and keep it in a 250 °F (121 °C) oven for up to 30 minutes.

If you need to store the French toast longer, freeze it in an airtight container for up to 2 months. If you want, you can make French toast healthier. [8] X Research source Use a whole-grain bread. [9] X Research source The bread should be low in added sugar and high in fiber. [10] X Research source

Both honey and maple syrup are sweeter than vanilla, so you may want to cut back on the sugar in the recipe, or omit it entirely.

For instance, if you need 1  tsp (4. 9 mL) of vanilla extract for your French toast, you would use 1⁄2  tsp (2. 5 mL) of almond extract, instead.

Similar to maple syrup, you can use these replacements in a 1:1 ratio, so you’ll need 1  tsp (4. 9 mL) to replace the vanilla in your French toast.

You don’t need to adjust any of the other ingredients in the recipe.