This Hong Kong French Toast is the brunch of dreams. In fact, it is so indulgent, it’s almost a pudding! Imagine a sweet, soft brioche ‘sandwich’ filled with the most delicious silky smooth hazelnut creme (if you haven’t tried it, it tastes like the middle of a kinder bueno). This is then soaked in a rich vanilla custard and pan-fried until golden. So good. A spoonful of chocolate whipped cream makes it even more incredible.
Before anyone gets upset, I know this isn’t a traditional Hong Kong french toast. That would use milk bread, be filled with peanut butter and be served with condensed milk. This Hong Kong french toast recipe swaps the fluffy milk bread for buttery brioche. I love the flavour, but you can use whichever you prefer. A generous layer of creamy hazelnut creme replaces the peanut butter too. Honestly, you have to try it (I like the M&S Italian hazelnut creme). It is SO delicious. Of course, you can use any other spread you like (my pistachio cream works well too), but if you can find the M&S one, buy it!
You don’t have to make the chocolate whipped cream if you aren’t a fan. A drizzle of melted dark chocolate works really well. Sometimes I add a dollop of melted nutella and some crushed hazelnuts. A scoop of ice cream is also delicious. I love the way it just starts to melt as it sits atop the warm Hong Kong french toast…
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Why you will love this recipe
- It is perfect for a luxury breakfast, brunch or pudding.
- It is full of flavour and texture. Think soft, sweet brioche, nutty hazelnut creme, rich, creamy chocolate whipped cream and fruity raspberries.
- It is versatile. You can use all sorts of sweet spreads. Plus you can switch up the berries and toppings depending on what you fancy.
- It is a great way to use up leftover bread.
Ingredients
See recipe card for the exact recipe with a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Brioche - ideally you want an unsliced brioche loaf. This is so you can cut nice and thick slices to fill with the hazelnut creme.
Hazelnut creme - a silky smooth spread made from hazelnuts. I love it on toast, in desserts and puddings or pastries. You can make your own, but this one M&S Italian hazelnut creme is delicious. It tastes like the middle of a kinder bueno.
Eggs - I recommend using large free-range eggs stamped with the British Lion mark.
Milk - use full-fat milk for best results.
Vanilla extract - this adds a subtle sweet vanilla flavour to the Hong Kong french toast.
Butter - you can use salted or unsalted butter for frying the Hong Kong french toast. It helps give a delicious flavour and stops it sticking to the pan.
Double cream - also known as ‘heavy’ cream. Don’t be tempted to use single cream as it won’t whip up or hold its shape.
Cocoa powder - opt for a good quality unsweetened cocoa powder. Definitely not hot chocolate powder! It gives a rich, chocolatey flavour to the Hong Kong french toast.
Maple syrup - this brings a hint of sweetness to the chocolate whipped cream. You can adjust the amount according to taste.
Sea salt - don’t worry, this won’t make the Hong Kong french toast taste salty. A pinch of sea salt in the whipped cream helps balance out the bitter cocoa and sweet french toast. I recommend Maldon Salt.
Fresh raspberries - a handful of plump and juicy fresh raspberries adds a sweet, fruity flavour to this Hong Kong french toast.
Substitutions and Variations
Brioche loaf: if you can’t find an unsliced brioche loaf, use a pre-sliced loaf with the thickest slices you can find. Traditionally, Hong Kong french toast is made with milk bread. However, you can also make this Hong Kong french toast with thick sliced white bread. Just make sure the slices are generous so they can absorb the custard without collapsing.
Hazelnut cream: obviously this is a recipe for Hong Kong french toast with hazelnut creme. However, use what you have or like! Lotus Biscoff Spread and Nutella are both delicious. So is my homemade pistachio cream. M&S also has some other wonderful sweet spreads. If you want to keep it traditional, use peanut butter.
Chocolate: a drizzle of melted chocolate is a perfect way to finish off this Hong Kong french toast. I like the richness of dark chocolate, but milk or white chocolate are both delicious too.
Cream: this is delicious served with chocolate whipped cream. However, you can also use squirty cream if you prefer something lighter. Alternatively, a spoonful of clotted cream is wonderfully indulgent. Mascarpone is also very good. You can always keep it traditional and drizzle with condensed milk, if you prefer.
Ice cream: if you want to embrace full-on pudding vibes, serve with a scoop of ice cream. Vanilla is delicious. Decadent dark chocolate always works well. To be honest, any flavour will be delightful.
Fruit: a handful of fresh berries is delicious alongside Hong Kong french toast! I like to use whatever is in season. Pitted cherries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries… the choice is yours. Alternatively, use frozen fruit to make a berry coulis or compote. Bonne Maman has some lovely options if you don’t fancy making your own.
Nuts: for added crunch, sprinkle with toasted nuts just before serving. Roughly chopped hazelnuts, flaked almonds or pistachios are my favourites. Just make sure you toast them first to really bring out the flavour. If you are feeling particularly fancy, you can make a praline.
Here's how to make delicious Hong Kong French Toast:
The full recipe is below, as usual, and it has more details but the below is an easy step-by-step guide.
ONE: Spread one slice of brioche with a generous layer of hazelnut creme. Top with another slice of brioche (to create a sandwich) and spread generously with the remaining hazelnut creme. Top with the final slice of brioche to make a big three-tiered brioche sandwich.
TWO: In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla extract to combine.
THREE: Dip the brioche sandwich into the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. Take care not to submerge it for too long or it will go soggy.
FOUR: Fry for about 1 minute - or until golden brown underneath. Using a spatula or palette knife, carefully flip it over and continue to cook for about 1 more minute - or until golden brown on both sides.
FIVE: Then turn and cook the edges until golden - they should take around 30 seconds each.
SIX: Pop onto a plate and slice in half. Serve with a dollop of the chocolate whipped cream, a drizzle of hazelnut creme and a handful of fresh raspberries, if desired.
Cooking Tips
Brioche: you need to cut fairly thick slices of brioche. This will allow the bread to absorb the egg mixture without disintegrating. If you can’t find unsliced brioche, find the thickest sliced loaf you can. Ideally, you want the bread to be slightly stale so it absorbs the custard mix better. If it looks too thin with pre-sliced brioche, add an extra layer so it’s stacked with 4 pieces rather than 3.
Filling: the filling, in this case hazelnut creme, really packs in the flavour - so be generous!
The perfect soak: don’t dunk the brioche sandwich in the egg mix for too long or it will become soggy. This will make it tricky to cook. However, you don’t want it to be too brief or you will miss the delicious custard flavour and texture that Hong Kong french toast is famous for.
The right heat: watch the heat closely as you fry off the Hong Kong french toast. If the heat is too high it will burn the butter and become bitter.
Whipped cream: take care to whip the cream just to soft peaks. If you over whip, it will split and you will eventually get something akin to butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Regular french toast is made by soaking leftover sliced bread in beaten eggs and milk or cream, then pan-frying until golden. However, traditional Hong Kong french toast uses fluffy milk bread filled with peanut butter, then dipped in egg and fried in oil. It is usually served warm with butter and condensed milk.
My version uses elements of a classic Hong Kong french toast and creates a unique chocolate and hazelnut version. Trust me, it is delicious. I switched the fluffy milk bread for soft brioche. Both are still more luxurious than classic white bread. Then I use hazelnut creme instead of peanut butter. You still get the nuttiness, just a different flavour profile.
So delicious. Imagine a crispy outside, custardy inside and a burst of whatever filling you have chosen. In this case, the heavenly hazelnut creme which tastes just like the inside of a kinder bueno. The chocolate whipped cream is optional but of course, so good.
Brioche is an enriched bread from France. Unlike plain white bread, brioche contains eggs, butter and more sugar. This gives it its famous soft texture, golden colour and rich, subtly sweet, taste.
Yes and no. The finished Hong Kong french toast is definitely best served straight away. However, you can whip the chocolate cream in advance and keep it covered and chilled in the fridge for up to 24 hours. You can also make the hazelnut creme sandwich ahead of time and keep tightly wrapped in cling film in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When ready to cook, whisk up the egg mix and dunk away…
Any leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and place in the fridge for 1-2 days. Reheat either in the air fryer (180c for 7-10 minutes), in the oven (180c for 10-15 minutes) or my favorite way: in a pan. Melt some butter over medium heat and reheat the french toast for 5 minutes a side until crispy and hot all the way through. The exact timings of all of these will depend on the thickness of your brioche slices, so just make sure it’s totally hot before serving.
This recipe is best enjoyed fresh and hot from the pan, so I wouldn’t go out of my way to make this for the freezer. But if you have leftovers that you don’t want to eat right away, you can wrap tightly in clingfilm and a layer of foil. Freeze for a month. When ready to eat, defrost in the fridge then reheat (see above).
This Hong Kong french toast is such a versatile recipe. It is the perfect luxury breakfast or brunch, but also makes for a delicious pudding. I love it with rich chocolate whipped cream. You can simply drizzle with melted dark chocolate if you prefer. Alternatively, a swirl of squirty cream or dollop of clotted cream is delicious. Sometimes I serve with mascarpone or crème fraîche for a subtle tang. For full-on pudding vibes, a scoop of ice cream is so good.
I also like to serve my Hong Kong french toast with some berries - whatever is in season. Strawberries, pitted cherries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are all delicious. You can also use frozen berries to make your own coulis or compote, if you prefer.
Other recipes you may enjoy
If you like the sound of this Hong Kong french toast, you will love my pistachio cream brioche french toast and pistachio croissant with homemade pistachio cream. Also don’t miss my salted caramel bread and butter brioche pudding with nutella.
Made this recipe and loved it?
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PrintHong Kong French Toast with Hazelnut Creme
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: Serves 1-2 1x
- Category: Brunch
- Method: Pan-frying
- Cuisine: Hong Kong
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
For the Hong Kong french toast:
- 3 thick slices of brioche
- 2 heaped tablespoon hazelnut creme
- 2 large eggs
- 30ml full-fat milk
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Knob of butter
For the chocolate whipped cream:
- 150ml double cream
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- pinch of sea salt
To serve:
- Hazelnut creme, to drizzle
- Fresh raspberries
Instructions
- Spread one slice of brioche with a generous layer of hazelnut creme. Top with another slice of brioche (to create a sandwich) and spread generously with the remaining hazelnut creme. Top with the final slice of brioche to make a big three-tiered brioche sandwich. Remove the crusts and set aside.
- In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla extract to combine. Dip the brioche sandwich into the egg mixture, turning to coat both sides. Take care not to submerge it for too long or it will go soggy.
- Heat a knob of butter in a medium-sized non-stick frying pan and set over a medium heat. Once the butter is foaming, swirl to coat the base of the pan, then add the brioche sandwich.
- Fry for about 1 minute - or until golden brown underneath. Using a spatula or palette knife, carefully flip it over and continue to cook for about 1 more minute - or until golden brown on both sides. Then turn and cook the edges until golden - they should take around 30 seconds each.
- Meanwhile, make the chocolate whipped cream: pour the double cream into a medium-sized bowl. Sift in the cocoa powder and add a drizzle of maple syrup, followed by a pinch of sea salt. Whisk until you have medium peaks. Taste and adjust the sweetness/saltiness, as necessary.
- Pop onto a plate and slice in half. Serve with a dollop of the chocolate whipped cream, a drizzle of hazelnut creme and a handful of fresh raspberries, if desired.
Notes
Scroll up for a helpful step by step guide on how to make this recipe.
Hazelnut creme: you can make your own or use a shop bought one. I love the Italian hazelnut creme from M&S. Alternatively, swap for any other sweet spread you like. My homemade pistachio cream is delicious. So is Lotus biscoff spread (especially if you like my biscoff blondies) or nutella. If you are feeling luxurious, a gianduja spread is so good. You can also keep it traditional and stick with peanut butter.
Whipped cream: take care to whip the cream just to medium peaks for the chocolate whipped cream. If you over whip, it will split and you will eventually get something akin to butter.
Serving suggestions: I love serving this Hong Kong french toast with chocolate whipped cream and fresh raspberries. However, you can simply drizzle with melted dark chocolate or add a scoop of ice cream, if you prefer.
Berries: you can use whatever berries you like. Pitted cherries, strawberries, blueberries and blackberries all work well too. Alternatively, serve with a spoonful of berry compote.
Nuts: for extra flavour and texture, I sometimes sprinkle this Hong Kong french toast with toasted nuts. Flaked almonds, chopped hazelnuts or pistachios all work well. Remember to toast the first to really bring out the flavour.
Make ahead: this Hong Kong french toast is best straight after cooking. However, you can whip the chocolate cream in advance and keep it covered and chilled in the fridge for up to 24 hours. You can also make the hazelnut creme sandwich ahead of time and keep tightly wrapped in cling film in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Bear in mind, once dipped in the sweetened egg, it is best to fry off and enjoy straight away.
To store: Any leftovers can be transferred to an airtight container and place in the fridge for 1-2 days.
To reheat: Reheat either in the air fryer (180c for 7-10 minutes), in the oven (180c for 10-15 minutes) or my favorite way: in a pan. Melt some butter over medium heat and reheat the french toast for 5 minutes a side until crispy and hot all the way through. The exact timings of all of these will depend on the thickness of your brioche slices, so just make sure it’s totally hot before serving.
To freeze: This recipe is best enjoyed fresh and hot from the pan, so I wouldn’t go out of my way to make this for the freezer. But if you have leftovers that you don’t want to eat right away, you can wrap tightly in clingfilm and a layer of foil. Freeze for a month. When ready to eat, defrost in the fridge then reheat (see above).
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