Sweet Potato French Toast

Use leftover mashed sweet potato to make this sinfully delicious sweet potato french toast! Pair it with apple cider maple syrup and whipped creme fraiche for a delightful fall brunch.

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Apple cider: Contributes a sweet and tangy flavor to the cider syrup, adding depth and complexity to the French toast. Its reduction creates a rich and flavorful syrup that complements the sweetness of the dish.
• Creme fraiche: Adds a creamy and tangy element to the whipped topping, balancing the sweetness of the French toast and cider syrup. Its luxurious texture enhances the overall indulgence of the dish. If you can't find creme fraiche, you can omit it.
• Mashed sweet potato: Mashed sweet potato provides moisture, sweetness, and a hint of earthy flavor to the French toast batter. You can use mashed sweet potatoes that have been prepared with cream and butter or plain mashed sweet potatoes without any additional ingredients.
• Eggs: Eggs serve as a binding agent in the French toast batter, helping to hold the ingredients together while providing structure and richness. They also contribute to the golden brown color and custardy texture of the cooked French toast.
• Cinnamon: Fnfuses the French toast batter with warm and aromatic notes, enhancing its flavor profile with a hint of spice and complimenting the apple cider syrup and mashed sweet potatoes.
• Thick white bread: Use any type of thick white bread such as challah, brioche, French bread, or Texas toast.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Prepare apple cider syrup

Before you prepare the french toast, make the apple cider syrup. Combine apple cider with maple syrup and brown sugar in a medium pot and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes or until it's reduced by half.

The syrup will thicken slightly as it cools so make sure not to reduce it more than by half. You can also make the syrup a couple of days beforehand. I made a batch of this syrup, served it with apple pretzel pie bars, and saved the rest for this breakfast.

While the syrup is reducing, make the whipped creme fraiche. Whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form and fold in creme fraiche until fully incorporated.

You might be wondering, why even bother with the creme fraiche? The rich creme fraiche adds a slightly tangy flavor to the whipped cream while adding a smoother and more velvety texture. It's an easy way to elevate plain whipped cream and I highly recommend it.

Step 2: Make batter

Next, make the sweet potato french toast batter. Combine leftover mashed sweet potatoes with egg whites, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt in a Vitamix and blend until smooth. The batter will be thicker than regular french toast batter.

If your mashed sweet potatoes were particularly thick resulting in a too thick french toast batter, add a splash of milk to loosen it.

Step 3: Cook french toast

Now that all the components are ready, it's time to cook the french toast. Dip thick slices of white bread in the batter, scraping off the excess. If you can, buy a loaf of bread and slice it yourself to adjust the thickness of each slice.

Heat a griddle over medium-low heat and melt 1 tablespoon of batter. Place the bread in an even layer and cook until golden brown on both sides. If you don't have a griddle, you can also use a nonstick pan.

Whenever I use a griddle, I have to rotate the slices of french toast around while it's cooking to ensure even browning. Some spots get hotter than others so it's important to know which side is which.

Continue cooking all the bread slices and serve the french toast with a dollop of whipped creme fraiche and apple cider syrup. If the syrup is too thick, pop it in the microwave for a few seconds until it warms up.

The sweet potato french toast alone is already good but the whipped creme fraiche and apple syrup make it exceptional. Every bite is oozing with fall flavors, with notes of cinnamon, sweet potato, and apples. Even if you don't have leftover mashed sweet potatoes, you might want to try this dish anyway!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: The french toast can be cooked ahead of time and kept warm in the oven at 200 degrees F until ready to serve.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Frequently asked questions

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Recipe

Print Recipe

Sweet Potato French Toast

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: french toast

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Cider syrup

• 2 cups apple cider
• ½ cup maple syrup
• ½ cup brown sugar

Whipped crème fraiche

• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• ¼ cup crème fraiche

Sweet potato french toast

• 1 cup mashed sweet potato
• 3 egg whites
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of salt
• 8 slices thick white bread
• 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

• Make the cider syrup. Combine apple cider with maple syrup and brown sugar in a medium saucepot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to low and continue to simmer for 30 minutes or until the syrup has reduced by half.
• Meanwhile, make the whipped crème fraiche. Whip the heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Fold in the crème fraiche. Chill until ready to serve.
• Prepare the batter for the sweet potato french toast. Blend together mashed sweet potato with egg whites, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt until smooth. The batter will be thicker than the normal french toast batter.
• Dip the sliced bread into the batter, scraping off the excess. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a griddle or non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Cook the french toast until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, another 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, melt another tablespoon of butter, and repeat with the remaining bread.
• Serve sweet potato french toast with cider syrup and whipped crème fraiche.

Notes

The cider syrup can be prepared up to 5 days in advance. The syrup thicken as it cools so if it gets too thick, reheat it on the stovetop or in the microwave until warm.