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London fog french toast
You know those moments when you’re staring into your morning cup of tea, and inspiration just hits? That’s exactly how this London Fog French Toast came to be. I actually fell in love with the flavor and scent of the bergamot in Earl Grey tea many years ago on a trip to New Orleans. I stopped into a coffee shop one night and ordered my first London Fog (earl grey tea, cream, vanilla, and honey) and I have never looked back. Every time I bury my nose in a cup of one, it takes me back!
So when thinking fo new French Toast recipes, I can’t explain why it hit me to try this particular combination, other than it felt so obvious! I’d been experimenting with tea-infused desserts for months, trying to capture that ethereal bergamot essence in different ways. The real breakthrough came when I realized that the milk and cream mixture for French toast could be the perfect vehicle for tea infusion. Why hadn’t I thought of this before? It’s basically a London Fog latte in breakfast form!
This isn’t your regular French toast – though don’t get me wrong, I love the classic version too. The London Fog French Toast takes everything you love about the traditional breakfast favorite but elevates it with sophisticated tea-infused custard. The bergamot in Earl Grey tea adds this subtle citrusy-floral note that works beautifully with honey and vanilla.
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London Fog French Toast
This London Fog French Toast is a cozy weekend breakfast upgrade featuring thick slices of bread soaked in Earl Grey-infused custard, with hints of honey and vanilla – simple ingredients that come together to make something special.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
Ingredients
- 12 thick slices day-old bread (any bread will do, brioche is great but white bread is fine!)
- 3/4 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 Earl Grey tea bags
- 3 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- Butter for cooking
Instructions
- Heat milk and cream until warm (not boiling). Add tea bags and steep for 5-7 minutes. Remove bags, add honey, and mix until dissolved. Let mixture cool completely.
- Whisk cooled honey-tea-infused milk mixture with eggs, vanilla, and salt.
- Soak bread slices in custard mixture for 30 seconds per side.
- Cook in buttered skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Drizzle with extra honey, or sprinkle with orange zest to garnish.
The star of the show in this London Fog French Toast is obviously the Earl Grey tea. You’ll want to use a good quality tea – those bergamot notes are crucial. I’ve found that using two tea bags gives just the right intensity without overwhelming the other flavors.
For the bread, thick-cut brioche is great, but any thick-cut bread will do. An eggy, tender crumb creates the perfect structure for soaking up our tea-infused custard while maintaining its shape. Each slice should be about 1-inch thick if you can, but as we all know, basic white bread holds up decently well to an eggy batter too.
The custard base combines whole milk and a splash of heavy cream (this is where we’re infusing our tea), eggs, a touch of honey instead of sugar (it adds depth and complements the bergamot beautifully), and just a wee bit of vanilla extract.
The key is letting the tea mixture cool completely before adding it to your eggs. I learned this the hard way when my impatience led to some partially-cooked egg bits on my brioche. Not exactly the elegant breakfast I was going for.
When you get this right, it’s something special. Each bite starts with that crispy exterior giving way to an impossibly creamy center. The Earl Grey flavor is subtle but distinct – you get those beautiful bergamot notes floating through, enhanced by the honey’s sweetness.
It’s familiar enough to satisfy traditional French toast lovers but unique enough to feel like a completely new experience.
While I love the classic version, I’ve played around with some variations. Lavender honey makes a gorgeous substitute for regular honey, playing up the tea’s floral notes. For a citrusy twist, adding a bit of orange zest over the top of it all once it’s done will work beautifully with the bergamot.
This London Fog French Toast has become my go-to when I want to make breakfast feel special without spending hours in the kitchen. It’s proof that sometimes the best recipes come from simply paying attention to the flavors we already love and reimagining them in new ways.
If you make this London Fog French Toast recipe, let me know what you think!
