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The Ultimate Zucchini Bread French Toast

This eggy zucchini bread recipe makes for perhaps the best Ultimate French Toast I’ve ever encountered. It’s spectacular, especially when served up in the decadent manner described below, with fresh whipped cream, toasted pecans, warm maple syrup, and some softened, melted butter.
This recipe takes dedication to make for breakfast, as you should probably be baking the zucchini bread the night before you intend to slice it up and prepare the French Toast. Soaking the slices briefly in some gently sweetened cream and eggs before griddling makes for a special celebratory treat to share with loved ones. I plan to make this again, tomorrow.
If you only intend to cook up a few slices, scale down the recipe provided below, which is intended for the whole zucchini loaf.

Ingredients

For the Zucchini Bread Loaf:

  • 2 tsp unsalted butter (softened)
  • 45 grams dark brown sugar
  • 90 grams white granulated sugar
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • Zest of ½ orange
  • 60 grams vegetable oil
  • 3 Tbsp sour cream (about 45 grams)
  • 2 whole eggs (plus 1 egg white)
  • ¾ tsp Kosher salt
  • 90 grams whole milk
  • 230 grams all-purpose flour
  • 400 grams shredded zucchini

For the Zucchini French Toast Soaking Ingredients:

  • 4 whole eggs (whisked)
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 3 Tbsp white granulated sugar
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • A tiny pinch of Kosher salt

For the Extras:

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp white granulated sugar
  • Fifteen grains of Kosher salt (a very tiny pinch)
  • ½ cup pecans (roughly chopped and lightly toasted)
  • 8 Tbsp 1 stick salted butter, softened, for cooking and serving
  • 8 oz 1 cup Pure Maple Syrup, warmed up, for serving

Instructions 

For the Zucchini Bread Loaf:

  • Preheat the oven to 335˚F.
  • Combine the softened butter with the brown sugar, white sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground allspice, orange zest, vegetable oil, sour cream, eggs and the extra egg white, along with some Kosher salt and whole milk.
  • Mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed, and then mix in the flour.
  • Stir until no lumps remain.
  • Add the shredded zucchini, and mix until combined.
  • Butter a bread loaf pan liberally on the inside surfaces.
  • Add the zucchini bread batter to the buttered loaf pan.
  • Bake the loaf at 335˚F for roughly 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cooked loaf comes out clean.
  • Allow the zucchini loaf to rest at room temperature for fifteen minutes.
  • Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan, to ensure easier removal of the cooked loaf.
  • Turn the loaf pan upside-down, and carefully remove the cooked zucchini loaf from the pan.
  • Cut the loaf into slices for French toast.

For the Zucchini Bread French Toast Soaking Stage:

  • Whisk together the whole eggs, heavy cream, white granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, and ground ginger.
  • Add a tiny pinch of Kosher salt, and stir to combine.
  • Place your sliced zucchini bread into a casserole dish, and pour the sweetened egg and heavy cream mixture over the loaf.
  • Allow the slices to soak in the liquid for roughly thirty minutes, turning them over halfway through to ensure they are soaking evenly.

For the Extras:

  • While the bread is soaking, make your whipped cream.
  • For the whipped cream, whisk together the heavy cream, vanilla extract, white granulated sugar, and a very small pinch of salt together in a bowl using a hand mixer.
  • When the whipped cream reaches soft peaks, transfer the mix to the fridge until you are ready to serve.
  • Lightly toast ½ cup of pecans, and then roughly chop the toasted nuts and set them aside.
  • When you are ready to start cooking your French toast, butter your griddle and add the soaked zucchini bread slices.
  • Griddle both sides over medium heat until golden-brown, and then place on a serving tray.
  • Serve the Zucchini Bread French Toast with extra butter, fresh whipped cream, toasted pecans, and some warm Maple syrup!

Notes

You can make the zucchini bread a few days in advance of serving it.
I loved learning the French expression for French Toast, “pain perdu”, which roughly translates to “lost bread”. In this sense, you can use some leftover zucchini bread that has been sitting in your fridge for four days.
It’s a great way to use any leftover Zucchini bread, if you have any, even if they are a bit dated. And it’s an awesome way to serve up this Zucchini Bread French Toast for an epic breakfast fit for champions.