The Old-School Betty Crocker Trick That Makes French Toast So Much Better

My world was slightly shattered the day that I found out that Betty Crocker wasn’t a real person, but rather a fictional character used to help personalize the brand. (Apologies if I’ve just shattered yours.) Still, it’s from “her” cookbooks that young me learned to make many of the recipes that I still enjoy today—including what I would call the Best French Toast, Ever.

Long before the internet arrived in my home, I would check out cookbooks, along with my Beverly Cleary books, from the library in an effort to teach myself to make recipes that I thought looked good. Some turned out really well. Others, not so well—like the cookies that I accidentally added one-half cup of baking soda to instead of one-half teaspoon. But Betty Crocker’s French toast recipe was a hit right off the bat.

I didn’t realize way back then that the secret to the crisp, fluffy results was flour. And I call it a secret because most French toast recipes don’t include the staple baking ingredient. Adding it to the mix creates a thicker, more cohesive custard that coats the bread, instead of soaking it, which can cause sogginess. It also yields a beautifully golden crust.

Because I have no idea where the notebook that I used to write my recipes in as a child ended up, I recently did a bit of research to see if I could find a copy of the exact recipe from all those years ago. And I did—in the 1978 version of Betty Crocker's Cookbook. After some review, I realized that I must have had some help calculating the measurements (I was, and am still, no good at math), so that I didn’t end up making 18 slices.

Over time, I’ve memorized the calculations and steps by heart.

How to Make Betty Crocker's French Toast

Feel free to follow the original recipe if feeding a crowd, or if you just really like French toast (or Betty Crocker, for that matter). You can also do it my way, which works well with most custard bases. Just keep in mind that you’re looking for a thin, pancake batter consistency. So, little lumps of flour are OK, but too much will give you entirely different results.

Begin by gathering all of the ingredients for your go-to French toast recipe, plus all-purpose flour. If using self-rising flour, do as the original recipe recommends and omit the salt, if yours calls for any. Then remember this ratio: For every 1 cup of milk and 3 eggs (a common custard ratio), whisk in 4 tablespoons of flour.

Once the custard is ready, dip thick slices of bread (challah and brioche are my favorites for this recipe) into the mix until thoroughly coated, then proceed to cook each side on a medium-to-hot, buttered griddle or pan until crisp and golden brown.

That’s it—and it’s as easy and delicious as it sounds.