The Kitchn: This French toast tastes just like a Starbucks caramel macchiato
If you're a fan of Starbucks, there's a pretty good chance you've enjoyed a caramel macchiato at least once in your lifetime. Steamed milk, vanilla syrup, espresso and a drizzle of caramel sauce come together to create something seriously delicious. And it's available year-round!
As a fan of this drink, it only felt natural to recreate those flavors in an unexpected way. Enter this caramel macchiato French toast. The breakfast equivalent to the beloved coffee drink. Thick slices of challah bread are dipped in homemade custard spiked with caramel and espresso powder, then fried in butter until golden. Enjoy a stack with a cup of hot coffee, and you'll be ready to take on the day.
While this recipe uses store-bought caramel sauce to keep things simple, you're more than welcome to make your own. We're partial to this recipe -- which only takes a few ingredients to make and is very rich and buttery -- but any homemade caramel sauce will work. If you're going the store-bought route, we recommend Ghirardelli. It's specifically developed for use in coffee drinks, so it's the perfect thing to replicate the classic macchiato flavor we were after. If you really want to step up your breakfast game, warm up the caramel before drizzling it over your French toast. You can thank us later.
Caramel Macchiato French Toast
Serves 4
For the custard:
1 1/2 cups whole milk, heavy cream, or a combination
6 large eggs
1 cup caramel sauce, plus more for serving
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