The Best Baklava French Toast Recipe Ever

When it comes to delicious and sweet breakfasts, this might take the cake. I never knew this combination was possible, but I was determined to make it work! With the sweet cinnamon and crunchy pistachios, it was a match made in heaven. The process was easy and instead of maple syrup, you have a delicious orange syrup instead!

The Syrup

There are 3 small parts to making this recipe, the filling, the syrup, and the French toast! First for the syrup, you only need 4 ingredients. In a small pot on high heat, add 3/4 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp honey, and 1 tsp orange extract. Let this come to a boil then turn the heat down to a simmer. Simmer for about 6-7 minutes. Stir and make sure all the ingredients are mixed in. Remove from heat and let it cool. It will thicken slightly into more of a syrup texture. It is not supposed to be as thick as maple syrup so just keep that in mind!

The Filling

For the filling, add to a food processor or blender either 1 cup of pistachios or 1/2 cup pistachios and 1/2 cup walnuts and cashews mixed. I did a nut mix to get all flavors of nuts, but just pistachios is just as delicious and some baklava recipes only use that nut. Pulse until finely chopped.

Empty the finely chopped nuts into a bowl and add sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir and set aside. Now it is the last part, the traditional French toast. For the bread I used stale Challah bread. I find that this bread is mildly sweet and soft, so it absorbs the egg batter perfectly.

The French Toast

To a small bowl, add your eggs, milk, and cinnamon. Whisk thoroughly. When you cut the challah do not cut too thick or too thin. About 1 inch slices at the most. Next, one you have your slice, cut down the middle of that slice about 3/4th the way but not cutting all the way through. We will be using that in between area to add the nut mixture.

Dip the stuffed toast into the egg mixture and soak each side for 10-15 seconds. The more stale the bread, the longer you will need to soak. Just do not over soak to the point it is soggy. In a buttered pan on low to medium heat, add your French toasts. Cook until each side is golden brown and the inside of the toast is warm and the sugar has just begun to melt into the bread.

To plate up, add your toast, spoon some of the orange syrup and sprinkle with some finely chopped pistachios. Seriously, the subtle crunch of the pistachios is amazing and adds a a beautifully nuttiness to the already classic dish!