Delicious Torrijas Recipe (Spanish French Toast)

In Spain there is a saying that says “Have breakfast like a king” and without a doubt, the torrijas live up to that. 

Although breakfast is one of the most important meals, since that’s where you get the energy to start the day, many times you don’t know what to prepare or eat the same boring toast.

With this torrijas recipe, your boring breakfast problems will be solved, since there is nothing easier and faster than making these Spanish cinnamon french toast in the morning.

A quick Spanish dessert that can be enjoyed anytime.

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Keep scrolling down this article, since I will tell you more about the history of this recipe, how to make it, and some key tips to not fail in the attempt.

Pssst…!!?? You can’t get enough of Spanish dessert recipes? Have a look at my other posts: 

• Mantecados
• Rosquillas de Anís
• Spanish Almond Cake

Background of the Dish

The recipe has its origin in the 1500s when breakfast was being prepared for royalty. 

Legend has it that the chef’s intention was to make Spanish bread pudding, but since he didn’t have the time, he decided to toast the bread instead of cooking it slowly.

Anyways, the recipe for Torrijas has changed a lot over time, which is still good since it allows you to play with the ingredients. 

For example, in its beginnings, wine was used instead of milk to dip the bread, and sugar was not used either.

Today you can enjoy this dish for both breakfast and dessert. Here you can see the best tips on how to serve them according to the moment you want to enjoy them. 

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Things You’ll Need for Torrijas 

To make torrijas you will only need a few ingredients and a saucepan. The main ingredients are bread, eggs, and milk, but as you will see later, you can make some changes.

If you are looking for a Spanish custard dessert recipe, then you should try others such as the Spanish Flan recipe and Leche frita recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 loaf of bread (better if it is from the day before).
• 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) milk
• 3 eggs.
• 2 teaspoons Cinnamon powder (to sprinkle).
• 1 Cinnamon stick.
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) sugar.
• Olive oil.

How to Make Torrijas – Step by Step Guide

1. To start with this authentic Spanish dessert recipe, grab a large saucepan and bring the milk to a boil with 2 cinnamon sticks and the sugar. 

2. While the milk heats up, cut into slices of about 2 cm. thick the whole loaf of bread. The bread doesn’t need to be from the day before, what matters is that the bread doesn’t fall apart. For this, you must control how long it is submerged in the milk.

3. Once the milk with the cinnamon sticks and the sugar has come to a boil, pour it into a deep plate where you will later soak the slices of bread. Prepare another deep plate and beat the three eggs.

4. Heat the frying pan with the oil over high heat so that the torrijas cook quickly and don’t absorb much oil. With the hot oil in the pan and the prepared beaten egg in another dish, dip the bread slices in the milk dish.

5. You don’t have to put them all at once, better to go little by little so that they soak well.

6. When they are soft but without crumbling, take them one by one and roll them in the beaten egg, and from there you pass them to the oil.

7. After that, fry the torrijas in the oil

8. When they are golden on one side, turn them over and wait for them to brown on the other side.

9. Once toasted, remove them to a plate or container with kitchen paper to drain the rest of the oil from the torrijas.

10. Once the torrijas are on the plate, you must crush them with a spatula and sprinkle them with cinnamon. You can also sprinkle powdered sugar, or cinnamon sugar on top, besides adding any syrup of your choice. Now they are ready to serve.

Substitution of Ingredients

My favorite part about making this French toast recipe is that you can make a lot of substitutions in the ingredients, and you will still get a delicious dessert or breakfast dish.

For this Spanish toast, you can use any type of bread. It is better to use bread that is at least one day old since it will hold better into the milk, but you can use fresh bread and just soak it for a shorter amount of time.

When it comes to the milk, whole milk is better, but you can use vegetable milk and skip the step with eggs to turn this into a vegan french toast. 

If you want this to be a fully Spanish dessert, you can add some whipped cream on top, or chocolate chips and nuts to give it more texture. 

Tips on Serving Torrijas 

The torrijas are commonly known as a dessert, but the thing is that most people from Spain eat them during breakfast or as an afternoon snack. 

You can make a fully Andalusian brunch and serve them alongside Spanish turron, alfajores, and a variety of tapas for the savory option. 

In the same way that it happens with other Spanish dessert recipes, you can serve these torrijas with any topping of your choice. 

For example, you can put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, some whipped cream, or seasonal fruits.

How to Store Torrijas

The cinnamon french toast recipe is made to be a quick and easy recipe, so it is recommended that you eat it just a few minutes after preparing it.

Although the Spanish french toast cannot be frozen, you can store it for a couple of days in a cool and dry place, preferably covered with a lid or a clean plastic bag. 

Then when you want to eat them, heat them in the oven for 5 minutes or in the pan briefly, avoiding burning.

Recipe Card: Torrijas

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