This recipe for Vietnamese Coffee French Toast infuses the flavours of robust Vietnamese coffee and creamy condensed milk in the custard. It's pan-fried until golden brown and then drizzled with more condensed milk.

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If you enjoy the caffeine in the form of food, you'll want to pay attention to this French Toast recipe.

I drew inspiration from the flavours of Vietnamese Coffee, which is a favourite in our home.

I had some day-old thick-cut toast lying around and wanted to infuse some coffee flavour into it.

Why this recipe works

The flavour of the coffee in the French toast is subtle yet nuanced.

It comes together very quickly, in under 30 minutes.

If you're a Vietnamese coffee lover, you'll love this recipe.

The recipe requires only a few ingredients.

Ingredients you'll need

hot water: to brew the coffee
coffee grounds: use a chicory coffee or any dark roast coffee; if you like a stronger coffee flavour, you can use more coffee grounds
condensed milk: which is a rich and thick, sweetened milk; sweeten to your taste
large egg
butter: unsalted
thick-cut toast: preferably day-old; I like to use a challah, or Texas-style toast which will soak up the custard nicely

How to make the French toast

How to make Vietnamese-style coffee

Make the coffee using a Vietnamese coffee phin filter, which is a perforated stainless steel filter that allows the coffee to drip through the grounds.

Pour the hot water over the coffee phin filter and let the coffee drip slowly into a heat-safe drinking glass.

Note: you can tighten or loosen the knob on the phin to adjust how quickly the coffee drips. For a stronger, intense brew, tighten the knob.

Add condensed milk to the coffee.

Whisk the egg into the coffee and milk mixture. (Note: adding egg to coffee is actually a style of Vietnamese coffee, named Ca phe trung).

Assemble:

Pour the coffee mixture into a shallow bowl.

Dip a thick-cut toast into the mixture on both sides.

Tip: don't oversoak the toast; dip the bread until the surface is just saturated

Cook:

Heat a frying pan over medium-low heat.

Add 1 teaspoon butter to the pan and swirl it around.

Place the toast into the pan and pan-fry over medium low heat for about 4-5 minutes on each side.

Note: this French toast does have a tendency to burn so keep an eye on it.

How to serve & store

Serve warm with extra condensed milk drizzled on top.

You can store any leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

To reheat the Vietnamese Coffee French Toast, you can microwave the bread until warmed through.

FAQs & troubleshooting

Can I double the recipe?

Yes, you can double the recipe and make 4 full toasts.

Can I use regular sandwich bread?

Yes, you can use regular bread; just be sure not to soak the bread too long in the custard mixture.

You may need to use more bread to soak up all the custard (since it's thinner than Texas toast).

I prefer a stronger coffee taste

You can increase the amount of coffee grounds for the drip coffee, but don't increase the amount of water.

I don't like it too sweet

You can decrease the amount of condensed milk in the custard and/or increase the amount of coffee.

Can I use regular milk in place of condensed milk?

You can use regular milk, however you may need to add a little sugar to it.

Note: regular milk is less thick and rich than condensed milk.

Other recipes you may like

If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like:

Cà Phê Sữa đá (Vietnamese Iced Coffee)

Matcha French Toast

Pandan French Toast

Easy Double-Baked Almond Croissants

Pandan Cold Brew Coffee

This rich, lightly sweetened Vietnamese Coffee French Toast brings together the flavours of coffee and toast all together.

Let me know if you try out this recipe -- be sure to tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!

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5 from 14 votes