French Toast Basics

• French toast is basically a type of bread pudding. The eggs and milk combine to soften the bread, creating a custard as the toast cooks. Although you can swap out a bit of the milk for orange juice, don't replace the milk entirely. The fat in the milk creates a creamy texture and keeps the bread from breaking down completely. French toast made with orange juice alone will likely be mushy or even grainy.

Worth Waking Up For

• Use orange juice as a flavor enhancer, rather than a substitute for milk, in French toast. Replace up to 1/4 cup of the milk in your French toast with orange juice, or better yet, use 1/4 cup of orange juice in addition to the milk. The orange juice imparts a fresh, citrus flavor to the toast. For added flavor, add orange zest or some orange extract, along with the orange juice. Squeeze a bit of juice from a fresh orange into warm maple syrup for a delicious topping.

Other Dairy Products

• Although you can't swap out orange juice for all of the milk in French toast, you can use other dairy products. Use half and half or table cream for some of the milk for an ultracreamy version, or try evaporated milk instead. Canned evaporated milk is made by removing most of the water in the milk, leaving a creamy product that is shelf stable.

Nondairy Alternatives

• For nondairy alternatives to milk, substitute almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk or rice milk. These products contain some fat, and they perform similarly to milk in French toast. Some nondairy products, such as coconut milk or vanilla-flavored soy milk, may impart extra sweetness, allowing you to reduce sugar in the batter or toppings.