If you've been here for a while, you know that I consider breakfast it's own food group. It's my absolute favorite meal of the day, the most fun to develop recipes for, and the tastiest in my opinion. Sometimes I wish I could get all my nutrition from just breakfast foods!

When I did some polls on Instagram back in October for holiday content, the majority of you asked for baking recipes rather than savory recipes (which is totally understandable!) but when I checked my analytics every so often, the posts that had the best stats were always breakfast recipes.

So it got me thinking...what if I made my breakfasts extra sweet and almost dessert-like? I mean, who doesn't love dessert for breakfast?! And who doesn't want dessert for Christmas breakfast?!

Today's blog post is nothing short of a sweet breakfast that should be a dessert but it's secretly healthy and oh-so-addicting. This Healthy Gingerbread French Toast with a Sweet Molasses Icing is what Christmas breakfast dreams are made of, especially Christmas breakfast of 2020!

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Ingredients you'll need

• Multigrain bread: this is the bread I used for this recipe, but really any brand will work. I also love Dave's Killer Bread!
• Large eggs: the key ingredient to a classic French toast. Soaking the bread in eggs softens the bread, but pan frying gives a nice toasted bread too. Make sure the eggs are whipped very well, to the point where the mixture is bubbly; this keeps the batter light and the tops crispy!
• Egg whites: for a boost of protein and extra liquid. I always keep a carton of egg whites in my fridge for this exact reason, but if you don't have egg whites (or want to separate the yolks yourself) you can just use more milk.
• Almond milk: I love using almond milk to give a boost of heart-healthy fats without lots of calories. It also settles better with my stomach early in the morning. You can use any milk you like!
• Cozy gingerbread spices: a unique blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves really brings out the iconic "gingerbread" flavor. If you have actual gingerbread spice on hand, feel free to use that! Two tablespoons will work wonderfully.
• Blackstrap molasses: the healthiest of the types of molasses'. If you can't find any at your local grocery store, choose a dark unsulphured molasses.
• Fat-free cream cheese: the base for the homemade Sweet Molasses Syrup. It literally tastes like the frosting on a gingerbread cookie!
• Stevia: my favorite alternative to white sugar. Stevia measures cup-for-cup in baking for white sugar but contains no calories. This is a pantry staple in my home, so you'll see it in a lot of my refined sugar-free recipes! You can grab a bag of Stevia here on Amazon.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this Gingerbread French Toast gluten-free or dairy-free?

Yes! Just use your favorite gluten-free bread and vegan cream cheese.

Can I make this french toast recipe ahead of time?

Yes! You can totally make the french toast ahead of time, especially if you like to meal prep, but I recommend making the syrup fresh on the first day you want to use it. It will thicken the longer it stays in the fridge.

What equipment do I need to make homemade french toast?

You can make homemade french toast a few different ways: 

• In a skillet on the stove, one at a time
• On a pancake griddle like this one
• On a crepe griddle like this one

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What's the difference between blackstrap molasses and unsulphured molasses?

Unsulphured molasses has not been treated with sulphur dioxide, a chemical preservative, whereas sulphured molasses has sulphur dioxide added to it to extend its shelf life. Each type of molasses (light, dark, and blackstrap) can be labeled as unsulphured. So, in that sense, what you need to look for is the color of molasses when you're shopping.

Molasses is made from boiling down sugar cane and extracting the sugar crystals until a thick syrup is left. Each time the sugar is boiled down, the remaining syrup is less sweet but retains more of the vitamins and minerals.

Light molasses has been boiled once and is the sweetest of the three. It's also the lightest in color and the most mild in flavor.

Dark molasses has been boiled twice and is thicker, darker, and less sweet than light molasses.

Blackstrap molasses is the final product after three rounds of boiling and contains the most vitamins and minerals. It is also the darkest, thickest, strongest in flavor, and least sweet of the three types of molasses'.

This blackstrap molasses is not only deemed healthy by food scientists but a superfood as well. It contains essential vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium, vitamini B6, potassium, and 20% of the daily recommended intake of iron (according to Healthline). It's no wonder this recipe recommends using blackstrap molasses!

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How to make gingerbread french toast

I love homemade French toast because it's quite simple to make and it always hits the spot, especially for a special Christmas breakfast. Let's bread this down into three simple steps:

Step 1: prepare the egg mixture. In a large, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves. The eggs should be light and bubbly.

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Step 2: cook the Gingerbread French Toast. One by one, soak each piece of bread in the egg mixture on both sides, then place on a heated skillet or griddle. Cook for 3-4 minutes, flip, then cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.

Step 3: make the Sweet Molasses Syrup. Whip the cream cheese until smooth. Add in the molasses and whip until smooth and the color is dark. Finally, add the milk and Stevia, whipping until smooth. Add more Stevia for a thicker icing or more milk for a thinner icing, according to personal preference. Serve generously over your Healthy Gingerbread French Toast and devour!

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More Christmas breakfast recipes

The Best Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Amazing Apple Pie German Pancakes

Strawberry Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Pancakes

Strawberries and Cream Buttermilk Pancakes

Easy Fudgy Triple Chocolate Banana Bread

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Whether you're serving Christmas breakfast or just need a sweet and healthy breakfast in general, this Gingerbread French Toast is sure to hit the spot!

Be sure to leave a star rating and review if you try this recipe so other readers know how you liked it! I also love seeing my recipe in your homes so snap a picture and tag me on Instagram!