Add Triple Sec To Your French Toast For An Easy Boozy Upgrade

When it comes to tasty weekend brunch foods, french toast is never a bad dish to serve. Not only does it taste delicious, but it also comes together pretty quickly, making it a solid choice when you don't want to spend hours in the kitchen trying to whip up a big breakfast spread.

Another perk of making french toast is that there are plenty of ways to boost its flavor just by pairing it with additional toppings or using a few extra ingredients in your recipe. One add-in that can really enhance the taste and give it a fun adult twist is triple sec.

Triple sec is an orange liqueur that has an alcohol content ranging anywhere from 15 to 40%, depending on the brand. When you incorporate it into your french toast, it adds a boozy sensation and a light citrus flavor that brightens up your morning meal. Better yet, triple sec is pretty affordable, and most cocktail enthusiasts already have it on hand, making it a simple yet effective way to transform a classic breakfast food.

To add triple sec to your french toast, all you have to do is stir in around 1 tablespoon of the liqueur for every egg in your batter. Pair that with the usual whisked eggs, milk (or heavy cream for a richer dish) and you've got a tasty, boozy batter for dipping your bread in.

While you can leave it at that, you can also enhance the orange flavor even more by adding a bit of orange zest and/or juice to the batter. Either swap the triple sec for an equal amount of orange juice if you don't want booze in your meal, or replace about half of the liquid called for in the batter with orange juice (in addition to the triple sec) to really boost the citrus taste and complement the liqueur. The latter option can work particularly well for making the french toast ahead of time and leaving it to soak overnight.

You can also deepen the flavor of spiked french toast by stirring in some cinnamon or nutmeg or a splash of vanilla extract. These ingredients pair well with the citrus flavor, adding nuance to your breakfast.

Besides triple sec, there are plenty of other boozy french toast additions to be enjoyed. For one thing, you can get a similar triple sec taste by playing around with other orange liqueurs, such as Grand Marnier, or even varying types of curaçao liquors. If you like fruity flavors but aren't into orange, adding a splash of brandy could be a good move. Pair that with some apple compote, and you've got a delicious twist on the meal.

You can also move away from citrus liqueurs and go for something more neutral. Adding whiskey to your french toast, for instance, is another fun, boozy way to enhance your meal, especially if you pair it with a splash of vanilla extract. Or, try nutty flavors such as a tasty hazelnut Frangelico or an almond amaretto. Finally, you can always skip the alcohol in the actual french toast and just add booze to your whipped cream. You'll still get a light alcohol taste and a unique flavor, but it means you can still serve the toast to youngsters and those who don't drink.