The Best French Toast (Hong Kong Style) With Peanut Butter & Maple Pecans
If you’ve never had Hong Kong–style French toast, I’m going to say this plainly:
it might be the best version of French toast on earth.
I didn’t grow up eating this. I didn’t learn it in restaurants. I didn’t even know it existed until I went to Vancouver, BC, and ate at Newtown Bakery, where I had my first bite and immediately understood why people obsess over it.
This isn’t your soft, custardy brunch French toast.
This is fried, aggressively golden, crackly at the edges, soaked in egg, and stuffed with something rich. You can literally see strands of fried egg crisping off the sides. It’s chaotic in the best way.
This is the kind of dish that reminds you food doesn’t need to be subtle to be great.
Below is my version: peanut butter and cream cheese filling, fried shokupan, maple-candied pecans, and maple whipped cream. It’s decadent, textural, and absolutely worth making.
What Is Hong Kong–Style French Toast?
At its core, Hong Kong–style French toast is:
- Thick white bread (often milk bread)
- Crusts removed
- Filled (traditionally peanut butter)
- Fully soaked in egg
- Deep fried, not pan-fried
- Finished with butter, syrup, or condensed milk
The frying is what changes everything.
Instead of soft custard, you get crisp edges, creamy centers, and intense flavor.
Once I had it, I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
Peanut Butter Filling
- Peanuts, skin-on – 300 g (about 2 cups)
- Granulated sugar – 25 g (2 tbsp)
- Fine salt – 2 g (¼ tsp)
- Cream cheese, softened – 225 g (1 cup)
French Toast
- Shokupan (Japanese milk bread) – 4 thick slices (about 240 g total) Sub: thick Texas toast
- Eggs – 2 large (100 g)
- Heavy cream – 30 g (2 tbsp)
- Sugar – 5 g (1 tsp)
- Salt – 1 g (pinch)
- Neutral oil for frying – about 1 liter (rice bran, canola, or vegetable)
Maple Candied Pecans
- Pecan halves – 200 g (about 2 cups)
- Pure maple syrup – 240 g (1 cup)
- Flaky salt – to finish
Maple Whipped Cream
- Heavy cream – 240 g (1 cup)
- Reserved maple syrup – 30 g (2 tbsp)
How to Make the Best French Toast (Hong Kong Style)
Make the Peanut Butter: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Spread the peanuts on a tray and roast until deeply toasted and fragrant, about 12–15 minutes.
While still warm, add peanuts to a food processor. Add sugar and salt.
Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. This takes time.
Don’t quit early. It can take 6–8 minutes.
While still warm, mix 225 g (1 cup) of the peanut butter with the cream cheese until fully smooth and whipped.
Prep the Bread: Remove the crusts from the bread. This matters. Crusts block absorption and ruin the texture.
Spread a thick layer of the peanut butter filling between two slices.
Press gently to seal.
Repeat for the second sandwich.
Make the Egg Batter
Whisk together:
- Eggs
- Heavy cream
- Sugar
- Salt
Fully drench each sandwich. Don’t rush this. Let it soak.
Fry the French Toast: Heat oil to 350°F (175°C). Carefully lower the toast into the oil.
While frying, baste the top with hot oil so it cooks evenly.
Flip occasionally until deeply golden brown on all sides, about 3–4 minutes total.
Remove to a rack and season lightly with salt.
Candy the Pecans: In a small pot, combine pecans and maple syrup. Bring to a boil.
Cook for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened.
Immediately strain the syrup into a container and save it.
Fry the pecans at 350°F until crisp and glossy, about 1–2 minutes.
Drain and finish with flaky salt.
Maple Whipped Cream: Whip heavy cream until soft peaks form. Fold in 2 tablespoons reserved maple syrup.
To Serve: Place the hot French toast on a plate.
Top with:
- Generous rosettes of maple whipped cream
- Candied pecans
- Extra maple syrup if you’re feeling reckless
Eat immediately.
Final Thoughts
This is hands-down one of the best French toasts I’ve ever had.
Crispy, creamy, sweet, salty, and wildly indulgent.
Once you understand Hong Kong–style French toast, regular French toast feels incomplete.
If you want to see where this all started for me, I’ve got my full Vancouver food tour on the blog, including my visit to Newtown Bakery, linked below.
This one’s staying in the rotation.
The Best French Toast (Hong Kong Style)
Ingredients
Peanut Butter Filling
- Peanuts skin-on – 300 g (about 2 cups)
- Granulated sugar – 25 g 2 tbsp
- Fine salt – 2 g ¼ tsp
- Cream cheese softened – 225 g (1 cup)
French Toast
- Shokupan Japanese milk bread – 4 thick slices (about 240 g total)
- Sub: thick Texas toast
- Eggs – 2 large 100 g
- Heavy cream – 30 g 2 tbsp
- Sugar – 5 g 1 tsp
- Salt – 1 g pinch
- Neutral oil for frying – about 1 liter rice bran, canola, or vegetable
Maple Candied Pecans
- Pecan halves – 200 g about 2 cups
- Pure maple syrup – 240 g 1 cup
- Flaky salt – to finish
Maple Whipped Cream
- Maple Whipped Cream
- Heavy cream – 240 g 1 cup
- Reserved maple syrup – 30 g 2 tbsp
Instructions
Make the Peanut Butter Filling
- Roast peanuts at 350°F (175°C) until deeply toasted, 12–15 minutes.
- Blend warm peanuts with sugar and salt until completely smooth (6–8 minutes).
- While still warm, mix 1 cup (225 g) peanut butter with cream cheese until whipped and smooth.
Assemble the Sandwiches
- Remove crusts from bread.
- Spread a thick layer of filling between two slices and press gently to seal.
- Repeat.
Make the Egg Batter
- Whisk eggs, cream, sugar, and salt.
- Fully soak each sandwich.
Fry the French Toast
- Heat oil to 350°F (175°C).
- Fry sandwiches, basting with hot oil and flipping as needed, until deeply golden, 3–4 minutes total.
- Drain on a rack and season lightly with salt.
Candy the Pecans
- Boil pecans with maple syrup for 5 minutes.
- Strain and reserve syrup.
- Fry pecans at 350°F until crisp and glossy, 1–2 minutes.
- Finish with flaky salt.
Maple Whipped Cream
- Whip cream to soft peaks.
- Fold in 2 tablespoons reserved maple syrup.
To Serve
- Top hot French toast with maple whipped cream, candied pecans, and extra maple syrup.
- Serve immediately.
