This stunning espresso chocolate French toast is a mocha-lover’s dream! Serve slices hot off the griddle with fresh strawberry sauce and plenty of chocolate syrup.

Boring French toast is a big no-no in our house and we may have overcorrected that philosophy today…
I’m only kidding, of course since that’s not possible! If anything we’re just upping the ante today by throwing chocolate, espresso, and strawberries into the mix.

With, of course, my beloved brioche bread serving as a base and soaking up all that chocolate + espresso goodness like a total champ. Breakfast just can’t get any better than this.
This French Toast Features…
- Buttery brioche bread slices
- Rich chocolate and brewed espresso
- A sweet fresh strawberry sauce

Making the French Toast
(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Strawberries
- Honey
- Lemon juice
- Eggs
- Espresso
- Cocoa powder
- Honey
- 2% or skim milk
- Vanilla extract
- Brioche bread
Choosing Your Bread
I recommend going with a loaf of brioche or another sweet enriched bread for this recipe. It’s sturdy, yet light and buttery and goes very well with the chocolate and espresso.
If you don’t have brioche on hand, this recipe will also work great with sliced challah, sourdough, or French bread.

Tips for Perfect French Toast
- Whisk eggs in custard well – you don’t want any egg chunks in the custard that coats the French toast. Whisk the eggs until smooth before adding the milk.
- Brew espresso fresh – if you don’t have an espresso machine you can also use instant espresso powder.
- Cook French toast on griddle or stovetop – if you have a flat-top griddle, this works great. Otherwise a big skillet on the stove will also work perfectly fine.
- Serve French toast immediately – French toast is one of those things you definitely want to enjoy straight off the griddle for best results.
Recipe Variations
Try these ideas for a different twist on this French toast.
- Use another fruit – try raspberries or blackberries in place of the strawberries.
- Try another topping – try topping French toast with caramel sauce, maple syrup, or hot fudge sauce.

This really is the epitome of a weekend breakfast! The fresh strawberry sauce stands so well against the rich chocolate and espresso flavor and every bite just melts in your mouth.
No one will ever be disappointed with this on your brunch menu, I can promise you that.
Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

More French toast you’ve gotta try next!
Espresso Chocolate French Toast with Strawberry Sauce
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Ingredients
Strawberry Sauce
- 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
Espresso Chocolate French Toast
- 3 large eggs
- 1 shot espresso (about 2 oz)
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
- 2/3 cup 2% or skim milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Melted unsalted butter for cooking
- 12 slices brioche bread
- Chocolate syrup and powdered sugar for serving
Instructions
Strawberry Sauce
- In a medium bowl, combine all sauce ingredients. Allow to stand for 10 minutes until berries are juicy.
Espresso Chocolate French Toast
- In a large shallow bowl, whisk eggs until smooth. Add espresso, cocoa, honey, milk, and vanilla and whisk well until smooth.
- Brush melted butter on a griddle or large skillet. Working in batches as necessary, begin dipping bread slices into egg mixture and place on griddle or skillet. Cook 2-4 minutes on first side, flip, and continue cooking French toast until golden brown. Repeat cooking with remaining bread, adding more butter to pan as needed.
- Serve French toast warm with strawberry sauce, chocolate syrup, and powdered sugar on top. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
This post was updated with new recipe adjustments and photos on 4/1/26.


Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says
I am such a French toast person… way better than savory breakfasts!! This version looks so good… you can’t go wrong with mocha in the morning!! And our local strawberry stands are just starting to open up, so this is perfect!
Sarah says
Ahhhh! So jealous that you have strawberries in season already, Jess!