French toast is a popular breakfast dish that has been enjoyed for centuries. The basic recipe consists of bread slices dipped in an egg batter and then fried until golden brown. While the original version is quite simple, over time French toast has evolved and variations have emerged. One of the most common enhancements to basic French toast is the addition of cinnamon and sugar for extra flavor and sweetness. This has left some wondering – does IHOP French toast have cinnamon?
The Origin of French Toast
French toast dates back to at least the early 5th century in Rome, when it was referred to as Pan Dulcis. Essentially, it was a way to utilize stale bread by softening it in milk and eggs. The basic concept spread through medieval Europe over the next several centuries. The name “French toast” didn’t emerge until the mid-16th century in France. At that time, it was called pain perdu, meaning “lost bread.” It referred to using stale bread that seemed lost or worthless in an appetizing dish. While cinnamon wasn’t originally part of French toast, it became a popular enhancement later on.
The Addition of Cinnamon
It’s not entirely clear when cinnamon was first paired with French toast. However, by the 19th century, recipes for French toast with cinnamon started appearing more regularly. For example, in the 1839 cookbook The Kentucky Housewife by Lettice Bryan, a recipe for “French Toast” includes cinnamon in the egg batter. Cinnamon provides a warm, slightly spicy flavor that complements the sweetness of typical French toast toppings like syrup or powdered sugar. It adds more complexity and depth of flavor. The popularity of cinnamon French toast continued to grow from there.
The Rise of IHOP
IHOP, which stands for International House of Pancakes, opened its first location in 1958 in Toluca Lake, California. The chain quickly expanded across the U.S. over the following decades. With pancakes as the specialty, IHOP needed to differentiate its menu from competitors. So, in addition to pancakes, they started serving up classics like waffles, crepes, omelets – and French toast.
IHOP’s French Toast Recipes
IHOP first added French toast to its menu in the 1960s. Over the years, they’ve experimented with different batter recipes and toppings. Some of their most popular signature French toast options have included:
- Original French Toast: introduced in the 1960s, IHOP’s classic French toast.
- Stuffed French Toast: launched in 2002 and filled with sweet cream cheese.
- Cinn-a-Stack French Toast: introduced in 2010 and made with cinnamon bread.
- New York Cheesecake French Toast: launched in 2013 and topped with cheesecake filling and strawberry topping.
This variety shows that while some versions are more simple, IHOP has consistently incorporated new flavors like cream cheese and cheesecake over the years. It also indicates that cinnamon has likely been an essential ingredient in their basic French toast recipe since the beginning.
Does IHOP’s French Toast Contain Cinnamon?
So does IHOP’s standard French toast recipe actually contain cinnamon? The answer is yes – cinnamon is included as a key ingredient:
| IHOP French Toast Ingredients |
|---|
| Bread |
| Eggs |
| Milk |
| Vanilla |
| Ground cinnamon |
| Butter or oil for frying |
IHOP uses a classic batter made with eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon for dipping the bread before frying. The cinnamon provides that recognizable sweet spice flavor in every bite. It was likely part of the original 1960s recipe and has remained a key ingredient for over 50 years.
How Much Cinnamon Is in IHOP’s French Toast?
IHOP doesn’t publish the exact amount of each ingredient in their recipes. However, as a major ingredient, the cinnamon is likely more than just a dash or sprinkle. When making French toast at home, recipes generally call for about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon per 3-4 slices of bread. Scaling up, IHOP likely uses a heavier hand with the cinnamon in a large batch – potentially 1-2 tablespoons for a full serving tray of French toast.
Customer Reviews
Overall, IHOP customers consistently praise the chain’s French toast for its enjoyable cinnamon flavor. Here are some examples:
“I’ve been getting French toast at IHOP for years. That cinnamon taste is so good and makes me keep coming back” – Alex from California
“The cinnamon aroma when the French toast comes out is so comforting. The swirl of cinnamon takes a classic up to another level” – Julie from Illinois
“IHOP nails the cinnamon French toast every time. It’s never overpowering but adds that extra warmth” – Ryan from New York
These reviews reinforce that the cinnamon taste is present and balances nicely with the sweetness of the bread and syrup. It’s clearly an integral part of the flavor that customers expect from IHOP’s French toast.
Conclusion
So in summary, while French toast originally started as a plain fried bread dish, the addition of cinnamon has become standard at most restaurants. IHOP joined in on this flavor enhancement early on, recognizing cinnamon’s ability to elevate a simple breakfast into a comforting, satisfying treat. Decade after decade, IHOP has remained committed to its classic French toast recipe complete with a hearty dash of cinnamon. So the next time you enjoy IHOP’s signature French toast, you can be assured that quintessential cinnamon flavor is no accident – it’s an indispensable ingredient of their time-tested recipe.