Texas French Toast

A rich, cozy Texas-style French toast coffee creamer with warm maple syrup, cinnamon sugar, buttery custard, toasted pecan, and a soft bourbon finish. Basically thick-cut French toast put on boots, grabbed a handful of pecans, and decided coffee needed more swagger.

May 2026 Flavor of the Month

Ingredients

Pecan Cream Infusion

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 cups heavy cream

Texas French Toast Creamer

2 cups pecan-infused heavy cream

1 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup real maple syrup

1 tablespoon custard powder

2–3 tablespoons cream, for slurry

1 teaspoon maple extract

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon butter extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 tablespoon bourbon

Optional “Texas Toast” Upgrade

Extra 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar for a deeper syrupy flavor

Extra 1/4 teaspoon maple extract for a stronger maple hit

Extra few drops butter extract for more buttery toast flavor

Tiny pinch of smoked salt for a subtle toasted campfire finish

Extra 1–2 tablespoons toasted pecans during the infusion for a stronger pecan backbone

Instructions

Toast the pecans — Add chopped pecans to a dry pan over medium-low heat. Toast until fragrant and golden, stirring often. Do not walk away from them unless you enjoy the flavor of regret.

Infuse the cream — Add the toasted pecans and heavy cream to a saucepan. Simmer gently over low heat for 15–20 minutes. Do not boil.

Steep the pecans — Remove from heat, cover, and let the pecans steep in the cream for 20–30 minutes.

Strain the cream — Strain out the pecans and return the pecan-infused cream to the saucepan.

Heat the base — Add the dark brown sugar and maple syrup to the pecan-infused cream. Warm over medium-low heat, whisking until fully dissolved and steaming.

Make the slurry — In a small bowl, whisk the custard powder with 2–3 tablespoons of cream until completely smooth.

Thicken the base — Slowly whisk the custard slurry into the warm cream mixture. Continue whisking for 1–2 minutes, just until slightly thickened.

Add the flavor — Remove from heat. Stir in the maple extract, vanilla extract, butter extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and bourbon.

Cool and store — Let cool completely, then transfer to a glass bottle or jar. Refrigerate and shake well before using.

Coffee Pairing

This creamer is rich, sweet, and layered, so it needs a coffee that can hold its ground without turning bitter or stomping all over the maple-custard-pecan situation.

A smooth medium roast is the sweet spot.

HEB Casa Olé | San Antonio works especially well here because it has enough body to keep the cup tasting like coffee, but not so much roast intensity that it fights the creamer. It keeps everything balanced: warm maple, creamy custard, toasted pecan, and that soft bourbon finish.

Basically, it keeps this from becoming dessert soup. Which, admittedly, still sounds pretty good.

Pro Tips

Use the slurry — Custard powder needs help dissolving smoothly. Adding it straight to the pot can create lumps.

Toast the pecans properly — This is where the pecan flavor comes from. Pale pecans give weak flavor. You want fragrant, golden, and lightly roasty.

Don’t rush the steep — The resting time after simmering is where the pecan flavor really settles into the cream.

Keep the heat low — Heavy cream and custard powder both behave better when treated gently.

Day 2 is better — After a night in the fridge, the maple, custard, cinnamon, pecan, and bourbon smooth out and become more cohesive.

Shake before using — Natural ingredients can separate. That’s normal. Give it a good shake and let it do its thing.

Flavor Notes

This one drinks like buttery French toast drenched in maple syrup, with warm cinnamon, a rich custard middle, toasted pecans underneath, and a soft bourbon warmth on the finish.

Comforting, but not basic.

Sweet, but not flat.

A little Southern, a little brunchy, and very much the kind of creamer that makes plain coffee feel underdressed.