These French toast sticks are dipped in a rich custard, fried until golden brown, and coated in cinnamon sugar. Look no further for the best breakfast recipe — this is it!
Do you love French toast? Check out our stuffed French toast and savory French toast for more delicious breakfast options.
How To Make French Toast Sticks
These French toast sticks are the bite-sized, on-the-go version of regular French toast. After 15 short minutes and a few simple steps, you’ll experience the wonder of these delicacies for yourself.
- Slice the bread: Cut each slice of bread into four equal sticks. Set aside.
- Mix up the egg custard: In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- Preheat the skillet: Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium-low heat and add a bit of butter.
- Cook the French toast sticks: Dip the bread into the egg mixture, turning to lightly coat each side. Place the sticks in the skillet in batches and cook each side until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining sticks.
- Coat the sticks in cinnamon sugar: Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Mix until well incorporated. After cooking, dip the French toast sticks into the sugar mixture to coat each side. Set aside on a plate.
- Serve the French toast sticks: Serve the French toast sticks warm with your favorite syrup. Enjoy!
Hot tip: For maximum flavor and richness, swap the milk for half-and-half.
Tips for the Best French Toast Sticks
Do you dream of sweet French toast sticks with a fluffy and moist inside and crispy golden brown outside? Take note of the following tips to ensure this recipe fulfills your dreams.
- Use slightly stale bread. Day-old bread is ideal for soaking up all the custardy goodness without falling apart. Almost any kind of bread works — brioche, challah, crusty bread, sourdough, etc. This is your sign to use up leftover bread sitting on your counter!
- Slice the bread thickly. The thicker the slices, the sturdier the French toast sticks are. Thick slices also have a better textural contrast between the moist inside and crispy outside than thin slices.
- Opt for full-fat dairy. French toast gets its creaminess and richness from the custard. Stick with whole milk or half-and-half — low-fat dairy tends to create a watery custard that doesn’t cling to the bread well.
- Avoid over-soaking the sticks. This invites too much liquid into the inside of the bread, resulting in limp and soggy French toast sticks. A quick dip that coats all the sides of the bread is sufficient.
- Turn down the heat. Cook the French toast sticks over medium to medium-low heat to achieve a perfectly golden brown outside and cooked-through inside. At any higher heat, the sticks may burn.
Ways To Serve
French toast sticks are a simple yet indulgent breakfast or brunch dish. Coat the sticks in cinnamon sugar for a fun crunch, or dust them with powdered sugar. They’re even delicious plain! Do you have picky eaters? French toast sticks are guaranteed to be scarfed down by kids, especially when you add syrup for dipping. Go classic with maple syrup, or switch things up with blueberry syrup. Not a fan of sticky-sweet syrup? Dunk your French toast sticks in raspberry jam, strawberry jam, or chocolate ganache. If you’re still hungry, enjoy a slice of hashbrown casserole and smoked salmon toast.
Storage & Reheating
Are you lucky enough to have leftover French toast sticks? Follow these instructions to prolong this delicious experience by properly storing and reheating your leftovers.
- Refrigerator: To store for up to five days, allow the French toast sticks to completely cool, then transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate.
- Freezer: To store for up to two months, place the cooked and cooled French toast sticks on a lined baking sheet and flash freeze them for about 30 minutes. Once frozen, transfer the sticks to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze. Reheat the sticks straight from frozen.
- Reheating: For the crispiest texture and freshest taste, reheat your leftover French toast sticks in the oven or air fryer at 375°F until heated through. Or, pop the sticks in a skillet and reheat on the stove.
FAQ
Can you bake frozen French toast sticks?
Yes, you can bake French toast sticks straight from the freezer. Place the frozen sticks on a baking tray and reheat them at 375°F for 8-10 minutes.
Is butter or oil better for frying French toast sticks?
Butter is better than oil for frying French toast sticks because it imparts more flavor to the bread.
More Sweet Breakfast Recipes
- Sheet Pan Pancakes — Buttermilk pancakes baked in a sheet pan for ultimate topping customizability
- Raspberry Scones — Flaky scones loaded with fresh raspberries
- Banana Baked Oatmeal — Sweet baked oatmeal with mashed bananas
- Croffle — Croissants coated with sugar and pressed into caramelized waffles
Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 slices brioche bread thick slices
- 1 cup milk
- 5 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter for cooking
Coating
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Cut each slice of bread into four equal sticks. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, and cinnamon.
- Preheat a skillet or griddle over medium-low heat and add a bit of butter. Dip the bread into the egg mixture, turning to lightly coat each side.
- Place the sticks in the pan in batches and cook each side until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining sticks.
- Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl. Mix until well incorporated. After cooking, dip the French toast sticks into the sugar mixture to coat each side. Set aside on a plate.
- Serve the French toast sticks warm with your favorite dipping sauce. Enjoy!
No Comments