My love affair with rediscovering french toast continues. Last week it was Apple French Toast, a pile of french toast dripping with self saucing stewed apple syrup. The week before it was Parmesan French Toast (insanely delicious!). This week it’s french toast sticks – eat it with your fingers (tick), tastes like cinnamon doughnuts but a whole lot healthier (double tick)!
Cinnamon French Toast Sticks
I’m loving coming up with fresh takes on french toast! Growing up I always adored french toast but it was always the classic version drowning in syrup. When I was in uni, I discovered how good it was to pile bacon onto it, and yes, still drown it in maple syrup. I used to call this a “Heart Attack On A Plate”. This was before the day when “sweet and salty” became all the rage and everyone I made this for were dubious until they took their first mouthful – then they were converted for life.
I digress. Back to these French Toast Sticks. Two big things it has going for it:
1. Food you eat with your fingers. Need I say anymore?
2. Tastes like cinnamon doughnuts. I can’t admit to any of my friends that I secretly love cinnamon doughnuts, deep fried puffy goodness dusted with sugar. It’s on my list of what I call “Dirty Foods”, food that is oh-so-bad-for-you-I-know-I-shouldn’t-eat-but-secretly-love. Throughout this blog there is no doubt that I will be disclosing many of my favourite Dirty Foods. You will probably be horrified. Or maybe not. Maybe a lot more people than I think secretly love KFC Popcorn Chicken.
The key to french toast sticks that are stiff enough to pick up without flopping is to use stale bread and to use a block loaf you can cut yourself into thick slices (the thicker the sticks, the less they flop). This is the way I like my french toast sticks, but if you don’t have a stale block loaf, it still tastes just as delicious using pre-sliced sandwich bread, it will just sag a bit when you pick it up.
I really do recommend using stale bread where possible for french toast – any french toast. It makes a huge difference because fresh bread soaks up too much egg mixture – even if you dunk it in really quickly – and you’ll end up with french toast that is soggy on the inside.
This recipe only takes about 15 minutes to make, and is super easy. French Toast you can eat with your fingers – something that no kid, big and small, can possibly resist! – Nagi x
Cute spins on French Toast
-
Monte Cristo (Ham Cheese French Toast Sandwich)
-
And also – Classic French Toast!
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Cinnamon French Toast Sticks
Ingredients
- 4 thick slices white bread, preferably stale (Note 1)
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- Salt
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon powder
- 3 tbsp butter
- Maple syrup to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Remove crust of each slice, then cut each into 3 equal thick batons.
- Combine the eggs, milk and a pinch of salt in a bowl large enough to roll the bread sticks in.
- Combine the cinnamon and sugar on a plate.
- Melt 2 tbsp of the butter in a large pan over medium high heat.
- Roll the sticks in the egg mixture quickly (do not soak them), shake off excess and place in pan. Cook in 2 batches.
- Turn to cook each side until golden.
- Immediately transfer to the plate with the cinnamon sugar and roll to coat. It's important to do this quickly while they are hot straight out of the pan so it sticks.
- Melt remaining butter and cook the remaining french toast sticks.
- Serve immediately with maple syrup to dunk the sticks in.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
More Tasty French Toast Recipes
Erika says
How do u recommend best making fresh bread stale?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Erika! The best way is to just leave it out overnight 🙂
Jaskirat kaur says
Dear Nagi, I can’t thank you enough today. I made this first time for my sons lunch and I had some left so he saw those and jkept eating those and I had to first time stop from eating food ?. I told him I gave you same thing for lunch he said don’t worry I will eat in lunch too. omg. ???. Thanks to you for sharing delicious recipe. love
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Oh I’m so glad! SO glad your son loved them!!
Katherine O'keefe says
I Love french toast. Your recipe looks superior to others. I am anxious to try. I have never been able to pan fry decent french toast. I always burn, parts of it, while the rest is fine. Well not quite burn but blacken, uneven I guess, and not exactly fine but soggy,floppy. Like mom used to make. Horrible of me, but it’s true.
How I would love to make mine look like yours. Do you think I could bake them? Maybe use an electric skillet? I have so many concerns. I do not want to mess up using your recipe and have it look like mine.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Katherine! I’m sorry but this won’t work baked. 🙂 If your french toast is soggy, I think one reason might be that you are using fresh bread. Try it with stale bread – makes all the difference! We’ve all had our moments in the kitchen. You should have seen the disasters in mine this weekend! So don’t feel bad! 🙂
Shelly says
You mentioned heating half of the butter you didn’t however mention what to do with it or the other half of the butter .
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Shelly! Sorry about that, I’ll fix it 🙂 I cook them in two batches so I use the other half of the butter for the second batch. I’ll update the recipe!
Katrina says
Hi Nagi,
I found this recipe on pinterest originally and the kids absolutely go crazy for it! I’ve made it a handful of times already, so thank you! I’ve got it up on my blog now too, linked back to you of course! http://www.kitchentrials.com/2015/03/10/cinnamon-french-toast-sticks/
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Katrina – thanks for coming back to let me know how much your kids enjoy it! Popping over to check out your take on it 🙂 Have a great day!
Jessica says
I made these at the beginning of the week. I used Texas Toast bread since it comes in thick precut slices. I left the crust on hoping that would help maintain the “stick”, also my son eats crust so I figured I would leave it. I made the whole loaf since I don’t usually eat that kind of bread and didn’t know what else to do with it. After coating the sticks in the cinnamon sugar mix I put them on a cooling rack so no moisture could build up. After they cooled completely I tossed what we didn’t eat into a freezer bag and froze them. Today I reheated some on a cast iron griddle in the oven and put more cinnamon sugar on them. They were just as good as the first time. Thanks for the recipe!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! And I’m glad to hear that you thought they reheated ok. I found they were too soggy and sweated too much, and even if I tossed them in more cinnamon sugar, it just disappeared in the sweat. Still tasty, but they didn’t look the same. So I’m glad to hear that reheating them in the oven worked, I hadn’t tried that!! 🙂
monica rampo says
Hi Nagi,
I have tried your cinnamon french toast and jam jelly doughnut french toast recipes. They were so delicious, especially the cinnamon french toast.
Thank you so much for sharing, simple recipes but taste so delicious.
Posted the recipe on my blog (using Indonesian language) and link back to recipe tin eats, thanks.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks for your lovely comment Monica! I am so glad you enjoyed both of them!! 🙂
Kerry says
Made this with a loaf of cubed King’s Hawaiian bread for Valentine’s brunch today. Life changing! Truly! What a treat. My family LOVED it!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
SO GLAD you enjoyed it Kerry! Life changing? Wow, biggest compliment ever!! 🙂
sara says
This looks awesome! Just like French Toast sticks in elementary school, except I’m sure these taste WAY better. 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I certainly didn’t have french toast sticks at elementary school!! lucky you!! 🙂
Janelle says
Hello! These look amazing ! I just wanted to know how stale does the bread have to be? How many days would you leave it out for ? 🙂 thanks !!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Janelle! Even if you leave it out overnight on the counter, it will be stale enough 🙂 You don’t want it rock hard stale, otherwise it will be too stale!! Just a bit dry is enough. Ideal is to cut the sticks then leave overnight. 🙂
Karen Ratliff says
I wanted to bring these to a potluck brunch. There will be no place available to heat them. Will they be soggy if left room temp?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Karen – they don’t go soggy but the sugar makes them sweat so you can’t see the sugar as well. So I would take extra sugar to sprinkle over them just before you serve it! It won’t stick as well, but it will make them look like they do when you first make them. The taste is the same though!
mila furman says
Nagi…I featured these beautiful French Toast Sticks as one of my faves for my roundup on #FoodieFridays! Come on over and check it out!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks Mila!! I’ll pop over now and check it out!
Michelle @ A Dish of Daily Life says
I love this recipe! I have to admit though that I am a fan of food you can eat with your fingers! Pinning and will be sharing on my Facebook page tomorrow morning! I hope you will be joining us at Foodie Fridays again tonight! I have to say I am so excited to have found your blog!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks Michelle! I’m so glad we “met” each other too, I love your blog!!
Erin says
These look yummy! Found your blog on Foodie Fridays link party and started following on Pinterest.
Erin
http://theeveryday-mom.blogspot.com/
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks for stopping by Erin! I’m so glad you liked what you saw. Foodie Friday is fab!
Stephanie says
Hello, I wad wondering what kind of bread you used exactly, not just white? And did you cut the crust off?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi there Stephanie! Yes, I used white sandwich bread that came in a block (rather than pre sliced). And yes I did but the crusts off to make them neater, but you don’t have to. Thanks for the question, I have updated the recipe to clarify this!
TimedEating says
These look truly beautiful and I think I will try them in that almost chip like shape. Have you ever tried them as pain perdu (caramel covered french toast)? I once made “dessert egg and soldiers” with lemon custard for dipping and pain perdu fingers (recipe here, http://timedeating.co.uk/dessert-egg-soldiers/) – but I think it would work brilliantly with his as well – thanks!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I’ve never heard of Pain Perdu which I can’t believe because I am SUCH a Heston fan! Your Dessert Egg Soldiers look absolutely amazing. I am so impressed you made a Fat Duck recipe!!
chrissy says
I just made these. They were soo good! I made a huge batch so i can freeze and reheat for my kids breakfast in the morning. Easy and yummy!!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
So glad to hear that Chrissy! You’ve made my morning 🙂 Would be interested to hear what you think of them after freezing, I never thought to do that. I find that when you leave it out for more than a few hours they sweat so you can’t see the sugar and cinnamon. But I never tried freezing it!
Michelle says
Do you think the sticks will be stiff if the bread is partially frozen instead of stale?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Michelle, I don’t think that will work unfortunately, once cooked it will go floppy again. What you could try though is toasting the bread in the toaster. Toast it until it is quite well toasted so it is stiff when cut up, then follow the directions of the recipe. Dip it in the egg mixture very quickly (less egg mixture = stiffer sticks), and make sure the pan is really hot so you cook it quickly too. Hope that works!
Tamicka says
I tried this recipe this morning and my five year old loved it he had 5 sticks all to himself. Thanks for sharing, I’m sure this will be requested again
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Tamicka, I’m so glad to hear that! Great recipe for kids – they really do taste like cinnamon doughnuts!
KC the Kitchen Chopper says
I love finger food! Thanks for sharing this yummy “good morning” tasty treat at #theWeekendSocial. Hope to see you again later this week. Pinned! 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks KC! Any morning starting with these certainly is a “good morning”!!