Some recipes live in your muscles, not in your cookbooks. For me, it is these cinnamon French toast sticks. Every Saturday morning when I was growing up, my dad would cut thick slabs of leftover bread into sticks, soak them in a cinnamon-spiked custard, and fry them until the kitchen smelled like a bakery. We ate them standing around the stove, dunking them straight into warm maple syrup and burning our fingertips just a little.
Years later, I recreated them for my own kids and watched the exact same scene play out — the hovering, the stealing one “just to test,” the syrup-sticky hands. That is the magic of French toast sticks: regular French toast is a sit-down breakfast, but sticks are a hands-on breakfast. They are portable, dippable, and dangerously easy to eat one more of.
The trick is the two-step finish. First, cook the sticks in butter until golden and crisp on all sides. Then, while they are still hot, toss them in cinnamon sugar so it clings and forms that sweet, crackly shell. The result tastes like a churro met a stack of French toast and decided to be best friends. Looking for more weekend-morning winners? Browse our breakfast collection for pancakes, waffles, and more.
🥖 The Bread Matters (A Quick Note)
The difference between good French toast sticks and unforgettable ones is the bread. Thick-cut brioche is the gold standard — its rich, eggy crumb soaks up the custard without falling apart and fries up with a shattering edge. Texas toast is a great runner-up. What you want to avoid is thin sandwich bread: it turns soggy and floppy before it ever hits the pan.
Slightly stale bread actually works better here. A day-old loaf drinks up the custard slowly instead of collapsing into mush, so your sticks stay sturdy enough to flip and dunk. If your bread is fresh, leave the slices out on the counter for an hour or two before you start.
🛒 Ingredients You’ll Need
Simple pantry staples — nothing fancy standing between you and breakfast:
- 8 thick slices brioche bread (about 1 inch thick) — Texas toast works too; cut each slice into 3 or 4 sticks
- 4 large eggs — the backbone of the custard
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk — half-and-half makes it even richer if you are feeling indulgent
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract — rounds out the cinnamon beautifully
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon — for the custard soak
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt — makes the sweetness pop
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar + 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon — whisked together for the coating
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided — for the skillet; add more as needed between batches
- Warm maple syrup, for serving — non-negotiable in our house
🍳 Equipment You’ll Need
- Large shallow baking dish or pie plate (for the custard soak)
- Small shallow plate (for the cinnamon sugar)
- Large skillet, cast iron preferred, or an electric griddle
- Flexible spatula and tongs
📝 How to Make Cinnamon French Toast Sticks
- Cut the bread into sticks. Slice each piece of brioche into 3 or 4 sticks, about 1 inch wide. Keep them chunky — skinny sticks overcook before they get custardy inside.
- Whisk the custard. In the shallow baking dish, whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt until completely smooth with no eggy streaks.
- Mix the cinnamon sugar. On the small plate, whisk the granulated sugar with the 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Set it right next to the stove — you will toss the sticks while they are hot.
- Heat the skillet. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat until foamy but not browned. Medium is the sweet spot: too hot and the sugar burns before the center cooks.
- Soak — briefly. Dip a few sticks at a time into the custard, turning once, about 10 seconds per side. Let the excess drip off. Never let them sit and soak — soggy sticks are the #1 mistake.
- Cook until deeply golden. Add the sticks to the skillet in a single layer (work in batches). Cook 2–3 minutes per side, turning with tongs, until golden and crisp on all four sides. Add butter between batches as needed.
- Toss in cinnamon sugar. Transfer the hot sticks straight to the cinnamon sugar plate and roll them gently until coated on all sides. The heat melts the sugar just enough to make it cling.
- Serve immediately. Pile the sticks on a platter with a small bowl of warm maple syrup for dunking. Watch them disappear.
⭐ Pro Tips From My Dad’s Skillet
1. The 10-second soak rule. Count “one-Mississippi” to ten per side, then lift them out. Thick bread keeps drinking custard in the pan — respect the timer and your sticks stay custardy, not soggy.
2. Medium heat, always. High heat burns the sugar in the custard before the egg inside sets. If the sticks are browning too fast, drop to medium-low — patience is the whole recipe.
3. Warm the syrup. Cold syrup on hot French toast sticks is a crime. Thirty seconds in the microwave or a small saucepan on low heat changes everything.
4. Keep batches warm in the oven. Hold finished sticks on a rack set over a sheet pan in a 200°F (95°C) oven while you cook the rest. Never stack them on a plate — the steam softens the sugar shell.
5. Grate fresh cinnamon if you can. A stick of cinnamon run over a microplane gives a louder, warmer flavor than the jarred stuff. Small effort, big payoff.
🔄 Tasty Variations
- Churro-style: Double the cinnamon sugar coating and skip the syrup — serve with chocolate dipping sauce instead.
- Stuffed with cream cheese: Before soaking, cut a pocket into each stick and tuck in a spoonful of sweetened cream cheese. Weekend luxury.
- Pumpkin spice: Swap the cinnamon in the custard for 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice in the fall. Apple butter for dipping takes it over the top.
- Orange-vanilla: Add 1 teaspoon orange zest to the custard for a bright, bakery-style twist.
- Dairy-free: Use oat milk and coconut oil or vegan butter. Brioche usually contains dairy, so pick a vegan sandwich loaf cut thick.
❄️ Storage & Reheating (They Freeze Beautifully)
- Refrigerator: Cool completely, then store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 5–7 minutes.
- Freezer: Arrange cooled sticks in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. This is the secret to weekday mornings.
- Best reheating from frozen: Pop frozen sticks straight into the toaster, toaster oven, or air fryer at 375°F (190°C) for 4–5 minutes. They come out crisp like fresh.
- Skip the microwave. It turns the cinnamon sugar shell gummy. The toaster is your friend.
📊 Nutrition Information
Per serving (about 4 sticks, recipe makes 4 servings). Estimated for informational purposes, not including maple syrup.
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 320 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 48 g |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Fat | 10 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 22 g |
| Sodium | 340 mg |
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best bread for French toast sticks?
Thick-cut brioche is ideal — rich, sturdy, and custardy. Texas toast is a close second. Avoid thin sandwich bread, which turns soggy.
Why are my French toast sticks soggy?
Almost always from soaking too long in the custard or cooking over heat that is too low. Ten seconds per side in the custard, medium heat in the skillet — that is the formula.
Can I make these ahead?
Yes! Cook the sticks fully, cool, and refrigerate or freeze. Reheat in the toaster or air fryer — they crisp right back up. You can also whisk the custard the night before and refrigerate it.
Can I bake them instead of frying?
You can. Arrange soaked sticks on a buttered wire rack over a sheet pan and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 12–15 minutes, flipping once. They will be less crisp than the skillet version but still delicious.
How do I keep the cinnamon sugar from getting sticky?
Toss the sticks while they are piping hot and serve right away. For holding, keep them in a single layer on a rack in a warm oven — stacking traps steam and melts the coating.
🍞 Cinnamon French Toast Sticks
Golden, custardy sticks of brioche rolled in cinnamon sugar — the dunkable weekend breakfast of childhood memories.
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings (about 16 sticks) | Course: Breakfast | Cuisine: American
Calories: 320 kcal per serving
Ingredients
- 8 thick slices brioche bread, cut into 3–4 sticks each
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar + 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, for coating
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- Warm maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Cut the brioche into 1-inch-wide sticks.
- Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt in a shallow dish.
- Mix sugar with 2 teaspoons cinnamon on a small plate next to the stove.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet over medium heat.
- Dip sticks in custard, 10 seconds per side; let excess drip off.
- Cook in batches 2–3 minutes per side until golden on all sides, adding butter as needed.
- Toss hot sticks in cinnamon sugar until coated.
- Serve immediately with warm maple syrup for dunking.
💡 Tip: Freeze cooled sticks in a single layer, then bag them — reheat straight from frozen in the toaster for instant weekday mornings.
Did these cinnamon French toast sticks bring back a little weekend-morning nostalgia for you too? Tell us your favorite dipping sauce — we are team warm maple syrup, always. For more slow-morning favorites, explore our breakfast and quick recipes collections. Happy cooking! 🍞✨
