This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please see our affiliate policy.
Like a mash-up of a cinnamon-sugar donut and French toast, these French Toast Sticks are one of my best family breakfast recipe ideas. Learn how to transform Texas Toast into French Toast Sticks in just 30 minutes, then dunk in syrup, jam, or any sweet sauce you crave.
Inspired by an unforgettable snack on a trip to Disney World, this French Toast Stick recipe is a tradition I’m delighted to pass down to my kids. Since the bread is sliced into strips rather than served whole or cut on the diagonal, French Toast Sticks are ideal for little hands. Adults will adore the fact that this strategy increases the surface area, allowing for even more crispy, battered surface area per bite.
Think of this like a cinnamon-sugar donut, with no hole and far more dippability options (see “Recipe FAQ” for my best ideas for dunking).
You’re just 30 minutes away from transporting your family to the Magic Kingdom…well, almost.
If this recipe happens to launch you on a French toast kick, keep the tasty journey going with my Croissant French Toast, Challah French Toast, and Cornflake-Crusted French Toast.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Texas toast: Sturdy, thick, and absorbent, this is my favorite kind of bread for French Toast Sticks. Thick slabs of Challah would be a terrific (and decadent) alternative. As with any French toast or bread pudding recipe, day-old or semi-stale bread is totally welcome to this party.
- Oil: Opt for a neutral cooking oil with a higher smoke point such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil, for frying.
Step-by-step instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. To make the cinnamon sugar topping, in a shallow dish, whisk together cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together milk, sugar, eggs, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour and baking powder, stirring to combine until there are no lumps.
- In a large, deep skillet, Dutch oven, or deep fryer, heat oil to 350 degrees. Working in batches (I do 4 sticks at a time), dip bread sticks in batter, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl.
- Fry until golden brown on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip each stick and continue to cook until golden brown on the second side sides.
- Drain on paper towels and immediately roll in cinnamon sugar topping. Transfer to baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until serving time. Repeat with remaining sticks.
- Serve with berries and syrup if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This French Toast Stick recipe makes eight, 4-stick servings, which is equivalent to one slice of Texas toast per diner. Double the recipe to feed a crowd (or a hungry family).
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Allow the cooked French Toast Sticks to cool to room temperature, then transfer them to a small baking sheet or plate and freeze individually until solid, 20 to 30 minutes. Slide the solid sticks into a freezer-safe plastic bag and freeze for up to 2 months. When you’re in the mood to dive in, transfer frozen sticks (no need to thaw) to a sheet pan and reheat in a 400-degree oven for 7 to 10 minutes. Alternatively, reheat frozen French Toast Sticks in the microwave for 60 seconds per stick.
Recipe FAQs
Dipping options abound! Of course maple syrup is always a winning partner with French toast. Other kid-tested and approved ideas: Homemade Pancake Syrup, honey, warmed jam/jelly/marmalade/fruit butter, Powdered Sugar Icing, Chocolate Sauce, Caramel Sauce, or simply top with powdered sugar and Whipped Cream.
Consider fried bacon, cooked breakfast sausage, scrambled eggs, poached eggs, fried eggs, or soft-boiled eggs. For the kids, pour a round of Caribbean Passion Smoothies. And for the 21+ crowd, if it’s a weekend, a Mimosa Bar makes a marvelous companion to this easy breakfast recipe.
More sweet breakfast ideas
Breakfast Recipes
Baked French Toast
Breakfast Recipes
Strawberry Crepes
Breakfast Recipes
Homemade Pancakes
Breakfast Recipes
Blueberry Muffins
Join Us
French Toast Sticks
Ingredients
For the cinnamon sugar topping:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
For the French toast sticks:
- 2 cups milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 8 slices Texas Toast each cut into 4 strips
- 2 quarts vegetable oil or any other neutral oil
- fresh berries for serving
- maple syrup for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy cleanup. To make the cinnamon sugar topping, in a shallow dish, whisk together cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together milk, sugar, eggs, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour and baking powder, stirring to combine until there are no lumps.
- In a large, deep skillet, Dutch oven, or deep fryer, heat oil to 350 degrees. Working in batches (I do 4 sticks at a time), dip bread sticks in batter, allowing excess to drip back into the bowl.
- Fry until golden brown on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip each stick and continue to cook until golden brown on the second side sides. Drain on paper towels and immediately roll in cinnamon sugar topping.
- Transfer to baking sheet and keep warm in the oven until serving time. Repeat with remaining sticks. Serve with berries and syrup if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Texas toast: Sturdy, thick, and absorbent, this is my favorite kind of bread for French Toast Sticks. Thick slabs of Challah would be a terrific (and decadent) alternative. As with any French toast or bread pudding recipe, day-old or semi-stale bread is totally welcome to this party.
- Oil: Opt for a neutral cooking oil with a higher smoke point such as vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil, for frying.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Hello,
When you supply the nutrition information do you always do it for the entire recipe as opposed to a serving? I saw another recipe I was interested in that was crazy high in calories so I decided not to make it. Just wondering!
I deep fried them in pork lard they turned out awesome. Definitely something I will keep making.
Sounds great Mike, glad you enjoyed! – Meggan
I made these to serve at my daughter’s breakfast graduation party and they were a HUGE hit! I made them ahead, froze them in foil pans and reheated them in the oven. My family, who usually gets them fresh, thought they weren’t quite as good reheated, but everyone else just raved about them. Word travelled fast, too, because I get comments and requests for the recipe at every grad party I’ve been to since, even from people who didn’t attend my daughter’s party! The only thing I really did differently was cut my bread into thirds instead of fourths to make a wider stick. Also, it was easier to fry the large quantities in a skillet rather than in a deep fryer. My kids liken these to fresh sugar cinnamon doughnuts or elephant ears from the fair. This is one recipe that will probably never make it into the recipe box because it will always be out in my kitchen! LOVE IT!
Hi Chrissy, thank you so much! So glad you all enjoyed. – Meggan
These were truly yummy! I am making them for my grandsons birthday brunch and think he will love them!
Thank you so much!
Thank you Claudia, I hope he loves them and has a very happy birthday! – Meggan
I am so happy I found this recipe again! Works well with almond milk too! And I added some Nutmeg and allspice! The batter makes the sticks puffy and filling!
The boys say it tastes like Cinnamon Toast Crunch!
Thanks Brittney, so glad you all love it! – Meggan
Absolutely fantastic!! Texas Toast is hard to find these days but I finally found some thick sliced brioche and it was SO SO Good! I think even using plain bread these will puff up beautifully! Froze them in gallon bags and heat up in the air fryer 370* for 4 minutes. So easy! Thank you!
Thanks for the air fryer tip Angel, sounds delicious! – Meggan
I just made these. My girls said they tasted like churros. They love churros. Will definitely be putting this recipe among our favorites. Thanks for sharing
Hi Deanne, that’s wonderful! I’m glad it was a hit! – Meggan
Worked great with my whole wheat sourdough bread! Thanks for the recipe. I would have never thought to add the flour in.
Wow! These are awesome. My son loved them and said they were his “favorite-ist” breakfast in the world, and wants them every single day.