If you peek your head around these parts, you’ll notice I have a strong affinity for custard-soaked carbs, specifically of the French toast variety. You’ve got your banana bread French Toast, your festively flavored French toast, and last but not least, your stuffed French toast. Today, we’re adding one more to the mix with Easy Cinnamon French Toast Sticks.
So what makes these buttery batons tasty enough to steer clear of the drive-through breakfast menu? None other than a simple cinnamon-vanilla custard that lends the characteristic eggy coating.
But slices of bread were so 2013. It’s about time you forget the forks and take a walk on the slender side with finger-friendly French toast sticks. All that’s missing from this breakfast party is a few fresh berry buoys and a warm maple syrup plunge pool. Dip. Dunk. Repeat.
And to keep the French toast party poppin’, don’t miss additional recipes for Cinnamon French Toast Muffins, Overnight Pumpkin French Toast Bake, Banana Bread French Toast and more French toast favorites!
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And for all those joining in my French toast frenzy, don’t miss additional top-rated recipes.
Baked French Toast Sticks (Freezer-Friendly): Get the Recipe
Easy French Toast with Caramelized Bananas: Get the Recipe
Challah French Toast: Get the Recipe
French Toast Roll-Ups with Orange Syrup: Get the Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick-cut Texas toast (See Kelly's Notes)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- Unsalted butter, for cooking
- Maple syrup, for serving
Instructions
- Cut each slice of Texas toast into four sticks. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, cinnamon, sugar and vanilla. Dip each piece of bread in the egg mixture, turning to coat it on all sides so that it's well-saturated with the custard.
- Shake off any excess and place the coated bread on a large plate or baking dish. Repeat the dipping process with the remaining pieces of bread.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter. Once the butter has melted, place several of the coated sticks in a single layer in the pan. (Do not overcrowd the pan.) Cook until golden brown on one side then flip and continue cooking until the sticks are golden brown and slightly crisped on all edges.
- Serve immediately with maple syrup for dipping.
Kelly's Notes:
- Day-old bread that's slightly dried out works best for French toast since it will soak up the most custard.
- Thick-cut bread with sturdy crusts is essential for this recipe, as the crusts help the sticks hold their shape. If you prefer regular French toast, skip slicing the Texas toast into sticks or use a crusty French baguette sliced into 1-inch-thick rounds.
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below!
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Recipe by Kelly Senyei of Just a Taste. Please do not reprint this recipe without my permission. If you'd like to feature this recipe on your site, please rewrite the method of preparation and link to this post as the original source.
I was missing a few things, I subsided cinnamon with cloves, the syrup with honey, and added some banana slices to the top. It was great, thank you for sharing the recipe. P.S. If you’re okay with getting your fingers sticky and have topped your French toast sticks with fruit, you can wrap the fruit in the French toast, it’s so good!
Woohoo! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Evan!
We’ve been making these for years and love them!! It’s a great recipe and my 8 year old son makes them for us now! Thank you! :)
LOVE reading this, April! I’m thrilled your family has been enjoying the recipe for 8 YEARS! :)
its good tbh
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Isabella!
Delicious! Thanks!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Pam!
Can these be frozen once cooked?
Hi Kyndra – I personally haven’t tried freezing them, but many other commenters have and say that it works if you cool them completely before freezing. I have a baked version that freezes beautifully. Here’s a link to my Freezer-Friendly Baked French Toast Sticks: https://www.justataste.com/baked-french-toast-sticks-recipe/
Hi there! Just wondering how these reheat best or if you ever freeze them. Thank you!
Hi Virginia! I personally haven’t tried freezing them, but many other commenters have and say that it works if you cool them completely before freezing.
This was a very tasty recipe. I’m a 7th grader and I needed to cook something for a grade and i was hungry and it was really good! I got an A so thank you Kelly!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Briar!
These are now a staple at Willow Hill Lodge Bed and Breakfast. Thanks for the recipe! Delish!
Awesome! I’m so thrilled you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Cathy!
I love to use both cinnamon and nutmeg to flavor french toast! If I did that with this recipe, what measurements would I use for both cinnamon and nutmeg?
Hi Heather! Nutmeg is very strong, so I’d use 2 teaspoons cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg.
Do you think leaving them in the oven to warm during a party will dry them out?
I don’t think so! Just don’t keep the oven too warm and, if possible, arrange them on a rack atop a baking sheet so that they don’t get soggy.
I’m gonna try this 2morrow with the grandkids
Awesome! I hope you all enjoy the recipe. :)
Hi,
Do you use heavy whipping cream or something else?
These look delicious!!!
Thank you :)
Yes, heavy cream!
Can I refrigerate the left over mixed ingredients? If so, for how long?
Sure! Maybe for a day or so?
Do you have to use heavy cream
Hi Ansar – You’ll want to substitute it with another dairy product, such as milk.
You say “serve immediately”. Would this hold up if cooked and packed to bring somewhere?
Hi Tayla – I wouldn’t recommend that, as the French toast sticks will get soggy!
When you say heavy cream, can you explain which one in particular?
The chilled heavy cream in milk cartons :)
Can I use brown sugar instead of regular sugar?
Definitely!
This recipe is very good and my family loved it! BUT there is way too much cinnamon so when we made it we just added 1 teaspoon but it was still a lot.
I’m so glad your family enjoyed the recipe, Vivian!
So Heavy Whipping Cream.
Or
I use regular milk?
Milk works!
Grrat recipe, very simple!
So is that butter that is on the land that the sticks are boiling on
Yes! As per the recipe above, you’ll need to heat a large sauté pan over medium heat with 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter. Hope that helps!
Heavy cream? Is that in can? Or, whipping cream that’s cold?
The chilled heavy cream in milk cartons :)
Would these be able to be made ahead and kept warm in the over? I am hosting a brunch for 50 and think these would be a good addition to the menu.
Hi Laurie! Yes, that should work! Just don’t keep the oven too warm and, if possible, arrange them on a rack atop a baking sheet so that they don’t get soggy.
Help me figure out why these are soggy in the middle? The main sides I flip cook just fine but the middle is soggy. I can’t really flip onto those sides because they are thinner than the main two sides. Hope this makes sense!
Hi there! Was your pan hot enough when you added the French toast sticks to it? If the heat was too low, the bread would just absorb the butter and get soggy rather than slightly crisped. Hope that helps!
Can you freeze them?
Hi Brittany! I personally haven’t tried freezing them, but many other commenters have and say that it works if you cool them completely before freezing.
they look yummy will be making them soon can not wait
Enjoy!
Im gonna try this tomorrow and I’ll tell ya how they come out…
Omg these were so good! Will make again and again. I didn’t have unsalted butter so I used regular butter. They were darker in color but the taste was awesome. Dusted with powdered sugar. My neighbors loved them too. Thank you for sharing this. ❤️
You are so welcome, Shari! I’m thrilled you enjoyed the recipe!
This So delicious and So easy!! I make it for my little sisters at breaks fast!! It fast and they love helping me stir the custard!!
So glad you’re all enjoying the recipe, Kaylee!
Our whole family loves them too!
Thrilled you enjoyed the recipe, Marie! :)
I sprinkle with caster sugar and lots of squeeze lemon instead of syrup. After cooked.
“buttery batons” lol!!
Can these be frozen and reheated for later use?
Hi there, Karla! I personally haven’t tried freezing them, but many other commenters have and say that it works if you cool them completely before freezing. Hope that helps!
so hi liked that the recipe is easy since i am a single guy living alone and has like only cook either scrambled eggs or scrambled pancakes having this will substitute for my local dd’s donuts which i am starting to develop a hate for but the question is i have toast that isn’t thick like that my store sells thin toast can i use that ?
Thick-cut bread with sturdy crusts is essential for this recipe, as the crusts help the sticks hold their shape. You could skip slicing the thin bread for classic French toast instead of sticks. Hope that helps!
I think it might work to slice something like a Kings Hawaiian loaf, or another dense bread like a soft Italian. Have you tried that? Also the heavy cream has only slightly more fat than the whipping cream so I’m wondering about that too. Have you made it that way?
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Can i use something else rather than butter, like oil?
I’ve never tried this recipe with oil, so I’m not sure what the taste would be like!
I have 0 unsalted butter at my house, can i just use my Country Crock that i already have in my fridge??
Also, for heavy cream – is it the same as heavy whipping cream? all i found in the store a few days ago was the latter…. The gal at the store said it was the same thing?
what if i don’t use the heavy cream?
Hi there! You’ll want to substitute it with another dairy product, such as milk.
Yummy!!!! Awesomely easy and very little time to make thanks a huge hit with the family
Can i use half and half?
Definitely!
What can i replace the heavy cream with?
Hi Natasha! You could use whole milk.
Would 2% milk be okay to substitute the heavy cream? Thank you.
Yes that works!
I cook for people for a living. I was looking for a way to store these in the freezer and saw that many other wanted to as well. I have the solution! (Or at least it works for me and my clients). If you let them cool to room temperature or even flash cool them in the fridge, then place them in a ziploc or storage container, they freeze just fine. If you freeze them still warm, they are soggy when reheating them. Now I make giant batches of these and have them on hand all the time! Also, we use raisin bread instead of texas toast. Have also tried the Cinnabon brand with the cinnamon “bursts” & have had rave reviews. Even with the additional cinnamon, it isn’t overpowering with either of the two. Anyway, thank you for the recipe. I had never been able to make mine quite like my granny’s…it was the cream! I did a serious facepalm ;)
Awesome! Thanks so much for your comment, Molly!
Im surprised the raisin bread or cinamon bread is thick enough to hold up..but sounds tasty.
Hi,
I like that recipe, Im gonna try this one for first time!. But whats means “heavy cream” Im new made recipe, you use some special brand for “heavy cream”.
Thanks!!
You have to try this recipe with challah bread! It is amazing.
Just bought some Texas toast today and plan to make these first thing in the morning! I LUV French toast!
Awesome! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Very good! I used coconut milk and ghee to be dairy-free. I used some whole grain bread that wasn’t thickly-sliced, and it worked fine. Some of the pieces from the middle of the bread got floppy, but only one fell apart – no biggie! Bonus: my kids loved ’em, too. :) Even though they’re more fussy than regular French toast, I like all the crispy edges.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
lots of comments here are commenting on how good the photos look. unfortunately when you actually cook these, it’s not as great as it seems.
They were too soggy and the ‘custard’ was strange and nowhere near the same sweet, flavoursome goodness of the simple egg-milk-sugar french toast surprisingly. I had high expectations and unfortunately this did not deliver.
Hi Rachel – I’ve never experienced the sogginess you noted with this recipe. Was your pan hot enough when you added the French toast sticks to it? If the heat was too low, the bread would just absorb the butter and get soggy rather than slightly crisped.
These will make a great kids lunch box item.
These are delish. My great grandchildren love them because they can eat with their hands. Someone mentioned they were soggy? Well you might try baking 5 min after cooking. This makes them a little more crispy and they hold up better.
These sadly weren’t worth it. Yes, they look delicious, but there isn’t enough taste to these.
Hi wondering if you or if anyone has tried freezing leftovers for a quick bake & eat breakfast? If so I would love your feedback!!
What kind of heavy cream did you use?
Hi Stephanie – It’s regular heavy whipping cream.
Ok,I have a question,Do you fry these in oil or just butter?
I use butter!
OMG, this recipe looks like the last recipe I need for a weekend…no any day breakfast! Yumminess to the max! Can’t wait to share with my daughter and my son! They will be in heaven eating this!
Made these this weekend. They were good! The recipe was easy to follow.
This are fantastic! For everyone asking, yes they can be frozen. I stick them in my toaster oven for about 7 minutes at 350 for a quick school day breakfast that my kids love.
Great to know! Thanks, Sheila!
I love French toast. You’re making me hungry. ;-)
Hi. I have a nice Cuisinart brand sauté pan but can’t seem to find the right temperature on my cooktop for cooking anything. I know it’s user error! Any advice for knowing how to tell the pan is at the right temperature before adding the butter to melt (and before the fire department arrives)?
Yes! Yes! Yes! I use my stone the same way. It makes left over fried chicken crispy again. I have also done grilled cheese this way and it works amazing for bacon.
The best French Toast recipe ever!! :)
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Patty!
Mmmm yummy. My Grandmother has been making this exact recipe for ages. Taught to her by her mother and so on. It never gets outdated.
Thank you so much for this recipe, as I have started a new food journey, eating only foods that I can pronounce the ingredients. My 18 month old dauther’s breakfast usually consist of frozen French Toast and the question I have is can I cook a large batch and freeze them for the week or bi-weekly use. We live an active lifestyle and I don’t always have time to cook from scratch, however I do reheat all foods on the stovetop or in the oven and steer away from microwaves. So will these reheat well in a pan on the stove or better in the oven? Thank you in advance for your response!
I made this for my family today. It was delicious, everyone loved it. We like french toast but this recipe takes it to another level. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome! That’s what I like to hear, Becky!
Hi there! I just wanted to say that I made these recently and they are positively divine!! I had to shoo everyone out of the kitchen so they wouldn’t eat them all before i was finished with the whole batch!! That being said,I do have a question,would it be possible to make the egg and cream mixture ahead of time? Say, tonight,to be used tomorrow morning.
Thanks for your time and your fantastic recipe!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! You can definitely make the custard a day ahead, but just store it in an airtight container in the fridge, then remove it and continue with the recipe as directed :)
I will have to try again with the Texas Toast.
My son has requested French Toast Sticks this morning and I’m thinking, “How in the world do I make them?” I knew there was a trick….look at someone else’s recipes before I try my own. :)
delicious roast and my favorite cinnamon wow super
wow..have got lovely after school snacks for my kids….lovely
Hey
Can I use 2% milk instead of the heavy cream?
Thanks.
Hi Breana! I’ve never tried this recipe using 2% milk so I can’t say for certain if you’ll get the same results.
Great recipe!! I wonder if I could bake instead of fry??
Thanks!!
Hi Flor! I haven’t tried baking the French toast sticks before, so I can’t say with certainty if that would work out. Feel free to use less butter in the pan, if you’re looking to lighten calories!
Can these be frozen? I am always looking for homeade versions to my kids store bought favorites…
I love the flavors here, however mine are ALWAYS soggy in the middle. Any tips?
Hi Jacy! To avoid soggy French toast, make sure your pan is at a high enough heat so that you get a quick sear on the outside of the bread. This will guarantee a nice crispness while maintaining a soft (but not soggy!) center. Hope this helps!
omggggg
Hi I know this is probably a silly question but what is heavy cream? These look amazing but with my minimal cooking adventures I’ve never heard of heavy cream.
This was great! I am not normally a french toast from the griddle person but I really, really liked these!
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Amy :)
Hi all! the best way to warm up anything that has a crispy crust to it (including french toast sticks) is to use a Pampered Chef Baking stone.. heated in the oven at 350 for about 10 mins.. then put your food on the stone and back in the oven for about 6ish minutes. If heating from frozen, leave a little longer. For mulitple sided things like these sticks, turn them over half way… everything comes out all nice and hot, and crispy just like fresh cooked! The centers do NOT get soggy! This is also the very BEST way to reheat a slice of pizza! .. NOTE: i have tried other brands of baking stones.. and really just prefer the overall performance of the ones from Pampered Chef (no.. i am NOT a sales person.. just love to cook!)
Never mind my post! I did a search for freeze and the post right above me didn’t show up in the search! :)
No prob, Laura :)
Can these be frozen? I’d love to make a batch on the weekend for weekday school breakfasts!
Do you think if you made these up and and let them cool before freezing them they would be okay? I have a toddler and a baby on the way and thought they would be an easy breakfast in the morning
Hi Ashlee! I’ve never tried freezing them after they’ve been cooked and cooled, so I can’t say with certainty that they wouldn’t me mushy upon reheating them. Let me know if you try it! And congrats on the soon-to-be addition!
OMG these were so good the second time around. DO NOT forget to add the cream. It makes a world of difference in the taste.
Those look AMAZING!
Custard soaked carbs are the best! These french toast sticks are perfect for weekend brunch!
I’d like to make them and freeze them for quick breakfasts during the week. Do you think they’d freeze well?
Hi Jennifer! I’ve never tried freezing these so I can’t say with certainty if they’d work out, but my concern is the center of the sticks might get too soggy. If you do give it a try, let me know how they turn out!
Wow, so gorgeous and so delicious! The perfect Sunday treat!
My favorite and your photos are gorgeous!
I can’t believe I’ve never come across your blog until now. I love it!
Great recipes.
This one looks especially good. My kids will thank me for sure for making these. :)
Welcome to Just a Taste, Melanie! Thrilled you found me :)
With the Holiday’s just over I found I had some left-over egg nog. So, I used the egg nog instead of the usual milk. Yum!!! I’ve also used vanilla ice cream and it’s yummy too. Also, I don’t use syrup on my french toast. I used granulated or powdered sugar.
Awesome idea, Marlene!
French toast redefined :) Innovative dishes like this are must try!
These post brought up some serious dejuvu. I used to eat french toast sticks from the box every weekend when I was a kid. I’m gonna have to make this recipe with cartoons in the background like old times.
I’m right there with you, Nicole :) I used to eat these as a kid (the frozen variety) and loved every bite!
Happy New Year! Loving this post :)
Custard + Carbs = Love
I remember my mom making these when I was young. Such a fun way to enjoy french toast!
So gorgeous, I would inhale these!
Custard soaked carbs are the best! I loved french toast sticks growing up and have made a similar recipe before, but yours are just gorgeous! Such pretty photos!
These sound so fun!! I love it!
I absolutely love french toast sticks and now I can make them at home! Love!
So now I know what I´m having for breakfast on sunday, looks so good
I just want to carry those around in my pocket all day. They look so delicious! And there needs to be a dunking situation going on with those, they are perfect for dunking.
OK, this might be becoming my favorite blog for 2014. . oh my goodness! yummm! and love that you used Texas toast. Awesome.
French toast sticks are the bees knees! Especially when they are homemade. They look awesome :)
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
Gorgeous photos, Kelly! I’m definitely with you on the custard-soaked carbs love. ;)
I love how easy these french toast sticks are to make!
I see this on our breakfast table in the near future!
These look so wonderful!! I need a half dozen of these right now!
Man, oh, man do I need one of those French Toast Sticks in my mouth, like now! Do they every look delicious! I should know better than to read one of your blog posts early in the morning before I’ve had my breakfast {grin}! Thanks for whetting my appetite with yet another beautiful, tasty post! Tootles!
Love, love, love. Just shared them on Facebook too, they look so delightful!
thank you for bringing this into my life on such a brutally cold day!!
As a treat growing up, I was able to get french toast sticks and oh, how I loved them so. Yours are seriously the best looking FTS’s Ive ever seen! WOW! I want like a zillion sticks, right now! Pinned!
What kind of bread did you actually use? I know you said day old and cut thick, but if you have a brand, LMK – because I want my sticks to turn out JUST like these pics. pinned!
Thanks so much, Averie! I used a brand of Texas toast that I found in Colorado. It was just basic, thick-cut Texas toast, and it seemed to do the job pretty well!