Make French Toast Sticks

French toast is a classic breakfast food, but have you ever tried French toast sticks? They are easy to make, and even more fun to eat—you can eat them with your fingers! Better yet, they are easy to freeze for future breakfasts.

Ingredients

Fried French Toast Sticks

• 6 slices day-old toast
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup (240 milliliters) milk or heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ - ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• Icing/Confectioner' sugar (optional)
• Maple syrup

Baked French Toast Sticks

• 4 slices of toast
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup (120 milliliters) milk
• 1 tablespoon melted butter, slightly cooled
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Steps

Frying French Toast Sticks

1. Prepare your pan or griddle. Set the heat to medium high, and coat the surface with cooking spray.
2. Cut each slice of bread into thirds and set aside. Try to use a thicker toast slices; they will hold up a lot better. Many people also find that stale, day-old toast yields crisper and sturdier French toast sticks.
3. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract. For a richer French toast stick, use heavy cream instead. You can also use part milk and part heavy cream. You will be dipping the bread sticks into this mixture first.
   • If you can't have dairy, try coconut milk or almond milk.
   • If you are vegan, use 1 cup (240 milliliters) of unsweetened almond milk and 1 tablespoon of flax meal (ground flax seeds).
4. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar and cinnamon using a fork. You will be dipping the bread sticks into this mixture next. This will give the French toast sticks that crunchy outside.
5. Dip the first bread stick into the egg mixture. Turn it around so that it gets evenly coated. Let any excess egg mixture drip off before you move on. Don't dip the others in yet. You will be dipping and putting the slices one by one into the frying pan.
   • If you don't like to get dirty, you can spear the bread stick onto a fork instead.
6. Dip the egg-coated stick into cinnamon-sugar mixture. Flip and toss the stick around in the sugar mixture until all four sides are coated.
7. Place the bread stick onto the frying pan, then repeat the dipping process for the rest of the sticks until you fill the pan. Make sure that you leave a little space between each stick. If your pan or griddle is very small, you may only be able to fit 3 to 4 sticks. If you have a larger pan or griddle, you may be able to fit more.
8. Cook the sticks for 2 to 3 minutes before flipping them over. Cook them for another 2 to 3 minutes. You can use a spatula or a fork to flip them over.
9. Remove the French toast sticks from heat, and continue dipping and frying the rest until you have none left. You can keep the bread sticks you just made on a plate. You can also put them on a baking sheet, and keep them inside a warm oven (turned to the lowest temperature) to keep them warm until you are ready to eat them.
   • If you are keeping the finished bread sticks in the oven, leave them there for no more than 30 minutes.
10. Take the sticks off the heat and place them on a plate. Continue until you have cooked the desired number of sticks. Coat with powdered sugar if desired.
11. Serve the French toast sticks with your choice of topping. You can serve them as they are now, or you can sprinkle some icing/confectioner's sugar over them. You can also pour some maple syrup into a small cup, and dip the sticks into the syrup before you eat them.

Baking French Toast Sticks

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C).
2. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. This will help keep the French toast sticks from sticking. Keep the cooking spray on hand; you will be using it later.
3. Melt some butter and set it aside so that it can cool off. Put the butter into a small, microwave-safe dish. Microwave the butter for about 1 minute, or until it melts. Take it out of the microwave, and set it aside so that it can cool down.
   • If you don't have a microwave, melt the butter in a small saucepan over the stove.
4. Cut the toast slices into thirds, then set them aside. Try to use thicker toast slices, as they will give you sturdier French toast sticks. Many people also find that stale, day-old toast works better for this recipe than fresh toast.
5. Whisk together the eggs, melted butter, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Use a shallow dish, such as a casserole dish. This way, you won't have to worry about dropping and losing any bread sticks in the mixture.
   • If you are allergic to dairy, try coconut milk or almond milk instead.
   • If you are vegan, use ½ cup (120 milliliters) of unsweetened almond milk and ½ tablespoon of flax meal (ground flax seeds).
6. Dip a bread stick into the egg mixture. Rotate it until it is evenly coated. Flick off any excess egg mixture.
   • If you don't like to get dirty, you can spear the bread stick onto a fork instead.
7. Place the bread stick onto the baking sheet, and repeat the dipping process for the rest. Continue dipping the egg sticks into the egg mixture, and placing them on the baking sheet, until you have none left. Make sure that you leave some space between each stick.
8. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes. Place the baking sheet into the oven, and let them bake partway.
9. Spray the tops of the sticks with cooking spray, then flip them over. After 8 to 9 minutes, pull the baking sheet out of the oven. Spray the tops of the sticks with some cooking spray. Use a fork or spatula to flip the sticks over.
10. Bake the sticks for another 8 to 9 minutes. This will allow the other side to bake and turn crispy as well.
11. Take the finished French toast sticks out of the oven, and arrange them on a plate. If you plan on dipping them into maple syrup, you can place them inside a cup or bowl instead.
12. Serve the French toast sticks with your choice of topping. Serve them as they are now, or sprinkle some icing/confectioner's sugar on top. You can also pour some maple syrup into a small cup for dipping the sticks into.

Freezing and Making Variations

1. Freeze fried or baked French toast sticks for later use. Spread the French toast sticks onto a clean baking sheet. Let them cool down a little, then put them into a freezer and wait until they are frozen (about 1 to 2 hours). Once they are frozen, put them into a plastic, resealable bag.
   • Write the date on the bag so you will use them before they expire. French toast sticks will last 1 to 2 months in the freezer.
   • To reheat in the microwave: microwave on high for 1 minute. If it needs additional cooking, heat it at 15 second intervals.
   • To reheat in the oven: Bake for 10 minutes at 350°F (177°C). Flip, then bake for another 5 minutes.
2. Bread the sticks with smashed cornflakes before baking or frying them. Place 1 cup (100 grams) of cornflakes into a sturdy, resealable bag. Smash them into a rough crumble with a rolling pin. Pour them into a bowl, then pat the soaked bread sticks into them. Bake or fry the bread sticks as usual.
3. Make breakfast kebabs with fruit and French toast sticks. After you have fried or baked the French toast sticks, cut them into cubes. Spear them onto wooden skewers, alternating with blueberries, cut bananas, and raspberries. Sprinkle with icing/confectioner's and serve with maple syrup.
   • Another classic combination is cut bananas, sliced strawberries, and French toast cubes.
4. Toss the French toss sticks in a cinnamon-sugar mixture after you fry or bake them for added crunch and flavor. In a bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of white sugar, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Toss the French toast sticks in this before serving them.
5. Stuff them with chocolate-hazelnut spread before you bake or fry them. Spread some chocolate-hazelnut spread over the top of each bread slice. Press the slices together, like a sandwich. Cut the slices into thirds, then continue with the recipe for the baked/fried French toast bread sticks. Omit the cinnamon, however.
6. Switch out the milk and cinnamon for something else. You can give your French toast sticks a different flavor simply by using a different type of milk or spice. Here are some ideas to get your started:
   • Try it with almond or coconut milk.
   • For a festive touch, try it with eggnog instead of regular milk.
   • Switch out the cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice.
   • Try it with buttermilk. This goes great with pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon.
7. Serve the French Toast sticks with a coffee-flavored maple syrup. Combine ¾ cup (245 grams) maple syrup and 1 tablespoon of instant coffee in a small sauce pan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. When the mixture comes to a gentle boil, stirring reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 more minutes. Take it off the heat, and let it cool before serving.

Tips

• Can't have milk? Try it with almond or coconut milk instead.
• Try to use stale, day-old toast instead of fresh toast. It will be less soggy and more crispy.
• Try to use thicker toast, about ¾ inches (1.905 centimeters) thick.
• Try it with whole wheat bread for a healthier option.

Warnings

• If you used a fork to mix the eggy mixture, make sure you wash it well before you use it again.

Things You'll Need

Frying French Toast Sticks

• Pan or griddle
• Knife
• 2 bowls
• Fork
• Spatula

Baking French Toast Sticks

• Baking sheet
• Cooking spray
• Small dish
• Knife
• Whisk
• Fork or spatula

Related Articles

• How to Make French Toast
• How to Make French Toast Waffles
• How to Make Egg Free French Toast
• How to Fry an Egg
• How to Deep Fry at Home

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Healthier French Toast
• Make Stuffed French Toast
• Make French Toast
• Make French Toast Waffles
• Make Cinnamon French Toast
• Make French Toast Without Vanilla
• Make Oven French Toast

What links here

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