You may be used to buying these breakfast sticks in your frozen food section at your favorite grocery store and not be aware of just how fast they are to make them until now.
Our French toast sticks air fried is so simple to make, healthier, and they still taste great, so delicious they taste like dessert instead of breakfast!
Of course, you can still griddle fry these if you prefer, however, we love to make them in the air fryer, lay them on cookie sheets, freeze them then they are ready any day of the week.
We usually can fry around 12 or more sticks at a time in our toaster oven style air fryer, the basket styles may get six or eight depending on size and done in 8 minutes turning once.
Add a few side dishes and this will become the entire family favorite but don't take my word for it, give this one a try first to see.
You may also like to try our Cannoli Stuffed French Toast or Italian French Toast plus another easy breakfast recipe like our Homemade Sausage and Cheddar Biscuits, they're so yummy.
These can be dusted with powdered sugar when you're on the go, packed in lunches (we dip ours in cinnamon sugar after frying) as a snack, and perfect any time of the day.
Scroll down for this printable recipe and just check out our tips below for the best results if you still want an old-fashioned version try our Denny's Copycat French Toast recipe as an alternative.
Step by Step Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
- Heat the air fryer at 350 degrees for 5 minutes
- Slice the edges off the bread then cut into 3 strips(best to let it sit out for 30 minutes or use day-old stale bread)
- place all the coating ingredients in a blender or food processor and mix until evenly blended(or whisk together by hand)
- butter oil cooking spray the basket
- dip the bread into the coating mixture quickly
- then place the strips on the basket
- air fry for 4 minutes then flip them using tongs air fry until golden brown for around 4 more minutes
- immediately dip into cinnamon sugar mixture and serve with powdered sugar or dip in syrup
- Note: air frying times will vary to your wattage
Ingredients Needed
- milk
- half /half or heavy cream
- eggs
- flour
- vanilla
- any thick-sliced bread(Texas toast, thick-sliced Italian bread, etc.)
- optional: a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or allspice
- garnish options: butter, flavored syrups, maple syrup, powdered sugar, whipped cream, jams, fresh fruits
Side Dishes or Additions (set up a breakfast bar station and let them choose )
- cooked bacon
- cooked breakfast or Italian sausages
- fried deli ham
- Candian bacon
- pureed fresh fruits
- banana slices
- flavored syrups
- fresh fruits
- toppings: jam spreads, maple syrups, whipped butter, strawberry whipped cream cheese, powdered sugar
- hash browns
- homefries
- tater tots
- whipped cream
- chocolate chips
- chocolate syrup
- caramel syrup
French Toast Strips Tips
- use butter flavored oil and spray before you air fry and then when you turn them
- keep it warm so they stay crispy if doing a large batch
- for best results add the flour and milk in a blender and pulse until smooth to get a nice combined mixture, adding the eggs last
- you can cut your bread into larger strips if you desire
- stale bread works the best of any kind
- don't worry if you made too much, freeze them cooked on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and then add them to freezer bags. Pop them in the toaster when ready to serve they last around 3 months in the freezer
- Cooking Methods:
- Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer on 350 for 5 minutes. Place them in an oil spray basket sfor around 8 minutes or until crispy.
- Toaster Oven/ Baked: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, bake on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking oil or on parchment paper for 15 to 20 minutes middle flipping once
- Griddle: Heat Griddle to medium heat. Fry strips in butter as you would regular French toast whole or just leave the bread whole
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Air Frying vs Pan Fried Grilled French Toast
This morning, as I made these French Toast Sticks, the smell alone made everyone's mouth was watering for them so I ended up making a second batch they ate them so fast.
This is one of the easiest breakfast recipes, you will find for your air fryer to make French toast sticks.
These sticks are so flavorful with cinnamon sugar and with this light batter which makes them so delicious and fluffy inside.
Do these taste the same as pan-fried? No, the oil content is not there, but these are crunchy on the outside fluffy on the inside and a thousand times better than those frozen ones in the grocery frozen food section.
I won't debate whether or not air frying will be for your family, we love them and these are a great alternative for a busy schedule and still be a winner for the breakfast tables!
These also reheat perfectly if you made a huge batch and then freeze for later.
If you hate standing over a hot stove and love your air fryer, this is a must-try and you certainly will be pleasantly surprised how these little french toast sticks are made in less than 10 minutes!
Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
Yield: 16
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 8 MinTotal time: 18 Min
Air Fryer french toast is a great breakfast treat for all ages and is made in 8 minutes. These can be served dipped in syrup or just dusted with powdered sugar.
Ingredients
- 4 slices of thick bread are cut into strips (Texax toast, Brioche, Sourdough, etc.)
- I let this sit out either overnight or at least 3 hours (stale bread works the best)
- Note: you can use any kind of American thinner bread, however thinner bread takes less time and around 4 to 5 minutes. Thicker sliced Italian, and French, will take between 7 to 8 minutes to air fry.
- Coating for French toast:
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest or orange zest
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour or Wondra flour
- butter flavored cooking spray
- Garnish After Air Fried:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1-1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
- Combine these two ingredients above and add to a pie plate.
- Optional Serving Ideas: syrups of any flavor for dipping these in or dust with powdered sugar, serve these with blueberries on the side or another fruit you like
Instructions
- Remove the air fryer basket and lightly spray (outside the air fryer) with the butter cooking spray.
- Preheat the air fryer to 3 50degrees for 5 minutes.
- Remove the edges of the bread you're using then cut the bread into 3 sticks with a sharp knife on a cutting board.
- In a food processor or blender add the flour with milk, and lemon zest, and pulse till smooth.
- Add the eggs to this mixture with vanilla and pulse until just blended.
- Pour this into a pie plate or deep shallow dish.
- Dip each strip quickly into the egg mixture, do not oversoak them or they will fall apart and get soggy.
- Careful using tongs place the strip on the hot basket and air fry.
- I also like to butter air spray the tops then again when flipping with cooking oil.
- Air fry on 350 degrees until crispy for around 7 to 8 minutes flipping once or longer depending on how dark you like them (we like them a little crispier than most people so an extra 2 minutes for our taste).
- Note: Since every air fryer is a different wattage you will need to check this as if it's cooking too fast lower it to 350 degrees or too slow you will need to raise it. Check this after 4 minutes.
- White these are frying, mix the cinnamon and sugar together, and add this to a paper plate or another shallow plate.
- As the french toast sticks come out of the fryer roll into the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Serve with a small cup of syrup if desired. Dust with powdered sugar or pureed fruits to dip them in.
Notes
French Toast Strips Tips
- use butter flavored oil and spray before you air fry and then when you turn them
- keep it warm so they stay crispy if doing a large batch
- for best results add the flour and milk in a blender and pulse until smooth to get a nice combined mixture, adding the eggs last
- stale bread works the best of any kind
- you can cut your bread into larger strips if you desire
- don't worry if you made too much, freeze them cooked on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper and then add them to freezer bags. Pop them in the toaster when ready to serve they last around 3 months in the freezer
- Cooking Methods:
- Air Fryer: Preheat the air fryer on 350 for 5 minutes. Place them in an oil spray basket for around 8 minutes or until crispy.
- Toaster Oven/ Baked: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, bake on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking oil or on parchment paper for 15 to 20 minutes middle flipping once
- Griddle: Heat Griddle to medium heat. Fry strips in butter as you would regular French toast whole or just leave the bread whole
Side Dishes or Additions (set up a breakfast bar station and let them choose )
- cooked bacon
- cooked breakfast or Italian sausages
- fried deli ham
- Candian bacon
- pureed fresh fruits
- banana slices
- flavored syrups
- fresh fruits
- toppings: jam spreads, maple syrups, whipped butter, strawberry whipped cream cheese, powdered sugar
- hash browns
- homefries
- tater tots
- whipped cream
- chocolate chips
- chocolate syrup
- caramel syrup
Nutrition Facts
Calories
56.83Fat (grams)
1.03Sat. Fat (grams)
0.31Carbs (grams)
10.42Fiber (grams)
0.56Net carbs
9.86Sugar (grams)
6.98Protein (grams)
1.64Sodium (milligrams)
43.01Cholesterol (grams)
21.07This is before dipping into any syrups or side dishes
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More Breakfast Recipe Ideas
Homemade Breakfast Sausages
Easy Bacon and Egg Biscuits
Buttermilk Pancakes