Air-fryer French toast sticks are the perfect make-ahead, enjoy-whenever breakfast treat. Thick-cut sticks of Texas toast are soaked in a cinnamon custard and breaded in crispy cornflakes, then they’re frozen for you to cook later at your leisure. Just pop ’em into the air fryer when you’re ready to enjoy!
For breakfast, serve these with maple syrup, fresh fruit and a sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar. For an anytime snack, enjoy them just as they are, or try dunking them into your fave dessert dips.
Ingredients for Air-Fryer French Toast Sticks
- Texas toast: We use Texas toast as our bread of choice for these air-fryer frozen French toast sticks. It soaks up the custard easily and freezes very well.
- Eggs: As a quintessential part of any French toast recipe, eggs create a custard for the bread to soak up.
- Milk: This recipe calls for 2% milk, but you can use whole milk, buttermilk or nondairy milk if you prefer.
- Cinnamon: Sweet cinnamon makes air-fryer French toast sticks feel warm and cozy.
- Cornflakes: We bread the sticks in cornflake crumbs to give a little textural crunch.
- Maple syrup: Forgo that corn syrup-based “pancake” syrup, and get the real-deal maple syrup. No lackluster syrup should touch the perfection of these French toast sticks made in the air fryer.
Directions
Step 1: Slice the bread
With a sharp serrated knife, slice each piece of bread into thirds. Arrange the bread evenly in an ungreased 13×9-inch baking dish.
Step 2: Create the custard
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour evenly over the bread in the baking dish. Let soak for two minutes, turning bread once in dish.
Step 3: Coat in cornflakes
If desired, place the cornflake crumbs in a small bowl. Add bread pieces, one at a time, turning to coat in crumbs on all sides.
Step 4: Freeze
Place the sticks in a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Freeze the French toast sticks until they’re firm, about 45 minutes.
Step 5: Store the sticks
Transfer the frozen sticks to an airtight freezer container or freezer-safe bag. Keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to cook a few of them up in the air fryer.
Step 6: Preheat the air fryer
Preheat your air fryer to 350°F. Place the desired number of French toast sticks on a greased tray in the air-fryer basket.
Step 7: Cook and serve
Cook the French toast sticks for three minutes. Turn the sticks over, and cook them until they’re golden brown, two to three minutes longer. Sprinkle the French toast sticks with confectioners’ sugar if desired, and serve with maple syrup.
Test Kitchen Tip: If you don’t have an air fryer, you can make this same French toast sticks recipe in an oven.
Recipe Variations
- Top with fruit compote: Instead of topping with fresh fruit, top your French toast sticks with a warm fruit compote. Enjoy the different colors and textures of fruits like apricots, blueberries and peaches on top of your crunchy French toast.
- Use a different bread: Instead of Texas toast, you can use any other slightly soft and dried-out bread. We like challah, brioche and French bread as alternatives.
- Add PB&J: For a fun twist on lunch, slather these French toast sticks with a little peanut butter and jelly, and sandwich them together for a handheld treat.
How to Store Air-Fryer French Toast Sticks
Let your air-fried French toast sticks cool to room temperature. Store them in an airtight container or sealed bag for up to three days in the refrigerator. Reheat them in the air fryer or microwave until warmed through.
Air-Fryer French Toast Sticks Tips
What do I serve with air-fryer French toast sticks?
Serve your air-fryer French toast sticks with all the classic breakfast and brunch fixin’s. If these are for the kiddos, stay on theme, and offer them alongside other these fun breakfast ideas and kid-friendly breakfasts.
Can I overlap my French toast sticks in the air fryer?
No, you should not overlap the French toast sticks. It’s important to keep them in a single layer so they get nice and crispy all over.
