My favorite breakfast as a kid was my dad’s cinnamon toast. It was extra buttery and extra cinnamony and I looked forward to it every weekend. On busy school mornings, my brothers and I ate one of three items…bagels, waffles, or french toast sticks. My favorites were the cinnamon toast waffles and the french toast sticks. Each with maple syrup…oh my gosh, so much sugar. And do you see a pattern? I clearly have a serious love for anything involving cinnamon. To this day I still think my favorite thing might just be cinnamon toast, so simple, but just so good. With back to school in full swing, and mid-September quickly approaching, I knew an easy make-ahead breakfast was a good idea. Enter these french toast sticks. I could have done them all up in autumn flavors, or added fruity things, but honestly? French toast sticks should just be left as they are. For me, they’re best when buttery, and coated heavily in cinnamon. Now, I haven’t had frozen french toast sticks since I was maybe 10 years old. Not sure exactly, but I know it’s been a while. I was that weird kid that decided to stop eating things like frozen waffles and potato chips, and instead snacked on apples and carrots. Anyway, these are so much better than anything from the store. SO. much. BETTER. The french toast sticks you’ll find in the freezer aisle, are rubbery, bland, and filled with a million and one ingredients. Is there even cinnamon in them? I don’t know. These homemade french toast sticks? They’re made with whole-grain bread, they’re soft, buttery, sweetened with maple syrup, hinted with vanilla, and tossed with cinnamon sugar. I’m not calling them health food by any means, but they’re a huge upgrade from the french toast sticks I ate as a kid. Plus they are so easy to make! And yes, you can freeze them too, making them perfect for a super quick and easy breakfast. Here are all the details. For the bread, I like to use a soft whole-grain bread. When I have the time I bake this breakfast bread in a loaf pan and just leave the seeds out. Or if I happen to have some already made, I will use my homemade honey brioche bread. In a hurry, I’ll pick up a soft loaf from Whole Foods. Cut the bread into thick slices, then cut each piece into sticks. I can normally get about 3 sticks per slice of bread. For the french toast “batter”, it’s a classic mix of eggs, milk, and vanilla. I like to use maple syrup to sweeten it up just a smidge, and nutmeg for additional flavor and warmth. Dip each breadstick into the batter, then bake in the oven. No pan cooking, no messy stove, no hassle. While the french toast sticks are baking, brown some butter and mix up some cinnamon and sugar. When the french toast sticks come out of the oven, brush each with browned butter and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. And that’s it. These are best enjoyed warm with just a little maple syrup for dipping. You don’t NEED the extra sweetness by any means, but I don’t think I could eat french toast sticks without a little maple on the side. Brings back so many memories of eating breakfast at the kitchen table before school. What I love most about this recipe however, is that I’ve gotten to share these with Asher. She has not grown up eating the freezer breakfasts that my brothers and I ate. So I love that I can provide her with these healthier homemade french toast sticks. My dad tells me she’s been eating them every single morning before school and LOVING them. But then how could you not love these? Soft, eggy bread, browned butter, and cinnamon sugar. All the BEST things. And with that, I highly recommend you make these this weekend. Enjoy them on a Sunday and then freeze the rest for quick weekday breakfasts. Meal prep magic right there! If you make these cinnamon sugar french toast sticks be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
