French toast was one of the first recipes I ever learned to make and now with the help of an air fryer, they are better than ever. When I made my first french toast sticks, I could barely reach the cooktop. I mixed the batter on our kitchen table. Then, I used a small step stool to place the soaked bread on the griddle and cook the toasts. It was my go-to Sunday morning breakfast treat for my siblings.
Wonder Bread was dipped in a batter of milk, eggs, and cinnamon. It was fried in lots of butter and served with powdered sugar or maple syrup. That was it. It was really good with some berries on top and grilled breakfast sausages on the side.
As I grew older and my days became filled with activities, my family started keeping frozen French toast sticks and frozen waffles on hand that we could simply heat up in the toaster oven and eat on the run. It was pretty convenient.
French Toast Sticks in an Air Fryer
You can cook batches of frozen French toast sticks in your air fryer. There are many pre-packaged brands that you can find in the frozen food aisle of your market. You just preheat your air fryer to around 350°F. Give the plate or basket a light spray of cooking oil. Cook the frozen toasts in a single layer for approximately 4 to 6 minutes, turning them once halfway through.
You can also make your own French toast sticks from scratch and air fry them fresh. These are delicious and you can customize additional flavorings to your liking. I recommend lining your air fryer with a sheet of parchment paper to prevent the batter from dripping and sticking to the crisper plate or basket.
I like to do several batches of my homemade recipe so I can freeze some for later. To freeze the cooked French toast sticks: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sticks on the sheet pan, in a single layer, and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for approximately 1 hour. Place the frozen sticks in resealable plastic bags and store them for up to 4 months.
What You Will Need for French Toast
The base of a good French toast recipe is the quality of the bread. Basic wheat or whole grain bread slices are just fine. However, this recipe works better with bread slices that are approximately ¾ to 1-inch thick. You can buy a whole loaf in the bakery section of your grocery store and slice it yourself with a serrated knife. Or, ask your baker to slice the loaf thickly on his or her mechanical slicer. Texas toast is a white bread that is thickly sliced. This works great for French toast. I actually like brioche or challah bread. These are both breads that are risen with a combination of yeast and eggs. Yum.
The batter is basically a mixture of eggs and milk with whatever flavorings you enjoy. Whole milk works better than skim or 1%. Most recipes call for sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla to be added to the batter. I find the sugar to be optional. You can dust the air fried toasts with confectioner’s sugar and dunk them in maple syrup while still warm.
These are easy to eat with your hands. Though you can definitely serve French toast sticks with a fork and some toppings, such as fresh berries, banana slices, whipped cream, warmed chocolate syrup, melted butter, or crushed nuts. This is a time to get creative.
French Toast Sticks Recipe
Double this recipe if you are going to freeze the toast sticks for a quick breakfast option in the future.
Ingredients:
- 4 thick slices of bread (Texas toast, brioche, or challah)
- 2 large whole eggs
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1-1/2 TBS sugar, white or brown (optional)
- 1-1/2 tsps ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Pure maple syrup
Total time:16 min – Prep time:7 min – Cook time:9 min per batch – Serves:4 people
Author: Nick
Directions:
1. Slice the bread into 4 equal strips and set aside.
2. In a shallow mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, sugar (if using), cinnamon, vanilla, and salt. Place the toast slices into the batter and toss with your hands to coat generously. Allow the batter to soak into the bread for a few minutes.
3. Preheat your air fryer to 370°F while the bread is soaking.
4. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit into the fryer basket or on the crisper plate. Place the paper inside the basket. Add the toast sticks on top of the paper in a single layer, being sure to allow the batter to drip off into the bowl.
5. Cook the French toast for 4 minutes. Flip over and continue to cook for an additional 4 to 6 minutes until the toast sticks are lightly browned and a little crisp. Repeat with each additional batch until all are cooked. Keep them warm on a sheet pan in a 220°F oven.
6. Serve the French toast sticks with a dusting of powdered sugar and a ramekin of maple syrup for dipping into.
Freezing and Reheating French Toast Sticks
Freeze any French toast sticks that are leftover. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the sticks on the lined sheet pan, in a single layer, and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for approximately 1 hour. Place the frozen sticks in resealable plastic bags and store for up to 4 months.
Reheat the French toast sticks in your air fryer. Preheat the fryer to 350°F. Take the sticks out of the freezer, but do not thaw them. Give the crisper plate or basket of your air fryer a light spray of vegetable oil. Cook the frozen toasts in a single layer for 3 minutes. Flip them over and continue to cook for an additional 1 to 3 minutes until warmed through and slightly crisp. Serve with your favorite toppings.
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