A FAST and EASY recipe for French toast sticks made in the air fryer. Lightly crisped on the outside, tender on the inside, and spiced with plenty of cinnamon to make you reach for just one more! Perfect for breakfast on the go, weekend brunches, or as tasty snack!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time6 minutesmins
Total Time6 minutesmins
Course: Air Fryer
Cuisine: American
Keyword: air fried french toast, air fryer french toast sticks, french toast in the air fryer, french toast sticks in air fryer, french toast sticks recipe air fryer
Servings: 36
Calories: 64kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
4large eggswhisked
1cupheavy cream or half-and-half*
2 to 3teaspoonsground cinnamonor to taste
1tablespoonlight brown sugarpacked
1tablespoonunsalted buttermelted
12slicesthick-cut breadcut into thirds**
Condiments for servingas desired (maple syrup, honey, confectioners' sugar, melted nut butter, cinnamon-and-sugar, fresh berries or fruit, etc.)
Instructions
Preheat an XL air fryer to 375F.*** See Notes if you don't have an air fryer.
To a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and lightly whisk, making sure to break up the yolks.
Add the cream, cinnamon to taste (I love a really strong cinnamon flavor - if you do not, scale this back to 1 teaspoon), brown sugar, melted butter, and whisk to combine.
Dip, dunk, and flip each slice of bread in the liquid mixture. Tips - Coat only as many pieces of bread that can fit in your air fryer basket at once, probably about 8. Don't oversoak the bread but also make sure each slice of bread is sufficiently coated. If you don't have quite enough liquid mixture to coat every slice of bread, then don't since the absorbency of all bread varies. You will simply yield a bit fewer French toast sticks.
For easier cleanup, spray the basket of your air fryer with cooking spray, then add a piece of parchment paper, and spray again. If you don't choose to use parchment, the spray the basket well with cooking spray.
Add the coated slices of bread to the air fryer basket, making sure not to overcrowd the basket. I can fit about 8 slices at a time.
Give a quick, light spray of cooking spray over the top of the bread.
Close the air fryer and fry for 3 minutes.
Open the air fryer and use a tongs to flip over the bread. Give a quick, light spray of cooking spray over the top of the bread.
Close the air fryer and air fry for 3 additional minutes, or until as necessary so they are done and lightly crisped and golden browned.
Repeat the process with all the remaining coated bread until all the French toast sticks have been air fried.
Serve immediately with the condiments of your choice. French toast sticks are best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. Note that they will lose their crispy exterior after they are refrigerated and reheated.
Notes
*I recommend heavy cream or half-and-half for an overall richer flavor. However, whole or 2% milk or plant-based milk such as soy, cashew, or almond milk may be substituted.**I like to use thick cut Texas toast for a nice hearty bite of air fryer cinnamon french toast. It’s readily available in the fresh bread section of the grocery store and it’s inexpensive. Artisanal thick cut, soft, bakery bread is also a good option. You can also use brioche bread. It’s a nice option because it’s soft, slightly sweet, and soaks up the egg mixture well. For another flavor twist, try cinnamon raisin bread. It will play up the wonderful cinnamon flavor vibe.I do not recommend using bread slices from a regular loaf of bread – either white or wheat. It’s too thin and skimpy in my opinion to give you the mouthfeel of French toast sticks. I have't tried with gluten-free bread. ***If you don't have an air fryer, I recommend either pan frying the battered bread in a skillet with a bit of butter like you would make traditional French toast or like I made these Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Sticks in a skillet. Alternatively, you can bake the French toast sticks on a Silpat-lined baking sheet in a 375F oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, flipping once halfway through baking.