Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
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Brioche air fryer French toast sticks have crisp golden edges and tender fluffy middles. Make this simple recipe in just 10 minutes. Dip bite-size strips into warm maple syrup. It’s a quick easy breakfast your family will love.
📌 Pin Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
These Brioche French toast sticks taste better than those served at a breakfast diner. They come out perfect every time. When your family comes back for seconds, this will become your favorite go-to French toast recipe.
This speedy delicious breakfast is perfect for busy mornings. It’s also ideal for Sunday brunch, as well as holidays like Easter and Christmas. Pair it with sliced fruit or berries, scrambled eggs and orange juice. Save any leftovers to rewarm and enjoy later as mid-day snacks.
To make this simple meal extra special, prep individual servings with dipping bowls of warm maple syrup. Top with dollops of whipped cream.
🛒 Ingredients
- Large Eggs: These are used as the base of our thick, rich, eggy custard.
- Whole Milk: Dilutes the eggs so the custard is thin enough to soak into the brioche bread. If desired, you can use 2% milk instead of whole. And both almond milk and oat milk work great too.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds a bit of sweetness to the egg mixture. But if desired, you can use maple syrup instead.
- Pure Vanilla Extract: Enhances the sweetness of the custard. It also provides that delicious classic aroma of brioche French toast.
- Ground Cinnamon: Adds a comforting warmth, spice and aroma.
- Ground Nutmeg: Adds a nutty earthy flavor. It pairs well with cinnamon and vanilla.
- Kosher Salt: A pinch of salt balances the flavors.
- Brioche Bread: Rich, soft and pillowy, it soaks up custard well – especially when slightly stale. But you can use almost any type of bread, like white bread, a sliced French baguette or sourdough.
- Butter (optional): These brioche French toast sticks are air fried instead of fried on a griddle with butter. To achieve a rich buttery taste, feel free to drizzle a tiny bit of melted butter over the air-fried strips.
- Powdered Sugar: For sprinkling over the French toast sticks. If you don’t have some on hand, toss the freshly-cooked strips in cinnamon sugar. [To make cinnamon sugar, in a shallow bowl mix together 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon with 1/4 cup granulated sugar.]
- Maple Syrup: Warm it up. It’s for drizzling or dipping.
INGREDIENT TIP: Find a delicious loaf of brioche bread in the fresh bakery section at Walmart. The price is much better there compared to other stores.
📖 Recipe Steps
RECIPE PREP: Preheat the air fryer to 375°F for 5 minutes. After preheating, line the bottom of the basket with parchment paper (optional). Lightly grease the parchment paper and basket with a few spritzes of vegetable oil.
- Slice the brioche into 1-inch thick strips.
- In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Add granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg and salt. Whisk until incorporated. Submerge 3 to 4 strips in the bowl of custard. Just a quick dunk is all that’s needed. Don’t let them sit in the batter too long.
- Arrange the strips (about 8 to 12 pieces) in a single layer inside the air fryer basket. Make sure not to overcrowd the basket. If needed, plan to cook in batches.
- Air fry at 375°F for 5 minutes, or until the strips are golden and puffy. Transfer French toast sticks to serving plates. If desired, drizzle or brush the sticks with melted butter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with warm maple syrup for dipping. Enjoy immediately.
⏲ KITCHEN SMARTS: Nonstick cooking spray (like Pam) is not recommended for air fryers. The propellents can damage the basket and leave a sticky gummy residue that builds up over time. Instead, fill a spray bottle with a neutral cooking oil. Use that for greasing the basket.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe FAQ
These are the most commonly-asked questions for achieving the BEST brioche French toast sticks, and the most helpful answers for recipe success.
For French toast, the top choices are Brioche or Challah bread. Rich and buttery with a hint of sweet, they’re soft, fluffy and golden. The next best options are white bread, French baguette, or sourdough bread.
Slightly stale bread is a winning choice for French toast. It can soak up more custard without becoming soggy. But it’s absolutely fine to use fresh bread too.
To make fresh bread stale, slice the loaf. Let the bread sit out on top of the wrapper (uncovered) overnight. Another option is using your oven. Place the slices on a wire rack (in a single layer) over a baking tray. Bake the bread at 275°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
If using fresh bread, submerge it in the custard for just a few seconds. Don’t let the bread soak too long or it will become soggy. If using stale bread, soak the slices for 3 to 5 minutes so the batter can penetrate the bread better. Allow any excess batter to drip off before frying.
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch or 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Fully submerge 4 strips in the custard mix. Fry the pieces until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the pan and repeat the process.
🍳 More Quick Breakfast Recipes
Making breakfast on a busy morning doesn’t need to take a lot of time. Here are some quick easy recipes your family will love.
- Sheet Pan Pancakes
- Lemon Blueberry Crepes
- Bacon Egg Cups
- Lemon Blueberry Pancakes
- Eggs in Purgatory
- Mango Tango Smoothie Bowl
- Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs
Rate This Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Flavor testers rated this the BEST recipe for French toast sticks. The outside is caramelized and crisp. The inside is light and custardy. They loved the fabulous flavor, and that they were cooked in an air fryer. Simple and easy.
If you agree this breakfast is amazing, give it a 5-star rating in the comments. Then be a recipe hero. Share it with friends. 📌 Pin it to Pinterest.
Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
- Total Time: 10 Minutes
- Yield: 2 Servings 1x
Description
Brioche French toast sticks are caramelized on the outside, tender on the inside. This air fryer recipe is quick and easy to make. Dust sticks with powdered sugar. Serve with warm maple syrup for dipping.
Ingredients
For French Toast Sticks
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 4 slices brioche bread (each sliced 1-inch thick)
For Garnishing
- Melted butter (optional) – for drizzling
- Powdered sugar – for sprinkling
- Maple syrup, warmed – for dipping
Instructions
RECIPE PREP: Preheat the air fryer to 375°F for 5 minutes. After preheating, line the bottom of the basket with parchment paper (optional). Lightly grease the parchment paper and basket with a few spritzes of vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
- Slice brioche into 1-inch thick strips. In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Add granulated sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Whisk until fully incorporated.
- Submerge 3 to 4 strips in the bowl of custard. *Just a quick dunk is all that’s needed. Don’t let them sit in the batter too long or the strips can become soggy.
- Arrange the French toast sticks (about 8 to 12 pieces) in a single layer inside the air fryer basket. Make sure not to overcrowd the basket. If needed, plan to cook in batches.
- Air fry at 375°F for 5 minutes, or until golden and puffy.
- Transfer the French toast sticks to serving plates. If desired, drizzle or brush the sticks with melted butter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with warm maple syrup for dipping.
Notes
*How long to soak the bread: If using fresh bread, submerge it in the custard for just a few seconds. Don’t let the bread soak too long or it will become soggy. If using stale bread, soak the slices for 3 to 5 minutes so the batter can penetrate the bread better. Allow any excess batter to drip off before frying.
Which is best – stale bread or fresh bread? Slightly stale bread is a winning choice for French toast. It can soak up more custard without becoming soggy. But it’s absolutely fine to use fresh bread too.
How to dry out bread for French toast: To make fresh bread stale, slice the loaf. Let the bread sit out on top of the wrapper (uncovered) overnight. Another option is using your oven. Place the slices on a wire rack (in a single layer) over a baking tray. Bake at 275°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
How to store French toast sticks: Arrange the strips inside a shallow airtight container or zip-top kitchen bag. Refrigerate for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month. Reheat strips in the air fryer.
- Prep Time: 5 Minutes
- Cook Time: 5 Minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Air Fryer
- Cuisine: American
Air Fryer French Toast Sticks 👉🏻 Join the Convo
Have you ever made French toast in an air fryer? Are you excited to make this easy recipe? Will you serve it as an everyday meal or a special-occasion breakfast? Join the discussion in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you.
