Air Fryer French Toast Sticks [Video]
Last updated on June 18th, 2021 at 11:47 pm
Air Fryer French Toast Sticks are golden-crispy on the outside with a tender center infused with orange zest and spices. Make this classic breakfast staple healthier using the air fryer.
Serving a group and don’t want to cook up individual toasts? Our Blueberry French Toast Casserole, Chocolate French Toast Casserole, and Croissant French Toast Casserole are perfect for big breakfast crowds!
French Toast Sticks Recipe
Air Fryer French Toast Sticks are a creative twist to the classic version! Instead of getting whole slices, we’re serving them up into fun-sized sticks. This makes it easier to finish smaller portions.
In addition, these sticks are also extremely dippable! Dunk them into hot chocolate, whip cream, or a mini pot of maple syrup. We also made a huge list of delicious toppings for these treats below!
What do you need
- Bread: Top options are brioche or Texas toast! Slice gently into sticks so you don’t flatten them down.
- Butter: About 2 tbsps. of butter makes this treat extra rich and encourages the outside to get crispy.
- Custard: Our custard begins with a mixture of milk, orange juice, and thick cream, then eggs to give it structure while frying. Then, we’re sweetening things up with a combo of brown and white sugars.
- Flavorings: Making our custard more delicious are a few drops of vanilla, both cinnamon, and nutmeg, plus the fresh zest of an orange.
How do you make homemade Air fryer French toast sticks
- Preheat. Set your air-fryer to 370F and let it heat up while you make the dish.
- Whip up the orange-infused custard. Take your custard components and mix them up with the flavorings and melted butter.
- Dip. Dunk the pieces of bread into the custard, letting it soak well into each slice.
- Cook. Air-fry in one layer for 4 mins., flip, then continue air-frying for 4-6 mins. more until golden and done. Do the same for the rest.
- Serve. Enjoy hot with whatever toppings you love with your French toast!
Recipe variations and substitutions:
- Different types of bread: Any thick and dense bread will do! Feel free to use brioche, Texas toast, a nice Challah, crusty baguette, or a Pullman loaf.
- Custard flavorings: We encourage you to play with the flavors! For instance, swap the orange with lemon or lime. You can also add extracts like almond, strawberry, apricot, etc. As for spices, try allspice, ginger, and cardamom.
- Sweeteners: You can make this less sweet by reducing the sugar, or skipping it altogether. Try mixing honey or maple as well.
- Keto: For a low-carb/keto version, use thick slices of our keto bread, then sweeten it up keto sweeteners like monk fruit, stevia, and xylitol. Instead of milk, use pure heavy cream.
- Savory: Yes, you can make savory French toast! Instead of sugar, orange, and spice, season with a little salt and pepper plus Italian seasoning. A little dry mustard, parmesan, and garlic powder are delicious too!
- Baked: Don’t have an air-fryer? Enjoy this recipe by baking it instead. Good for making large batches, too!
Frequently Asked Questions:
What’s the best bread to use for French toast?
Top choices would be Brioche, Challah, and Texas Toast. These are hearty and dense loaves that can absorb the custard without breaking apart.
Stay away from delicate types like thin slices of white bread.
Pro tip: try using flavored bread! For instance, dense cinnamon loaves make FANTASTIC French toast.
How to serve:
Oh, boy! Where to begin? As part of the BEST breakfast ever, enjoy them with bacon, your choice of fried or scrambled eggs, these awesome mashed potato pancakes, and a savory ham and cheese quiche if you’re still hungry!
Now, let’s talk toppings. Your options are endless, but these should be top of your list!
- Fruity, chunky sauces like blueberry and cranberry
- Spreads such as peanut butter, Nutella, this lovely whipped blueberry butter, apple butter, and dulce de leche
- Tart and sweet fruit jams like strawberry, plum, peach, and persimmon
- Maple syrup, pancake syrup, or pure honey
- Ice cream and candies like M&Ms, chocolate chips, cocoa powder, white chocolate, or caramel sauce
- Butter and a light dust of powdered sugar
- Cinnamon sugar
- A ton of whip cream
You can also enjoy these sticks with hot chocolate, fruit smoothies, and coffee!
Storing instructions:
- Refrigerator: Cool, then arrange in a well-sealed container. Store up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Arrange in a single layer on a sheet then flash-freeze for 2 hrs. Place frozen sticks in a freezer bag.
- Reheat: No need to thaw if reheating from frozen! You have several options like microwaving, baking at 350F until hot and toasty, or using the toaster. You can also air-fry at 350F until heated through.
What type of Air fryer should I use?
This recipe will work for any type and brand. Just watch out for the exact air-frying time, because different units vary in wattage and heat.
More breakfast recipes to try:
Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
Ingredients
- 8 slices bread thick-cut (or texas toast)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)
Custard Mixture
- 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (or half and half)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 370°F
- Cut each slice of bread into 3-4 sticks, depends how wide you want the sticks.
- Whisk the custard mixture in a bowl.
- Dip each stick into the custard mixture and gently roll to coat.
- Place in the air fryer basket and cook for 4 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 4-6 minutes or until golden in color and crispy on the exterior.
- Repeat with the remaining sticks of bread.
- Serve with berries, powdered sugar, and maple syrup.
Video
Notes
- Slice the bread into sticks without crushing them by using a serrated knife.
- Before air-frying, you can dust them with cinnamon sugar first. They melt beautifully into the crust!
- You can use plant-based milk if you like.
- You can also use pure, thick cream if you want richer toasts.
- These should be air-fried in a single layer only, or you’ll end up with soggy results.
Nutrition
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