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Baked Crunchy French Toast Sticks are quick and easy to make, and they are absolutely delicious! This breakfast recipe is tasty enough for a special occasion and simple enough for a weekday breakfast — french toast sticks are the perfect addition to any weekly menu!

If you’re looking for a basic French toast recipe, this may not be for you. We don’t do regular French toast here. 😉 Check out some of the best French toast recipes, like Easy French Toast with Warm Berry Syrup, Blackberry French Toast, and Banana Bread French Toast.

Why you’ll love this easy French Toast recipe!

  • Family Favorite. Homemade French toast sticks is a meal the whole family will love!
  • Easy Recipe. With simple steps and minimal prep, it’s a perfect breakfast for a lazy Sunday morning.
  • Baked Breakfast. Just prep and step away to let the oven do the rest! 
ingredients for French toast sticks on a table.

Ingredient notes

  • Bread | For the perfect French toast sticks, French bread is best. I prefer the SaraLee Artesano Bakery Bread with thick slices of bread. You may be familiar with thicker slices of bread being used for other recipes, like Texas toast.
  • Eggs | The eggs will help the cornflakes stick to the outside of the bread slices.
  • Milk | Milk gives the mixture a creamy flavor.
  • Vanilla | Add a few drops of vanilla extract for extra flavor.
  • Cornflakes | For beautifully crispy French toast, use your favorite brand of cornflakes.
  • Pecans | Crush pecans to mix with the cornflakes — Yum!

How to make Crunchy French Toast Recipe

Make deliciously crispy French toast with only a few simple steps!

STEP 1 | Preheat and prep

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Then prep the rest of the ingredients. Slice the bread into 4 sticks per piece, chop the pecans, and crush the cornflakes in a plastic bag with the chopped pecans. Set all that aside for a minute.

preparing ingredients for French toast sticks; slicing bread; whisking eggs; crushing cornflakes.

STEP 2 | Combine egg custard and cornflake mixture

Next, make the egg custard. Whip the eggs, milk, and vanilla together in a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish, combine the crushed cornflakes and chopped pecans.

A pie plate works perfectly as a shallow dish!

tips

  •  If preferred, use a food processor to crush the cereal. Or use my method to crush the flakes with a Ziplock bag and a rolling pin.
dredging bread slices in egg custard and crushed cornflakes for French toast sticks.

STEP 3 | Apply the crunchy coating

Then, dip the bread slices into the vanilla egg custard and dredge in the cereal crumbs and pecans, placing each on the sheet pan in a single layer.

STEP 4 | Bake and serve!

Finally, bake the crunchy French toast sticks for 20 minutes or until the cereal crust is toasted to a light golden brown. Then, serve fresh with maple syrup and more of your favorite toppings!

baked French toast sticks on a baking sheet with a spatula.

Variations and substitutions

  • Gluten-Free French Toast Sticks. Choose your favorite gluten-free bread and ensure the cornflakes and vanilla are certified gluten-free, and you’re good to go!
  • Cinnamon Crunch French Toast. Swap the cornflakes for Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. Or use another crispy cereal, like Rice Krispies with a little sugar — YUM!
  • Dairy-Free French Toast. Substitute your go-to non-dairy milk alternative, like almond or oat milk, and you’ll have a dairy-free French toast!

French Toast Toppings

  • Whipped cream
  • Brown sugar
  • A little butter
  • Fresh fruit
  • Syrup
  • honey

Storage and reheating tips

  • If you have leftover egg and milk mixture, store it in an airtight container for a day or two. It won’t last long, so be sure to use it the next day. 
  • This recipe is best enjoyed fresh! But it can be saved later in an airtight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for a few days. You can also freeze the recipe for about three months.
cornflake crusted French toast sticks stacked on a plate with syrup drizzled on top.

Frequently asked questions

Why is my baked French toast soggy?

There are a few reasons why your French toast is soggy rather than crisp and crunchy. First, you may have used too much egg mixture to adhere the cereal to the bread. The other potential causes are the oven temperature needing to be higher or baking the recipe longer.

Is it safe to eat soggy French toast?

Soggy toast could mean the eggs used in the batter are undercooked. Therefore, it is not considered safe to eat the toast. Try baking it for longer, or start over and use less of the egg mixture.

Can you make baked French toast sticks ahead of time?

Absolutely! French toast sticks are an excellent make-ahead recipe to keep in the freezer until ready to use. Make them as directed, then allow them to cool and store in the freezer. When you’re ready to reheat them, either allow them to thaw overnight and bake in the morning or bake the recipe from frozen until they are thoroughly heated through.

Serving suggestions

While you can always enjoy this delicious French toast recipe with a steaming mug of coffee, you can also make the morning a little special by pairing the breakfast with a fun beverage, like seasonal Hot Apple Cider, Easy Chai Tea Latte made from this simple Instant Mix, or a refreshing glass of Blueberry Mint Tea.

a serving of French toast sticks on a plate with a fork cutting one into pieces.

Looking for more Favorite Breakfast Recipes?

Craving something savory and saucy? Try this irresistible Breakfast Enchilada recipe! Or enjoy a fresh and fruity start to the day with this Orange Cranberry Muffins recipe. And for a quick and healthy morning meal, try my Peanut Butter Banana Granola.

Like this recipe?

Don’t forget to comment below the recipe and please give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating!

cornflake crusted French toast sticks stacked on a plate with a fork.

Crunchy French Toast Sticks

Served with maple syrup, Baked Crunchy Cornflake Crusted French Toast Sticks are easy to make and absolutely delicious!
4.80 from 5 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 384 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 4 slices French Bread one-inch slices
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 cups corn flakes crushed
  • 1/2 cup pecans chopped

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
  • In a shallow dish, whip together eggs, milk, and vanilla. In another shallow dish, combine the crushed cornflakes and chopped pecans.
  • Dip bread slices into egg mixture and then dredge in cornflake mixture. Place on the baking sheet.
  • Bake for 20 minutes or until toasted to a light golden brown. Serve immediately with maple syrup.

Notes

  • If preferred, use a food processor to crush the cereal. Or use my method to crush the flakes with a Ziplock bag and a rolling pin.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 384kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 15gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 552mgPotassium: 248mgFiber: 3gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 509IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 101mgIron: 8mg

Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.

Keyword cheddar cheese, corn flakes, french toast, pecans
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was.
Sheila Thigpen, blogger

About Sheila Thigpen

Recipe Developer, Food Photographer, Food Writer

Sheila Thigpen is the publisher of Life, Love, and Good Food — a Southern food blog — and the author of Easy Chicken Cookbook and The 5-Ingredient Fresh and Easy Cookbook. After 20+ years in the publishing industry, she retired in 2018 to focus on her own creative endeavors full time. She and her husband live near the beautiful Smoky Mountains and have a precious little granddaughter who has stolen their hearts. As an influencer, Sheila has collaborated with brands like Creamette, Kroger, HERSHEY’S, Hamilton Beach, Garafalo Pasta, OXO, Smithfield, Valley Fig Growers, and more.

2 Comments

    1. Michelle, Although you can prep some French toast recipes the night before, I would not recommend doing so with this one.

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