My air fryer French toast sticks are the perfect quick breakfast recipe! I season them with cinnamon, sugar, and vanilla, then dip them in maple syrup for a deliciously sweet treat!
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My Easy Recipe for French Toast Sticks in the Air Fryer
I get a craving for French toast out of the blue at least once a month. It’s been one of my favorite breakfasts since I was a kid! So when that familiar craving hit one Saturday morning, I looked at the air fryer and just knew I needed to make air fryer French toast sticks.
I’ve never been happy with the crispiness of french toast sticks on the griddle, stove, or even oven, so I decided to try putting the French toast sticks in the air fryer and see if they would get crispier that way. I sliced the bread, prepared the sticks just like regular French toast, then let the air fryer work its magic.
When I say air fryer got the French toast sticks so nice and crisp, I mean it. I couldn’t believe I’d never done this before! My kids were over the moon too. Instead of hurrying through their breakfast, they sat around dunking the sticks in maple syrup until every last one was gone. My son Connor even asked for a third serving of them!
Now, I love whipping them up for a quick but delicious breakfast. My kids ask for them almost every weekend with strawberries on the side while my husband Ben devours his with classic butter and maple syrup!
And if you love french toast recipes, try my recipes for air fryer French toast, French toast pancakes, and brioche french toast casserole!
Air Fry French Toast Sticks Ingredients
- Bread – I use regular sandwich bread because I always have some at the house, but most kinds of bread will also work.
- Eggs – Helps coat the breadand give that true French toast flavor.
- Milk – I use whole milk, but any kind of milk will work, including skim and even almond milk. It just helps thin out the eggs to help the mixture stick to the bread.
- Sugar – Adds a touch of sweetness to the recipe.
- Flour – I find the flour helps give the bread a little extra texture and crispiness than without it.
- Cinnamon – I won’t make French toast without cinnamon because it adds a nice cozy flavor.
- Vanilla extract – This adds depth to the recipe and complements the cinnamon to give a sweet balance.
- Salt – Salt helps bring out the flavors to all of the ingredients, even the sweet ones!
- Confectioners sugar – I love using this for dusting the french toast sticks after they’re done!
- Maple syrup – Maple syrup is a must for dipping the sticks, but I’ve also eaten them plain since they’re so good.
How to Cook French Toast Sticks in the Air Fryer
A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.
STEP ONE: Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees F. While it heats, slice each bread slice into thirds and set them to the side.
STEP TWO: Place the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, ground cinnamon, and salt into a wide and shallow bowl. Use a whisk to combine everything. Dip each piece of bread into the dish, making sure each piece is soaked and fully coated.
STEP THREE: Lay a piece of round parchment paper in the air fryer and place the soaked pieces of bread in the air fryer basket or tray in a single layer, not touching.
STEP FOUR: Air fry them for 10 minutes, flipping each piece halfway through cooking. They’re done when they are nice and crispy on the outside!
STEP FIVE: Sprinkle them with confectioners sugar on top and dip them in maple syrup, if desired!
Tips for the Best Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
- I use parchment paper liners to line the bottom of the air fryer basket. This keeps the French toast from sticking and makes less of a mess in the basket. Silicone liners also work great too.
- Cooking the bread until it is golden brown and crispy makes it taste more like actual French toast. I’ll add a minute or two of cooking time if the bread is still soft.
- I prep all the bowls of ingredients before I dip the slices of bread so I can move through the process easily.
- I whisk the eggs really well until they’re fully mixed so I don’t end up with clumps of eggs in the batter that could result in eggy bread.
- Rather than overcrowding, I cook my air fryer french toast recipe in batches if needed. I keep the breadsticks in a single layer without any overlap to help them cook evenly and put any finished sticks in the oven on low to keep them warm.
- I let the French toast sticks rest for a minute or two after they finish air frying, which helps them crisp up.
Crispy French Toast Sticks Variations and Substitutions
- I’ve tried this recipe with all different kinds of bread! Instead of sandwich bread, I’ve used brioche, challa, Texas toast, French bread, and even sourdough bread. All versions were delicious!
- If I need a dairy free version, I replace the milk with oat milk or almond milk.
- For more sweetness and depth of flavor, I’ll swap out the granulated sugar for brown sugar. I love making this version in the fall.
- I sometimes cut the bread into bite-sized squares instead of sticks for a slight variation. I check on them after 8 minutes and pull them out once they’re crisped up the way I like them.
- To make regular French toast, I’ll air fry the bread at 350 degrees F for about 6 minutes. This keeps the toast soft.
- Use different flavors of maple syrup for dipping! I bought these mini maple syrups last year for the first time and I’m hooked! My favorites have been chocolate and blueberry syrup.
What to Serve with Air Fry French Toast Sticks
For a classic breakfast, I love whipping up air fryer French toast sticks with air fryer bacon or air fryer sausage with air fryer hard boiled eggs on the side!
If I’m craving some potatoes, I’ll make air fryer hash brown patties, air fryer hash browns, air fryer potato pancakes, or air fryer breakfast potatoes.
Air Fryer French Toast Sticks FAQs
How to cook frozen French toast sticks in the air fryer
If I want to make air fryer frozen French toast sticks like Farm Rich or Eggo, I start by preheating the air fryer to 400 degrees F. Once hot, I add the French toast sticks to the basket without any parchment paper and cook for 4-6 minutes until they’re hot and crispy!
How to reheat French toast sticks in the air fryer
If I want to heat up leftover French toast sticks, I’ll preheat my air fryer to 350 degrees F first. Once it’s warmed up, I add the sticks to the air fryer basket and cook them for 2-3 minutes until they’re warm and crispy again!
How long to cook French toast sticks in the air fryer
I air fry French toast sticks at 370 degrees F for about 10 minutes. For me, this is the perfect amount of time to get them deliciously crispy on the outside!
Can I stack french toast sticks in my air fryer?
I don’t recommend stacking French toast sticks in the air fryer. I keep mine in a single layer with a little space in between so the hot air can circulate properly. That way, they get evenly crispy without any soggy spots!
How should I store leftover air fryer french toast sticks?Â
I keep any leftover French toast sticks in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. They also freeze really well! I just lay them on a baking sheet to freeze individually, then transfer them to a freezer bag for easy breakfasts later on.
More Easy Air Fryer Breakfast Recipes
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Crispy Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
Ingredients
- 5 slices bread
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Optional
- Confectioners sugar for dusting
- Maple syrup for dipping
Instructions
- Preheat the air fryer to 370 degrees F.
- Cut each piece of bread into 3 equal pieces and set them aside.
- Put the eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, ground cinnamon, and salt into a wide shallow dish. Whisk everything to combine.
- Dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture, making sure to coat all sides evenly.
- Place a piece of parchment paper inside the air fryer and place each stick in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Air fry them for about 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through the cooking time.
- Carefully remove them from the air fryer and dust with confectioners sugar and serve with maple syrup, if desired.
Notes
- I highly recommend using parchment paper rounds to line the bottom of the air fryer basket to avoid any sticking.
- Cooking the bread until it is golden brown and crispy. Add another minute or two of cooking time if the bread is still soft.
- Whisk the eggs really well until they’re fully mixed without clumps of eggs in the batter that could result in eggy bread.
- Cook them in batches if needed. They will get the crispiest this way.
- Cook frozen french toasts sticks in a preheated air fryer at 400 degrees F for 4 to 6 minutes, until they’re hot and crispy.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze them up to 3 months.
- Reheat any leftovers in a preheated air fryer at 350 degrees F for 2-3 minutes until they’re hot and crispy again!
Nutrition
This nutrition information is based on the exact products I used in this recipe. Brands and sizes of products could alter exact nutrition and should always be calculated independently.
