Air Fryer French Toast Sticks are a quick and easy twist on traditional French toast. Enjoy tossed with cinnamon sugar and dipped in syrup for a fun breakfast the entire family will love. Great for freezing too!
Looking for more ways to use your air fryer? Don’t miss our Banana Spring Rolls and Air Fryer Pork Chops.
Easy French Toast Sticks Recipe
These Air Fryer French Toast sticks are a twist on my favorite Challah French Toast recipe. They’re made with the same thick, rich homemade challah bread but instead of being cooked on the stovetop, they’re cut into thin wedges and popped in the air fryer.
The air fryer gets the outside perfectly golden brown, and even a bit more crisp than pan-frying does, but that sweet, rich French toast flavor remains. Plus you don’t have to worry about flipping the bread. Just pop it in the air fryer and you’re good to go.
Ingredients Needed
This easy breakfast recipe requires just 6 ingredients.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Challah bread – While you can buy a loaf at the bakery, I definitely recommend baking your own homemade challah bread. Just be sure to do it a day in advance!
- Milk – Whole milk is best but 2% will work as well.
- Eggs – The base of the French toast custard.
- Vanilla extract – For flavor.
- Orange zest – I love adding orange zest for light citrus undertones in the dish.
- Cinnamon & sugar – Combined to make cinnamon sugar, which the French toast sticks are tossed in.
- Maple syrup – For serving.
What’s The Best Bread for French Toast Sticks?
As I noted in my French toast recipe, the best bread to use for French toast or French toast sticks is challah bread. It’s thick, durable, and won’t lose its form when dipped in the custard. Brioche, sourdough, French bread, and Texas toast are all good alternatives as well.
The most important thing about making French toast sticks is to use day-old bread that’s slightly dried out. Freshly baked bread will turn to mush when dipped in the thick custard – definitely not the texture you want.
How to Make Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
Here’s a brief summary of how to make these easy French toast sticks.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Cut the bread into sticks. Slice the loaf of challah bread into 3/4-inch slices. Cut each slice into thirds.
- Dip the bread into the custard. Whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, orange zest, and salt. Dip each piece of bread quickly into the egg mixture. Coat well then shake off any excess.
- Air fryer. Place the sticks in the air fryer in a single layer, leaving space between them. Cook for 8 minutes at 350F, until just crispy. Toss in cinnamon sugar. Repeat with the remaining sticks.
- Serve. Serve your French toast sticks with maple syrup.
Tips for Success
These tips will ensure you end up with the perfect French toast sticks every time!
- Use day old bread. Using day old bread is key to the best French toast sticks. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a mushy texture.
- Don’t soak the bread. Dip the bread in the egg mixture enough to coat it fully but do not leave it to soak. Otherwise, too much moisture can soak into the bread.
- Pre-heat the air fryer. Even if your air fryer typically doesn’t need to be preheated, I recommend turning it on for a few minutes before adding the bread. You want the bread to begin cooking immediately, otherwise it can end up undercooked on the inside.
Serving Suggestions
We love to dip these French toast sticks into maple syrup, though you can cut them into pieces like traditional French toast and drizzle it with maple syrup if desired. But we definitely love eating these air fryer French toast sticks as finger food.
You can also dust them with powdered sugar or serve with other toppings like whipped cream, strawberry sauce, fresh berries, etc.
Proper Storage
While French toast sticks aren’t ideal for keeping in the refrigerator, they do freeze extremely well! I definitely recommend making extras to freeze and have on hand for busy mornings.
- To freeze your French toast sticks, freeze them in an individual layer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag or container.
- You can reheat your French toast sticks directly from frozen. In the oven, bake them at 425F for about 3 minutes on each side or reheat them on a griddle for 3 minutes on each side as well. You can also microwave them for about 1 minute. In the air fryer, 5 minutes or less will reheat them as well.
More Air Fryer Recipes:
- Air Fryer Pineapple
- Crispy Air Fryer Onion Rings
- Easy Air Fryer Biscuits Donuts
- Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
- Air Fryer Apple Hand Pies
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Air Fryer French Toast Sticks
Ingredients
- 1 loaf challah bread (day old)
- 1 cup whole milk
- 5 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
- maple syrup , for serving
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F if your air fryer requires pre-heating. Lightly coat the basket of air fryer with nonstick cooking spray.
- Using a serrated knife, cut the loaf into 12, 3/4-inch slices, then cut each slice into thirds, crosswise, so you end up with 36 bread sticks.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, vanilla, orange zest, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Set aside.
- Roll each breadstick quickly in the egg mixture and coat (but do not soak) and shake off any excess.
- Place as many sticks into the air fryer basket that will fit in a single layer without touching. (You'll need to cook in batches.)
- Cook for about 8 minutes or until just crispy.
- Remove from basket and immediately toss to coat French toast sticks in the cinnamon-sugar.
- Repeat with the remaining bread slices.
- Serve with maple syrup, if desired.
