French Toast Muffins are an easy twist on classic French toast! Topped with a cinnamon sugar pecan topping, I use a secret ingredient to keep them nice and sturdy. Plus, they're freezer-friendly for a quick breakfast on-the-go.
What are French toast muffins? They are an adorable variation of traditional French toast, made into muffin-shaped portions, baked in a muffin tin to form french toast cups. Have you tried making French toast in air fryer?
Like all muffin recipes, they are ideal for busy mornings or brunch, easily portable for breakfast on-the-go, commuting for work or the kids ot the way to school.
The French toast muffin cups are addicting! They are soft and fluffy on the inside with sweet crackly top, very similar to the fresh strawberry muffins.
These make a great make ahead breakfast to stock in the freezer for busy weekday mornings. They are also a great brunch option and are a fun breakfast during the holidays and as a fall baking recipe or as a part of your Christmas breakfast and brunch menu.
French toast muffins are all about contrasting textures — soft, custardy bread snug beneath a crackly, nutty toasted exterior. While you can bake the muffin cups as is, with just bread and custard alone, adding a sweet and nutty crumble topping makes them irresistible.
Secret ingredient - Adding one tablespoon of all-purpose flour to the custard filling helps the French toast muffins stay sturdy, so they won't fall apart when you reheat them later.
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Why you'll love it?
- Soft custardy bread topped with sweet-crackly-nutty topping
- Topped with a cinnamon sugar and toasted pecans
- A convenient breakfast-on-the-go
- Freeze for a speedy homemade breakfast
- Perfect for breakfast, brunch or snack
- Kid-friendly
Ingredients
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Bread - As explained in the air fryer bread pudding recipe, I prefer using soft French, Brioche, Italian or Challah bread. Leftover stale croissants will be delicious here too.
- Eggs - The key ingredient in helping the custard set.
- Milk - Use whole milk for the richest taste and texture.
- Flavorings - I like to vanilla extract and ground cinnamon. Freshly ground nutmeg will also be delicious.
- Butter - Melted butter adds richness and flavor.
- Sugar - I used brown sugar in the french toast muffins recipe. Maple syrup or white sugar will also be ideal substitutes.
- Flour - Just one tablespoon of all-purpose flour to help the muffins hold together.
How to make?
You can find full printable recipe below, but here is a quick overview of the procedure along with step-by-step photos.
💡Best bread for french toast muffins? You want the bread to be sturdy enough so that the bread cubes hold up well when combined with the egg mixture. I prefer using French bread, and it’s best if the bread is slightly stale and not too soft. You could also use brioche, Italian bread, or stale croissants in this French toast cups recipe.
Pro tip: Make sure to toss everything thoroughly! You want the egg mixture to coat each bread cube evenly, ensuring there are no dry, unsoaked pieces or overly soaked bread.
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Step 9 - Divide the French toast muffins mixture into a well greased muffin pan. Spoon any remaining custard over the bread.
Tip: Be sure to generously spray your muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray to prevent the egg-based batter from sticking to the French toast cups.
Step 10 - Mix brown sugar, ground cinnamon and chopped toasted pecans together in a small bowl. Sprinkle on top of the French toast muffins. Bake at 350 degrees, until deep golden on top.
How to serve French toast muffins? Serve the cups warm with a drizzle of warm maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar. It will also make a tasty Mother's day brunch idea.
Storage and Reheating
- Storing in the refrigerator - Cover the pan with tightly with foil or transfer the leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
- To reheat - Pop one or two French toast muffins into the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds or warmed through.
Freezing instructions
- To freeze - Transfer the cooled French toast muffins into a freezer safe zipper bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
- To reheat - Pop one or two French toast muffins into the microwave for 45 to 60 seconds or warmed through.
How to make ahead?
- Cut the bread into cubes, dip them in the egg custard, and transfer them into the greased muffin pan. Cover the pan and refrigerate overnight.
- Mix the cinnamon sugar topping and keep it covered at room temperature.
- The next morning, take the muffin pan out of the refrigerator, sprinkle the crumb topping over the muffins, and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until they are deep golden on top.
Helpful tips
- Bread - Use soft French, Brioche, Italian, Challah bread or stale croissants.
- Grease the muffin pan - Generously spray your muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Make it nut-free - Skip pecans to make it nut-free.
More sweet breakfast treats
French Toast Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups lightly packed cubed bread Use soft Italian, French, Challah or Brioche
Wet ingredients
- 2 eggs, large
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Topping
- ¼ cup toasted pecans chopped
- 1 tablepsoon packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously spray a 6-cup muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- Add all wet ingredients into a large bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Toss in the cut bread cubes and toss well until evenly mixed. Tip: Cut the bread into ½ to ¾ inch cubes.
- Divide the batter into the muffin pan and drizzle any remaining egg custard on top of the bread cubes.
- Evenly spoon all of the topping over the batter.To make the topping, stir the chopped pecans, 1 tablespoon brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Bake for about 30 minutes or the topping is deep golden brown in color and the muffins look puffy. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool.
- Dust the tops with confectioners sugar and serve warm with maple syrup.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
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Anna
These look amazing, wondering if I can use walnuts instead of pecans?
Maria Doss
Yes, ofcourse!