Golden brown on the edges, soft and spongy in the center, these French toast muffins are all the things you love about classic French toast in a fun-to-eat form!
If there’s one thing I love about the weekend, it’s making a big breakfast and over-caffeinating while the kids run around like little lunatics.
Sundays have officially become French Toast Day in our house thanks to these easy and totally brunch-worthy French toast muffins.
Made with just a handful of simple ingredients, they’re all the things you love about classic French toast — golden brown on the edges, sweet, soft and spongy in the center — in a fun-to-eat form. Forks and knives are optional with this breakfast — we like to pull them apart with our fingers and dunk each piece in maple syrup between bites of bacon.
Aside from being super easy and utterly delicious, another great thing about these muffins is everyone eats hot French toast at the same time. With French toast muffins, there are no parents left behind grumbling over the griddle while the rest of the crew demolishes what’s on their plates.
They take just 10 minutes to prep and another 20 to bake, so they’re quick to make and can also be prepped the night before. More details on that below!
Leftovers are rare, but they reheat well in both the microwave and the oven, and make a great grab-and-go breakfast later in the week!
Ingredients for French toast muffins
These french toast muffins require just a handful of simple ingredients:
- Bread: Brioche, challah, or fresh sourdough are all great!
- Eggs
- Milk
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Salt
Add whatever toppings you like: fresh berries, walnuts pieces, a sprinkle of powdered sugar, or warm maple syrup!
How to make French toast muffins
These french toast muffins are so easy to make!
Start by preheating the oven and preparing your muffin pan. I find the muffins stick the least when I grease the pan with a light brush of melted butter (a silicone brush is great for this — this one’s my favorite) but cooking spray or cooking oil will also do.
While the oven warms up, slice and soak the bread in the custard. I recommend using your largest mixing bowl to make the custard, and adding the bread to the bowl rather than pouring the custard over and dirtying another dish. With clean hands, gently fold the cubed bread into the custard until saturated and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Divide the bread mixture and any remaining custard among the greased muffin cups. Pop in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Muffins are done when the custard has completely set and tops are golden brown.
Once you pull them from the oven, let them cool for 3-5 minutes before serving — they’ll be easier to remove from the pan.
What to serve with French toast muffins
We love them with fresh berries and either chicken sausage or bacon. If you’re looking for more make ahead breakfast items try these healthy Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins or No Added Sugar Banana Bread.
How to store leftovers
Leftover french toast muffins make a yummy and satisfying breakfast later in the week.
To store, transfer cooled muffins to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3-5 days. These French toast muffins can also be frozen. More on that in the FAQ section below!
Reheat leftover french toast muffins in the microwave (about 20-30 seconds on high) or loosely covered in a warm oven for 10-15 minutes. If reheating in the oven, let muffins sit out on the counter for 30-60 minutes before and they will heat more evenly.
Frequently asked questions
Brioche is arguably the favorite when it comes to French toast. Made with butter and egg, it’s a richer version of sandwich bread that can hold a lot of custard and keep its shape. It bakes up crisp on the outside and soft and spongy on the inside. Brioche also freezes well — just pull the loaf out of the freezer and let it defrost overnight.
In addition to brioche, challah and sourdough are also great breads for french toast. Challah is rich and buttery and, when baked, will have a soft and spongy center like brioche. If you like french toast with a little tang, fresh sourdough has a hearty, chewy texture and stands up really well to soaking. It’s the ideal bread to use if you’re wanting to prepare french toast the night before.
You can assemble this baked french toast the night before, refrigerate overnight, and bake them fresh in the morning.
Chewy, fresh sourdough works great for overnight French toast. If using brioche or challah, I recommend making the custard and cubing the bread the night before. Cover and refrigerate the custard overnight and combine with the brioche/challah just before baking.
Yes! These french toast muffins can be frozen and reheated later for individual breakfasts.
To freeze, place cooled muffins on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 2-3 hours. Transfer muffins to a freezer bag (I love the half-gallon or stand-up Stasher bags), pressing out as much air as possible before sealing.
Other similar recipes you might like:
- These Healthy Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins make a great breakfast or snack
- This No-Added-Sugar Pumpkin Banana Bread is a reader favorite and delicious any time of year, as well as this Healthy No-Added-Sugar Banana Bread
Easy French Toast Muffins
Golden brown on the edges, soft and spongy in the center, these easy baked French toast muffins are all the things you love about classic French toast, in a fun-to-eat form!
- Prep Time:
10 minutes - Total Time:
30 minutes - Makes:
12 muffins 1x
10 minutes
30 minutes
12 muffins 1x
Ingredients
- 16–18 ounce loaf of brioche, challah, or fresh sourdough, sliced into 1” cubes
- 6 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups whole or 2% milk
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅓ cup walnut pieces (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare oven and muffin pan. Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with melted butter or cooking spray.
- Make the custard and mix in the bread. In a large mixing bowl, combine whisk eggs, milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cubed bread to the bowl and gently mix with your hands until all of the bread is saturated.
- Bake and serve. Divide bread mixture and any remaining custard among 12 muffin cups (about ½ cup each). Bake for 20 minutes or until custard is set and muffin tops lightly browned (slightly longer if refrigerated overnight). Top with walnuts and powdered sugar if desired, and serve immediately with warm maple syrup.
- To prepare the night before: I recommend chewy, fresh sourdough works best for overnight French toast muffins. Make the custard, soak the bread, divide into muffin cups. Cover and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, remove the pan from the fridge 30 minutes before baking and add a few extra minutes onto the bake time. For brioche or challah: Make the custard and cube the bread the night before. Cover and refrigerate the custard overnight; combine the custard and the bread just before baking in the morning.
Notes
Favorite Equipment
- Silicone brush (for greasing the muffin pan with melted butter)
- Nordic Ware aluminum muffin pan
Ingredient Prep
- Cut/tear the bread the night before
- Mix the custard the night before and refrigerate overnight
- Assemble the muffins and refrigerate overnight (works best with fresh sourdough)
Little Helpers
Involving little ones can decrease picky eating and increase appetite and willingness to try new foods. Here are a few ways they can help:
- Toddlers: Help measure ingredients, beat the eggs/make the custard, help tear the bread (vs. cutting it)
- Little Kids: All of the above plus portion into muffin cups and practice cutting the bread
- Big Kids: Give them the recipe and see how they do!
Nutrition Notes
Nutrition information calculated using 16-ounces of brioche bread and whole milk; toppings/syrup not included.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 muffins
- Calories: 367
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 592 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 51 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 16 g
- Cholesterol: 280 mg
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Hi,
Quick question – I’m dairy intolerant- can you use a dairy free milk for this recipe? If so do you have a recommendation as to what kind? I was thinking probably oat milk?
Thank you!
Hi Dani! I’ve never tried it with dairy-free milk but i don’t see why you couldn’t. I think oat or hemp milk would be good substitutes. Let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Wow, these are delish! Super easy and perfect for a group. I doubled the recipe for a brunch and used paper muffin liners for quick and easy cleanup. Thanks for the recipe!
★★★★★