This Cinnamon Crunch French Toast is the perfect weekend breakfast. Slices of bread soaked in a rich, cinnamon-spiced custard, then coated in crispy cornflakes for that perfect crunch in every bite. You can bake it in the oven or cook it in the air fryer for an even crispier texture and quicker prep. Enjoy it with cinnamon apple slices, fresh berries, a drizzle of maple syrup, and a steaming cup of coffee. What more could you ask for?
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This Cinnamon Crunch French Toast and these Russian Pancakes "Oladi", are two of my kids' favorite weekend breakfasts! The irresistible aroma of cinnamon wafting through the kitchen is what draws them out of their rooms and away from their phones on a lazy weekend morning. It's not just about the delicious food, but also about creating memories. When they grow up, they'll remember coming downstairs to a cozy family breakfast and savoring these special moments together. Hopefully, it's a tradition they'll carry on with their own families in the future.
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Reasons to love Cinnamon Crunch French Toast
- The crunch: The cornflake coating adds a beautiful crunch to every bite, as a unique twist on the classic French toast.
- The Aroma: Just like when cooking this Cottage Cheese and Apple Pie and these Coffee Cake Muffins (Two Filling Options), the combination of cinnamon and vanilla fills your kitchen with a warm, inviting scent that's hard to resist.
- Kid-Approved: With its sweet, crispy exterior and soft, custardy interior, it's a hit with kids, getting them excited to come to the table and enjoy a family meal.
- Easy to Make: Despite its gourmet appearance and taste, this recipe is simple and straightforward to make.
- Comfort Food at Its Best: There's something incredibly comforting about a warm plate of French toast, and the added crunch elevates it to a whole new level of deliciousness!
Ingredients
- Bread: Use slightly stale bread; it absorbs more of the egg mixture. In fact, the original French name for French toast is actually "pain perdu" - meaning lost bread. Historically, French Toast would be made to "save" stale bread and give it life and flavor. You can use Brioche, Challah, or traditional white bread.
- Milk: I use whole cow's milk in the recipe. Combined with eggs, it forms the base of the custard. This mixture is what the bread soaks up, giving French toast its characteristic moist and rich texture.
- Cornflakes: Create a crunchy outer layer. Unlike some other coatings that can become soggy, cornflakes maintain their crunchiness even after being cooked!
- Apples: choose apples that hold their shape well when cooked and provide a good balance of sweetness and tartness. Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji, and Gala all work great. I usually use Granny Smith apples in recipes requiring cooking apples, including Maple Cinnamon Baked Apples.
- The seasonings: a little cinnamon and nutmeg will go a long way!
see the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient list and quantities
Substitutions and variations
- Bread: you can also use a French baguette, or even croissants (you can use stale, dry croissants to bring them back to life).
- Milk: Though flavors and consistencies may vary slightly from dairy milk, you can also use almond, soy, coconut, oat, or rice milk.
- Cornflakes: you can also use crushed graham crackers (these add a sweet, slightly honeyed flavor and a nice crunch), breadcrumbs, rolled oats (lightly toasted - mix them with a bit of sugar and cinnamon), rice krispies. If you like using rice krispies, you must also try this April Fools Rice Krispie Treats recipe.
- Add Caramelized Bananas: Slice bananas and cook them in a pan with butter, brown sugar, and a touch of cinnamon until they are golden and caramelized.
- Add Pumpkin Spice: Add pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice, as we do in this Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake recipe, to the custard mixture for a fall-inspired variation.
- Stuff It With Cheese: Add a layer of cream cheese or mascarpone cheese between two slices of bread before dipping them in the custard mixture and coating with cornflakes.
- Make it in the air fryer: For a faster, crispier version, try cooking the French toast in your air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 375°F (190°C) and arrange the coated bread slices in a single layer (work in batches if necessary). Air fry for 8–10 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden and crunchy.
Preparation
STEP 1: Saute Apples
In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the apple slices to the skillet and sauté for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften. Stir in the brown sugar (if using), ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the apples are coated.
STEP 2: Make custard and cornflakes
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, cinnamon, and vanilla extract until well combined. Place the cornflakes in a resealable plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin or your hands until they are coarse crumbs. Pour the crushed cornflakes into a shallow dish.
STEP 3: Cook the French toast
Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a bit of butter. Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, ensuring both sides are well coated. Then press each slice into the crushed cornflakes, coating both sides evenly. Place the cornflake-coated bread slices onto the preheated skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy.
STEP 4: Serve
Serve the French toast warm with the sauteed cinnamon apple slices as the topping or on the side. You can also serve them with your choice of toppings such as maple syrup, fresh berries, whipped cream, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
Top Tips
- Use stale bread - slightly stale bread works best in absorbing the custard mixture without becoming too soggy. If your bread is fresh, you can dry it out in the oven for a few minutes or toast it a little in the toaster.
- Crush the cornflakes into fine crumbs for a more even coating that sticks well to the bread.
- Cook the French toast on medium to ensure the inside is cooked through without burning the outside.
- Keep the cooked French toast warm in a low-heat oven (around 200°F or 95°C) while you finish cooking the rest of the toasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Generally, for standard slices of bread (about ¾ to 1 inch thick) soak for approximately 20-30 seconds per side. For thick-cut bread (like brioche or challah, 1 to 1.5 inches thick): Approximately 1-2 minutes per side. For very thick or stale Bread: Approximately 2-3 minutes per side, depending on the dryness and thickness of the bread.
Over-soaking. It can cause the bread to become overly saturated, soggy, and fall apart during cooking. Avoid over-soaking, especially with very fresh or soft bread.
Other reasons can include cooking the bread at too high a temperature causing the exterior to burn before the interior is cooked through, adding the French toast to a cold pan, leading to uneven cooking, and crowding the pan.
Non-stick skillets are excellent for French toast because they prevent sticking and make it easy to flip the toast. They also require less butter or oil. Choose a pan that is large enough to accommodate the number of slices you want to cook at once (usually 2) without overcrowding.
Serving suggestions
A classic choice, of course, is maple syrup! Pour it over the French toast for added sweetness. But, you can also serve the French toast with a dollop of Greek yogurt, drizzle it with honey or agave syrup, sprinkle toasted coconut flakes, or enjoy it with cranberry jam, or this Cranberry Mustard Sauce (my personal favorite).
Storage and Reheating
Storage: If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
Freezing: French toast can be frozen and reheated later for a quick and convenient breakfast. Allow the French toast to cool completely, then arrange the French toast slices in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 1-2 hours, or until the slices are frozen solid. Then transfer them to a freezer-safe zip-top bag or airtight container and store them for up to 2 months.
Reheating: Reheat leftover French toast in the oven or toaster oven to maintain its crispy texture. Do not use the microwave, as it can make the French toast soggy.
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Recipe
Cinnamon Crunch French Toast
Equipment
Ingredients
For the apple topping:
- 1 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 2 apples cored and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar optional, I don't usually add sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the French Toast:
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup milk whole, or any preferred type
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cups cornflakes
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted, divided
- 8 slices of bread preferably day-old
Instructions
- In a large, non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the apple slices to the skillet and sauté for about 5 minutes, until they start to soften.1 tablespoon butter, 2 apples
- Stir in the brown sugar if using, ground cinnamon, and ground nutmeg. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until the apples are coated. Remove from heat, transfer the apples to a plate, and set aside.1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon until well combined.4 large eggs, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Place the cornflakes in a resealable plastic bag and crush them using a rolling pin or your hands until they are coarse crumbs. Pour the crushed cornflakes into a separate shallow dish.3 cups cornflakes
- Preheat the same skillet you used to cook the apples over medium heat. Add a bit of butter to the pan.2 tablespoons butter
- Dip each slice of bread into the egg mixture, ensuring both sides are well coated. Allow any excess batter to drip off, then press each slice into the crushed cornflakes, coating both sides evenly.8 slices of bread
- Place the cornflake-coated bread slices onto the preheated skillet. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy.
- Serve the French toast warm with the cooked cinnamon apple slices.
Notes
- Use stale bread - slightly stale bread works best in absorbing the custard mixture without becoming too soggy. If your bread is fresh, you can dry it out in the oven for a few minutes or toast it a little in the toaster.
- Keep the cooked French toast warm in a low-heat oven (around 200°F or 95°C) while you finish cooking the rest of the toast.
- Storage: If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days.
- Reheating: Reheat leftover French toast in the oven or toaster oven to maintain its crispy texture. Do not use the microwave, as it can make the French toast soggy.
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