Let me tell you something about me,  I cannot stand wasting food. Especially bread. So when I find myself with a loaf that’s a little past its prime, leftover burger buns from a weekend cookout, or bread with the crusts cut off because someone in my house decided they don’t eat crusts anymore, I don’t throw it away. I turn it into something better.

Enter French toast muffins.

The idea is so simple it almost feels like cheating. It’s everything you love about French toast, the eggy custard, the cinnamon, the vanilla, that golden slightly crispy outside with a soft custardy inside, but instead of standing over a skillet flipping slices one by one, you toss it all in a muffin pan and let the oven do the work. Individual little portions, perfectly sized, no babysitting required.

These have become such a staple in our house for regular weekday mornings but honestly they shine even brighter on holidays. Christmas morning, Easter breakfast, a weekend brunch with family, I prep them the night before, pop them in the fridge, and all I have to do in the morning is slide the pan into the oven. That’s it. Everyone thinks you worked so hard and the secret is you did most of it the night before in your pajamas. That’s my kind of holiday morning.

Once you make these you are going to look at leftover bread very differently. It’s not old bread anymore ,

it’s French toast muffins waiting to happen.

Let’s Make It

Start by cutting your bread into small bite sized pieces. Don’t stress about them being perfect,  rustic and chunky is totally fine here. Any bread works beautifully. Sandwich bread, hot dog buns, hamburger buns, sourdough, brioche, cinnamon raisin bread, honestly the more interesting the bread the more interesting the muffin. This is a great place to use up that homemade bread too! (wink)   In a large bowl whisk together your eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon until fully combined.

Then add all your bread pieces right into the bowl and toss everything together until every single piece of bread is coated in that custard mixture. Really get in there and make sure nothing is left dry.

Generously spray your muffin pan, and I mean generously, don’t be shy with the spray. Then fill each muffin cup with your coated bread, piling it up slightly over the top so it’s domed like a real muffin. Sprinkle brown sugar over the top of each one for a little sweetness and a beautiful caramelized top as it bakes.

Bake at 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes until golden, set, and slightly crispy on the outside.

The Night Before Option

This is the move for holidays and special mornings. Coat your bread in the custard mixture the night before, fill your muffin pan, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The bread soaks up all that eggy cinnamon goodness as it sits and honestly makes them even better. In the morning just pull the pan out, sprinkle your brown sugar on top, and bake. Done.

Topping Ideas and Variations

Toppings that take these over the top:

• Powdered sugar dusted over the top right before serving
• Fresh berries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries
• A drizzle of maple syrup
• A dollop of whipped cream for a special occasion
• Sliced bananas with a little honey

Fun variations to try:

• Use brioche or challah bread for an extra rich and custardy muffin
• Add a handful of blueberries or diced apple right into the bread mixture before filling the cups
• Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts on top with the brown sugar for a little crunch
• Add a cream cheese filling by dropping a small spoonful of sweetened cream cheese into the center of each muffin before baking
• Use your cinnamon raisin bread for an extra cozy version (link to that recipe here)

Muffin liner tip: You can absolutely use muffin liners if you prefer! Paper or foil both work great and make cleanup even easier. Just make sure to still spray inside the liners a little so nothing sticks.

A Few Things to Remember

Any bread works. Seriously, sandwich bread, sourdough, hot dog buns, dinner rolls, homemade bread, use what you have. Slightly stale bread actually works even better because it soaks up the custard beautifully without getting too soggy.

Don’t under fill the cups. You want them domed up over the top like a real muffin. They will settle slightly as they bake so don’t be shy about piling them up.

Let them cool just a few minutes before removing. They will firm up slightly as they cool and come out of the pan much more cleanly if you give them just a couple minutes of rest first.

Leftover bread into something this delicious? That is a mom win if I have ever seen one. Make a batch this weekend and I promise they will be gone before you can even get the powdered sugar on them. 

…and that’s all we did you. 

Cyndi 

Item’s Used

• Mixing Bowl
• Rubber Spatula
• Whisk Set
• Silicone Muffin Pans

French Toast Muffins

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

What You'll Need

• Leftover bread of any kind cut into small bite sized pieces. A whole loaf
• 6 eggs
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• Brown sugar for topping

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 375°F and generously grease a muffin pan.
2. Cut bread into small bite-sized pieces.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon.
4. Add bread pieces and toss until evenly coated.
5. Fill muffin cups with the coated bread mixture, slightly mounding the tops.
6. Sprinkle brown sugar over each muffin.
7. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and slightly crisp.
8. Let cool for a few minutes before removing from the pan.
9. Serve warm with powdered sugar, maple syrup, or fresh fruit if desired.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!