French Toast Bites with Cinnamon Sugar

by Kayla Berman on Nov 11, 2022 (updated Apr 15, 2024) 0 comments

French Toast Bites are the best sweet treat breakfast! Made with thick white bread and a tasty cinnamon sugar coating … this bite sized recipe is crispy, crunchy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. They’re a quick, easy, fun, and delicious breakfast for kids and special occasions!

Fun, Bite-Sized, & Delicious Breakfast Recipe

We all know the sweet breakfast trio – pancakes, waffles, and french toast.

And french toast is not my favorite at all. In fact, it may be my least favorite. I know shocking!

But I love love love these French Toast Bites. Because they do not have my classic problem with traditional french toast. Which is that it is alway soggy!

This bite size breakfast is anything but soggy. The bites are pan fried to crispy, crunchy, golden brown perfection and covered with a delicious cinnamon sugar mixture. Truly so delicious!

Top them with maple syrup and you have got yourself the ultimate sweet treat breakfast. I’m talking better than pancakes and waffles good!

Lookin for more french toast recipes? Check out my cinnamon french toast casserole with cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

This delicious breakfast recipe is only made with handful of simple ingredients! Mostly pantry and fridge staples you probably already have on hand.

It is the perfect dish to throw together on a Saturday or Sunday morning to make breakfast feel a little bit more special.

Ingredient Notes

White Bread: This recipe calls for 6 slices of thick bread. A classic white loaf is preferred!
Eggs: You will need 2 whole eggs for the french toast custard.
Milk: Add 1/2 cup milk to the egg mixture too. I recommend whole.
Vanilla Extract: 1 tsp of vanilla extract gives great flavor to the egg mixture.
Cinnamon: For the cinnamon sugar coating on these bites you’ll need 1 tbsp of cinnamon.
Sugar: You will also need 1/4 cup of white sugar for the mixture too.
Unsalted Butter: Lastly, these french toast mini bites are fried up in 2 tbsp butter. Or more if you’d like to add extra richness!

Substitutions, Additions, & Changes

There are a few substitutions, additions, and changes you could make to this recipe if you would like!

Milk: You could use any milk of your choice in this recipe. Perhaps soy, almond, or skim milk!

Butter: I use unsalted butter here because I like to control the salt, but feel free to use salted butter. This would add an extra flavor level as well!

Powdered Sugar: I love to drizzle these with maple syrup, but a dusting of powdered sugar is another great option.

French Toast Sticks: If you would prefer to make this recipe into sticks instead of bites simply cut the bread into long strips instead of cubes. Then follow all of the same steps! I think they would come out delicious.

Kitchen Tools

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

How To Make This Recipe

Cinnamon French Toast Bites are a fun recipe to both make and eat! They’re super easy too.

First you’ll soak the bread cubes in an egg mixture as you do with all french toast recipes. Then for the fun part – you’ll sort of pan fry the little cubes until golden brown, crispy, and crunchy.

Douse in maple syrup and you’ve got a delicious and special breakfast ready to enjoy in about 30 minutes!

Step By Step Instructions

Step 1: If your bread is not naturally stale, the first step will be to dry the bread. Spread the six slices on a baking sheet and place in the oven at 300 degrees for about 10 minutes until dried out. You want the bread to feel slightly crunchy and lightly toasted.

Step 2: Next cut the dried or stale bread slices into small bread cubes.

Step 3: Then in a medium sized mixing bowl combine the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract with a whisk.

Step 4: Combine the cinnamon and white sugar in a small bowl as well. Set aside.

Step 5: Then add the bread cubes to a baking sheet or large bowl. Pour the egg mixture on top and coat each cube. I like to use the baking sheet so that the cubes are more spread out and none are getting too soaked at the bottom.

Step 6: Next add the butter to a large pan or griddle on the stove over medium heat. Melt. Place the bread cubes down on the hot butter in a single layer.

Step 7: Fry for about 3 minutes on one side. Flip. Then fry on the other side for another 3 minutes. Be careful to not burn the cubes. If you do no have a very large pan you will most likely have to do this in two batches.

Step 8: Transfer the french toast cubes back to the baking sheet. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the warm bites. Mix thoroughly until each piece is thoroughly coated.

Step 9: Serve with maple syrup and enjoy!

Expert Tips

Use high quality, bakery bread for the most delicious results.

Make sure to use stale bread! Stale bread soaks up the egg custard much better than fresh bread would. It also gets more crispy and crunchy when fried.

If your bread is not stale, simply dry out in the oven at a low heat. See the recipe card for more detail on how to do this.

Don’t soak the bread cubes for too long! I like to lightly coat and dip, not drench.

Use a medium to high heat when frying to get that golden color and crispy texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which bread should I use for french toast mini bites?

I use a loaf of white bread from the bakery section of the grocery store for this recipe! If possible I would use this type of bread as well and cut into nice thick slices yourself.

If your bakery section does not have a classic white bread loaf other great options include brioche bread, Italian bread, or french bread.

Pre-sliced, packaged bread from the bread aisle is not the best bread for the job. I would not recommend using it for these bites!

How to best serve this recipe?

I love to serve this french toast recipe with a heavy pour of pure maple syrup. It is so delicious! Some fresh berries would be a great addition too.

If you’re looking to make a breakfast or brunch spread my chia pudding, ham and cheese egg cups, or broccoli cheddar egg bake would all go great alongside this recipe.

How to best store this recipe?

You can store this recipe in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for about 5 days!

These bites will lose most of their crisp and crunch when stored, but are still super delicious when re-heated in the microwave for 30 seconds.

You could also try popping in an air fryer or toaster oven to try and regain some of the crunch!

Love this recipe? Check out more delicious breakfast recipes…

Connect With Me!

If you make this french toast recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

Love this recipe? Leave a comment and a rating! I love to see and it helps me continue to develop delicious recipes for this blog.