- 12 slices of thick bread
- 6 large eggs
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup sugar, divided
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cup panko bread crumbs
- powdered sugar, optional
- warm maple syrup
- Cut each slice of bread into 3 strips.
- In a pie plate or medium bowl whisk together eggs, half and half and vanilla.
- Then add ¼ cup of the sugar, ½ tsp of the cinnamon, and flour.
- Whisk until creamy and smooth with very few lumps, if any.
- Then while whisking, add melted butter in a skinny stream and whisk to combine while pouring.
- Then whisk 5 seconds longer until well combined.
- In another pie plate, mix using a fork to combine panko bread crumbs, remaining ½ cup of the sugar and remaining 1 tsp of cinnamon.
- Dip each bread strip first into the egg batter, getting both sides, then lay into the crumb mixture, turning to coat both sides.
- You may need to sprinkle the mixture as well to make sure each piece is well-coated.
- Make it now:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place French toast sticks (after dipping and battering) on a lightly greased parchment-lined baking sheet, one inch apart.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
- Let cool 2 minutes, then serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and a little maple syrup for dipping.
- Make it a freezer meal:
- Place a rack set inside of a baking sheet to set the sticks on for freezing.
- Place each dipped and coated stick on the rack in the baking sheet, not touching.
- Flash freeze by placing rack/baking sheet into the freezer for 30-45 minutes or until they are frozen.
- Transfer the frozen sticks to labeled, gallon-sized freezer safe bags, careful not to squish them by piling too many inside at once.
- Seal bags, removing as much air as possible, and freeze.
- Cook from frozen:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Place frozen French toast sticks on a lightly greased, parchment-lined baking sheet one inch apart.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on the edges.
- Let cool 2 minutes, then serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and a little maple syrup for dipping.