Cinnamony Stuffed French Toast Sticks
These Stuffed French Toast Sticks are the ultimate breakfast “life hack” for anyone who wants a fancy brunch flavor without all the early-morning prep and cleanup. Tuck a sweet cream cheese filling between slices of bread and give them a little cinnamon sugar coating before freezing, and you’re only 10 minutes away from a hot, quick breakfast any day of the week. They bake up to a perfect golden brown right in the oven, giving you those coveted crispy edges!
A Clever Lil’ Twist on a Breakfast Favorite
I’ll be the first to admit: I love a big, fancy breakfast, but standing over a hot stove flipping soggy bread while everyone else is relaxing in their jammies just isn’t my idea of a good time.
That’s why these amazing stuffed French toast sticks are a staple in my house. They’ve got all that deep-dish, to-die-for flavor you get with good ol’ French toast. The best part about these bad boys is that once you’ve done the prep work, they’re ready to be tucked away in your freezer just waiting for a craving to hit. I’ve found that having a stash of these means I’m never more than a few minutes away from cinnamon heaven!
And if you like this recipe, you have to make my overnight stuffed French toast recipe next!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Wheat bread
- Cream cheese
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Unsalted butter
Tips for the Perfect Stuffed Sticks
- Don’t skip the freezer: It might feel like extra time, but freezing the “sandwiches” before you cut them is the best way to get clean lines without the filling squishing out.
- The “quick dip” rule: When you melt butter for the coating, make sure you dip the sticks quickly. If they soak in the butter too long, they can get soggy instead of getting those crispy edges we’re looking for.
- Bread choice: If you have stale bread or thick slices that have been sitting in the pantry, use them! Sturdier bread holds up much better to the dipping and freezing process.
- Cleanup trick: Use a shallow dish or a shallow bowl for your cinnamon sugar. It makes it way easier to roll the sticks and keeps the mess contained to one spot.
How to Make Stuffed French Toast Sticks
1. Whip Up the Filling
In a large bowl, combine your room temperature cream cheese, egg, vanilla, and sugar. Use an electric mixer and beat it until it’s smooth and dreamy.
2. Make the Sandwiches
Lay out your slices of bread in stacks of two. Spread a generous layer of that cream cheese mixture between two slices of bread to make a sandwich. Pop these on a baking sheet and slide them into the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up.
3. Trim and Slice
Once they’ve firmed up, trim off the crusts (you can save those for breadcrumbs!). Cut each sandwich into three even sticks. Put them back on the sheet and freeze for another 30 to 60 minutes. This makes sure they don’t fall apart during the buttery bath!
4. Coat and Freeze
Stir together your cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl. Dip each frozen stick quickly into the melted butter and then roll it in the cinnamon sugar. Place them back on the baking sheet and freeze for one more hour until they are solid.
5. Bag Them Up
Once they’re frozen solid, move them into an airtight container or a zipper-seal bag. They’ll stay good in the freezer for a couple of months!
6. Bake and Enjoy
When the craving hits, just place however many you want on a baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. That’s it!
Storage and Leftovers
If you have leftovers after baking, you can keep them in the fridge for a day or two and just pop them back in the oven or air fryer to crisp up again. Although in my house, they usually disappear before they even have a chance to cool down!
Ingredients
- 1 loaf wheat bread
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese at room temp
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sugar
Cinnamon coating
- 1 cup of sugar may need to double
- 1 tablespoon of cinnamon may need to double
- 1/2 cup melted and cooled unsalted butter may need to double
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place cream cheese, egg, vanilla, and sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Lay out the bread in stacks of two on a baking sheet. Spread filling in between each stack to make a sandwich. Place the baking sheet in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the freezer and trim the crusts off the bread. Cut each sandwich into three sticks and place all sticks back on the baking sheet. Return to freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.
- Remove from the freezer. Stir together the cinnamon and remaining sugar in a small bowl. Place melted butter in another small bowl.
- Dip each stick quickly in the butter and then the cinnamon sugar mixture, turning to coat. Place back on the baking sheet and repeat until all are done. Return to the freezer and freeze for one hour. After they are completely frozen, remove them from the baking sheet and place them in a zipper seal bag in the freezer until ready to use.
- To bake: Place the desired number of stuffed cinnamon sticks onto a baking sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Enjoy!
Christy, I love reading your posts and your little guy reminds me of my son Mike. I too love him so much it brings me to tears all the time. I can’t wait to try out the french toast sticks on my family. Keep posting!
🙂 I hope your family loves them as much as mine!!
These are delicious! And I love having them in the freezer ready to go!
Thank you!! I am so glad you liked them!!
These looked so good. I’ve got them made and will bake and share with my China painting club this week. All your recipes I’ve tried have been so good and easy to make. BTW, I see your plate of toast is sitting on a Tamera Alexander book. She is one of my favorite authors. Only problem…she doesn’t get out a new one fast enough for me!
I hope you enjoy the toast sticks!!! Yes, she is one of my favorites too!! I just love her books. And I have to agree Harriet, it is so hard waiting on the next one to come out!!
These are very similar to a recipe from my mother-in-love from 40 yrs ago. She brought a batch to a function at our home and from then on we were hooked! She called them “blini’s”.
Take a loaf of regular sandwich sliced white bread. Stack in sections and remove the crust. (I use an electric knife and its done in a minute or two.)
Flatten each slice with rolling pin, can or whatever floats your boat. Then put the filling as you described and roll each slice and put in freezer.
Everything else is the same, take from freezer…dip in butter and cinnamon/sugar combo and freeze twice.
For me, having the crust removed before I start and putting the “goodies” on the outside are easier in a rolled version.
As you tell us all the time…whatever works best for each of us!
Thank you for always giving us practical recipes for the kitchen and for life.
That is it exactly Jana, whatever works best for you!!!
Christy, I’ll just say i agree with everyone else the cinnamon sticks look delicious and Will try them. But absolutely loved your your Brady story. He sounds like an amazing young man. And I think its wonderful that God is so important in all your lives. 🙂
Thank you John!!
I LOVED YOUR BRADY STORY IT MADE MY DAY JUST A LITTLE BIT SWEETER.LOVE TO HEAR ABOUT BOTH OF YOUR CHILDREN.WILL MAKE THIS RECIPE VERY SOON. THANKS. LIZ
Thank you so much Elizabeth!! I hope you enjoy the cinnamon toast sticks!
May I pass this recipe to our Executive Chef ?He makes a delicious bread pudding that melts in your mouth, so he’d probably use up the cut off crest maybe in his bread pudding.