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French Toast · Sticks (Freezer-Friendly)

Freezer French Toast Sticks for Kids

Bread cut into strips, dipped in cinnamon custard and baked until crisp. Kids can hold them and dunk them in syrup, and a frozen batch reheats in the toaster on school mornings.

New, no ratings yet0 reviewsby Simmerbee Kitchen

Prep
15 min
Cook
18 min
Total
33 min
Serves
24 sticks
Level
Easy
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Ingredients

  • 6 slices bread, thick-cut Texas toast or brioche, a day old
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ cup whole milk
    Swaps for whole milk

    Instead of milk

    • Unsweetened soy milk: The same amount. The closest plant milk for baking: its protein helps things brown and set.
    • Unsweetened oat milk: The same amount. Creamy and mild with a hint of sweetness.
    • Unsweetened almond milk: The same amount. Thinner and less rich, so cakes are a little paler and drier.

    All 5 swaps for milk

    Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

  • 1 tbsp granulated sugar
    Swaps for granulated sugar

    Instead of sugar

    • Less sugar: Up to ¼ less in cookies, muffins and quick breads. Less browning and spread, a drier, more cake-like texture, and bakes go stale sooner.
    • Brown sugar: The same amount, packed. Moister and chewier, with a caramel flavor and darker color.
    • Coconut sugar: The same amount. Darker and caramel-like, a little less sweet; cookies spread slightly less.

    All 4 swaps for sugar

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
    Swaps for vanilla extract

    Instead of vanilla extract

    • Vanilla bean paste: The same amount. Stronger, with visible vanilla seeds.
    • Vanilla bean: The seeds of 1 bean for each 1 tbsp extract. A deeper, floral flavor and visible seeds.
    • Alcohol-free vanilla: The same amount. Made with glycerin; a slightly milder taste.

    All 5 swaps for vanilla extract

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
    Swaps for ground cinnamon

    Instead of cinnamon

    • Pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice: The same amount. Mostly cinnamon, with ginger, nutmeg and allspice or cloves: a little spicier.
    • Ground allspice or nutmeg: About ¼ the amount. Much stronger and different, but warm in the same way.

    More for cinnamon

  • 1 pinch kosher salt
    Swaps for kosher salt

    Instead of salt

    • Table salt or fine sea salt: About half as much as Diamond Crystal kosher, about ¾ as much as Morton kosher. The same saltiness when measured this way.
    • Salt by weight: 1 tsp is about 6 grams of table salt, 5 grams of Morton kosher, 3 grams of Diamond Crystal kosher. The most reliable way to swap, especially in baking and brines.

    More for salt

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
    Swaps for unsalted butter

    Instead of butter

    • Salted butter: The same amount, with about ¼ tsp less salt per stick (½ cup) elsewhere in the recipe. Nothing noticeable once you cut the salt.
    • Plant-based butter sticks: The same amount. The closest swap.
    • Refined coconut oil: The same amount: solid when the butter is soft or cold, melted when it is melted. It is all fat, so bakes are a bit more tender and rich, with no butter flavor.

    All 4 swaps for butter

    Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

  • Cinnamon-sugar coating
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar (optional)
    Swaps for granulated sugar

    Instead of sugar

    • Less sugar: Up to ¼ less in cookies, muffins and quick breads. Less browning and spread, a drier, more cake-like texture, and bakes go stale sooner.
    • Brown sugar: The same amount, packed. Moister and chewier, with a caramel flavor and darker color.
    • Coconut sugar: The same amount. Darker and caramel-like, a little less sweet; cookies spread slightly less.

    All 4 swaps for sugar

  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
    Swaps for ground cinnamon

    Instead of cinnamon

    • Pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice: The same amount. Mostly cinnamon, with ginger, nutmeg and allspice or cloves: a little spicier.
    • Ground allspice or nutmeg: About ¼ the amount. Much stronger and different, but warm in the same way.

    More for cinnamon

  • maple syrup, for dipping
    Swaps for maple syrup

    Instead of maple syrup

    • Honey: The same amount. Thicker and sweeter, browns faster, and it isn't vegan.
    • Agave syrup: The same amount. Sweeter, with no maple taste.
    • Pancake syrup: The same amount. Sweeter and flatter in flavor (it is mostly corn syrup); fine on pancakes, not great in baking or glazes.

    More for maple syrup

Cooking for a crowd? Pans, timing and salt for 12 to 50.

Missing something? Tap Swaps next to an ingredient, or see all substitutions.

Cook to 160°F inside (check with a thermometer).

Steps

Kid helper. A child can do steps 2, 4, 5 and 6: no knife, no heat. Steps marked “Grown-up” use a knife or heat. Cooking with kids

  1. Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
    400°FGrown-up: heat
  2. Line (how to line a pan) Line a pan Cover the bottom (and sometimes sides) of a pan with parchment or foil so food doesn't stick and lifts out easily. 1. For a sheet pan, tear parchment the size of the pan and lay it flat.2. For a round cake pan, trace the bottom on parchment, cut the circle out and press it in.3. For brownies and bars, leave two long sides hanging over to make handles (a "sling").4. A little grease under the paper holds it in place. Done when: The paper lies flat with no folds where the batter could run under it. How to line a baking pan with parchment: mistakes to avoid
    a sheet pan with parchment and brush it with the melted butter.
    Kid step
  3. Cut each slice of bread into 4 even sticks.
    Grown-up: knife
  4. Whisk (how to whisk) Whisk Beat ingredients with a whisk to mix them smoothly or to add air. 1. Use a bowl big enough to whisk without splashing; set it on a damp towel to stop it spinning.2. Hold the whisk loosely and move it in quick circles or side to side, touching the bottom.3. For lumpy mixtures, add liquid a little at a time and whisk after each.4. For sauces on the stove, keep the whisk moving across the whole bottom of the pan. Done when: The mixture is even with no lumps or streaks of egg. How to whisk: mistakes to avoid
    the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a shallow dish until smooth.
    Kid step
  5. Dip each stick in the custard, roll it to coat all sides and let the extra drip off.
    Kid step
  6. Lay the sticks on the buttered parchment with a little space between them.
    Kid step
  7. Bake until the bottoms are golden.
    400°F⏱ Bake side 1: 10 minGrown-up: heat
  8. Turn the sticks with tongs and bake until golden all over and firm when squeezed, with no wet custard inside (160°F in the center).
    400°F⏱ Bake side 2: 8 minGrown-up: heat
  9. If using, stir the sugar and cinnamon together and toss the hot sticks in it.
    Grown-up: heat
  10. Serve warm with a small cup of maple syrup for dipping.
    Grown-up: heat

Tap an underlined word for how to do it, or see all techniques.

Tips

  • Thick bread matters here: thin slices get soggy and break in the custard.
  • For freezing, skip the cinnamon sugar and add it after reheating.

Storage

Cool completely, freeze in one layer on the sheet pan for 1 hour, then move to a freezer bag for up to 2 months.

Make ahead

Reheat frozen sticks in a toaster or a 375°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or in the microwave for 45 to 60 seconds, until steaming hot (165°F) in the middle.

Cook once, eat twice: Double it (12 servings instead of 6), eat half and freeze the other half. It keeps 2 months frozen, by the storage note above. Print a freezer label · More freezer meals

How long leftovers keep, and freezing and reheating: leftovers and storage.

Quick answers

Can I freeze it?

Yes. Cool completely, freeze in one layer on the sheet pan for 1 hour, then move to a freezer bag for up to 2 months. Reheat frozen sticks in a toaster or a 375°F oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or in the microwave for 45 to 60 seconds, until steaming hot (165°F) in the middle.

What can I swap?
  • Instead of milk: Unsweetened soy milk, the same amount.
  • Instead of sugar: Brown sugar, the same amount, packed.

Cooking for an allergy? Check every label.

Answered from this recipe's own storage, make-ahead and swap notes.

Estimated nutrition per serving

Calories
180
Protein
7 g
Carbohydrates
19 g
Fiber
1 g
Sugars
5 g
Fat
8 g
Saturated fat
4 g
Sodium
210 mg

Whole recipe, 6 servings: about 1,060 calories.

Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 8 of 8 ingredients.

How we estimate

We add up USDA FoodData Central values for each measured ingredient as written and divide by the recipe's 6 servings, so changing the servings or units here doesn't change a serving. Brands, swaps, trimming and cooking all change the real numbers.

Not counted: granulated sugar, ground cinnamon (optional); maple syrup (to taste or as needed).

Estimated cost

About $0.30 a serving

About $1.75 for the recipe as written (6 servings).

Estimate; prices vary by store and region. U.S. average prices for September 2026 from BLS Average Price Data. Priced: 5 of 8 ingredients, 99% by weight.

How we estimate

Each measured ingredient is weighed as in the nutrition estimate and priced at the U.S. average: BLS's average price where BLS publishes one, else USDA ERS's Purchase to Plate price for 2017-18 raised to September 2026 with the CPI for that food group. Whole packages, store brands, sales and regions all change the real cost: treat it as a ballpark.

  • bread $0.70 BLS
  • eggs $0.55 BLS
  • unsalted butter $0.25 BLS
  • whole milk $0.20 BLS
  • granulated sugar $0.05 BLS

Not priced (no official average price we can match, so not in the total): vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, kosher salt.

Not counted: granulated sugar, ground cinnamon, maple syrup (optional, or to taste).

More dishes for less: cheap eats.

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Cleanup score 5/5 (very easy cleanup): 1 thing to wash, sheet pan. More sheet-pan recipes.

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