I perfected French Toast Muffins with a single pantry swap that hides a cinnamon sugar surprise inside each muffin.
I’ll be honest, the first time I made Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Muffins I almost ate them all before anyone else woke up. Wake up to the sweet, comforting flavors of cinnamon sugar French toast muffins, the perfect breakfast treat, and you’ll know what I mean.
I love using cubed brioche or challah and a touch of vanilla extract because they turn ordinary bread into something a little more grown up, more interesting. These French Toast Muffins feel like a guilty pleasure but also like a smart Breakfast Treats move when you want to impress without the fuss.
Try one warm and see.
Ingredients
- Brioche or challah: soft, buttery bread, adds carbs and richness, low fiber, very tender.
- Eggs: provide protein and structure, help custard set, add savory balance.
- Whole milk and cream: supply fat and calcium, they make it rich and creamy.
- Granulated sugar: primary sweetener, boosts carbs and browning, simple sugars raise sweetness.
- Brown sugar: adds depth and slight molasses note, still sugary, no real nutrients.
- Unsalted butter: adds fat, flavor and crisping, high in saturated fat so eat moderate.
- Cinnamon: warm spice, almost no calories, adds aroma and perceived sweetness.
Ingredient Quantities
- 3 1/2 to 4 cups cubed brioche or challah (about 10 to 12 ounces) a day old
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (optional)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted for brushing
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar coating
- Maple syrup or powdered sugar for serving, optional
How to Make this
1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 12-cup muffin tin well with butter or nonstick spray, or line with paper liners.
2. Place 3 1/2 to 4 cups cubed brioche or challah (about 10 to 12 ounces), a day old, in a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl whisk 4 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (optional), 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, until everything is smooth and the sugar mostly dissolves.
4. Pour the custard over the cubed bread, press the bread down so it soaks evenly, and let sit 20 to 30 minutes at room temp, stirring or pressing once or twice so the bottom pieces get soaked too; don’t over soak or they’ll turn to mush.
5. Gently stir the soaked bread to distribute the custard and divide into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full and pressing lightly so there are no big air gaps; it’s ok if a few cubes stick up, they’ll get nicely toasted.
6. Bake for about 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden and the centers are set (a toothpick should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs).
7. While muffins bake, combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl and melt the extra 3 tablespoons unsalted butter for brushing.
8. As soon as muffins come out of the oven, brush each with melted butter and toss or sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar so it sticks; let muffins cool in the tin 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
9. Serve warm with maple syrup or powdered sugar if you like; leftovers keep covered in the fridge 3 days and reheat in a toaster oven to crisp back up.
Equipment Needed
1. 12-cup muffin tin, greased or lined
2. Large mixing bowl (for the cubed bread to soak)
3. Medium bowl (for whisking the custard)
4. Whisk, plus measuring cups and measuring spoons
5. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon to press and stir
6. Pastry brush for brushing melted butter and coating with cinnamon sugar
7. Wire cooling rack and a toothpick or cake tester to check doneness
8. Sharp knife and cutting board to cube the brioche or challah
FAQ
Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Muffins Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Bread swap: if you don’t have brioche or challah use day-old French bread, sourdough, or even cubed croissants (same volume 3 1/2 to 4 cups). Sourdough adds a tang, croissants make it extra rich and flaky.
- Milk / cream swap: no whole milk? Mix 1 cup 2% milk + 1 tablespoon melted butter to approximate whole milk. No heavy cream or half and half? For each cup replace with 3/4 cup milk + 1/4 cup melted butter, or use full-fat canned coconut milk 1:1 for dairy-free.
- Egg swap: 1 large egg ≈ 1/4 cup pureed silken tofu (so use about 1 cup silken tofu blended for 4 eggs) for the creamiest custard. Or use flax “eggs” (1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg) as a binder, but they’ll be a bit denser.
- Butter swap: replace melted unsalted butter 1:1 with melted coconut oil or a neutral oil like grapeseed for similar texture. For richer, nuttier flavor try ghee instead of butter.
Pro Tips
1) If the bread still feels soft, toast the cubes first at a low temp until they’re just drying out; it gives a crispier outside and stops soggy bottoms, trust me.
2) Dont let the cubes sit totally soupy; you want them evenly moist but not falling apart. If youre worried, press the filled cups down then chill the pan 10 minutes before baking so they keep their shape.
3) Brush with melted butter while they’re still hot so the cinnamon sugar actually sticks, and for extra crunch toss them in sugar twice or give the tops a very short broil but watch them so they dont burn.
4) Make-ahead hack: assemble in the tin and freeze solid, then bake from frozen adding a few extra minutes. Leftovers re-crisp nicely in a toaster oven or a skillet, dont use the microwave unless you like mush.
Cinnamon Sugar French Toast Muffins Recipe
I perfected French Toast Muffins with a single pantry swap that hides a cinnamon sugar surprise inside each muffin.
6
servings
484
kcal
Equipment: 1. 12-cup muffin tin, greased or lined
2. Large mixing bowl (for the cubed bread to soak)
3. Medium bowl (for whisking the custard)
4. Whisk, plus measuring cups and measuring spoons
5. Rubber spatula or wooden spoon to press and stir
6. Pastry brush for brushing melted butter and coating with cinnamon sugar
7. Wire cooling rack and a toothpick or cake tester to check doneness
8. Sharp knife and cutting board to cube the brioche or challah
Ingredients
-
3 1/2 to 4 cups cubed brioche or challah (about 10 to 12 ounces) a day old
-
4 large eggs
-
1 cup whole milk
-
1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
-
1/4 cup granulated sugar
-
2 tablespoons light brown sugar (optional)
-
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-
1/4 teaspoon salt
-
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
-
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted for brushing
-
1/4 cup granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon for the cinnamon sugar coating
-
Maple syrup or powdered sugar for serving, optional
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 12-cup muffin tin well with butter or nonstick spray, or line with paper liners.
- Place 3 1/2 to 4 cups cubed brioche or challah (about 10 to 12 ounces), a day old, in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl whisk 4 large eggs, 1 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (optional), 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, until everything is smooth and the sugar mostly dissolves.
- Pour the custard over the cubed bread, press the bread down so it soaks evenly, and let sit 20 to 30 minutes at room temp, stirring or pressing once or twice so the bottom pieces get soaked too; don't over soak or they'll turn to mush.
- Gently stir the soaked bread to distribute the custard and divide into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 full and pressing lightly so there are no big air gaps; it's ok if a few cubes stick up, they'll get nicely toasted.
- Bake for about 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden and the centers are set (a toothpick should come out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs).
- While muffins bake, combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl and melt the extra 3 tablespoons unsalted butter for brushing.
- As soon as muffins come out of the oven, brush each with melted butter and toss or sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar so it sticks; let muffins cool in the tin 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Serve warm with maple syrup or powdered sugar if you like; leftovers keep covered in the fridge 3 days and reheat in a toaster oven to crisp back up.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 240g
- Total number of serves: 6
- Calories: 484kcal
- Fat: 29.9g
- Saturated Fat: 16.9g
- Trans Fat: 0.3g
- Polyunsaturated: 1g
- Monounsaturated: 10g
- Cholesterol: 175mg
- Sodium: 433mg
- Potassium: 179mg
- Carbohydrates: 50.4g
- Fiber: 1.1g
- Sugar: 23.3g
- Protein: 10.2g
- Vitamin A: 400IU
- Vitamin C: 0mg
- Calcium: 82mg
- Iron: 2.2mg
