French Toast Muffins are easy to toss together with ingredients you already have in your kitchen and they’re a perfect brunch dish for a crowd and fun to pull apart.
French Toast Muffins are less muffin and more french toast since you make them with cut up (stale works best!) bread and a standard custard mixture but when they come out of the muffin tins you’ll be thrilled with how perfectly portable, adorable and delicious they are. Served with warm maple syrup or your favorite glaze.
Regarding the kind of bread you use, the most important part is that the bread is slightly stale. Using a fresh, soft bread will absorb all the liquid of the custard and turn into a mush as it doesn’t have the structure to hold up to the added liquid. 
I personally use French Bread to make these French Toast Muffins. I cut up the French Bread the night before and leave it on a cookie sheet or in a bowl overnight. If you don’t have time to do that (or you decide to make these on a whim), you can bake them in a low oven (300 degrees) for 15-20 minutes to dry them out.
While French Bread is definitely my favorite bread to use, I’ve also made these with a Texas toast with great results. I tend to shy away from using a normal sliced white bread because even if it is stale, the crumb is usually so light that it won’t give you the best results. 
French Toast Muffins are a version of my Easy French Toast Bake but made in a muffin tin for a fun brunch treat or wedding/baby shower menu. They take almost no time at all to make, use pantry ingredients you probably already have on hand, are easy to eat and impressive to serve!
I only recently posted my favorite Easy French Toast Bake but the reaction to the recipe has been so fantastic I decided to post these muffins earlier than expected. They’re soft in the middle, crunchy on top and perfect for serving to a large crowd because everyone gets the crispy edge pieces of their own and if you have any left over they freeze great! 
If you make the recipe and freeze portions of it it defrosts great, can be quickly microwaved or put in a toaster oven for a quick breakfast.
You can eat these Pull Apart French Toast Muffins with a fork or your fingers which also makes them a huge hit with kids who like to pull them apart and dunk them in maple syrup. 
Tools Used in the Making of this Easy French Toast Bake:
Muffin Pan: I tend to stick to classic muffin tins, but I do have friends who swear by silicone muffin tins. The only thing I can tell you is that I stay away from silicone muffin cups because they tend to bulge, cook unevenly and overflow.
Maple Syrup: Love serving this with real maple syrup. I keep this brand and Trader Joe’s brand (buy that in store, it is ⅓ the price) on hand at all times if I can.
Nutmeg: The only way I use Nutmeg is with whole nuts. The flavor is completely different than the pre-ground variety and adds another dimension to baked goods. You can also buy these in bulk from your local grocer (I like Sprouts whole Nutmeg) or from Penzey’s online.
Ingredients
- 1 loaf French bread I also routinely use a loaf of Texas Toast
- 8 eggs
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 cup heavy cream half and half would work too
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar divided, half for custard and half for topping
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter cold and cut into small squares
Instructions
- Spray a two muffin tins with cooking spray or grease with butter and preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, add the eggs, milk, heavy cream, sugar, brown sugar (½ cup), vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Chop the bread into ¾ - 1 inch cubes and put it in the bowl with the egg mixture and toss well until all the liquid is absorbed.
- In a small bowl or a food processor add the flour, brown sugar (½ cup), cinnamon, and salt and mix.
- Cut in the butter with a fork or pulse in the food processor for 5-10 seconds or until the butter and brown sugar mixture is crumbly.
- Mound the bread into the muffin tin until it resembles a muffin with a high rounded top.
- Pour any leftover liquids over the top of the bread mixture.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture (that has the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and the butter) on top of the muffins
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are crispy and browned and the inside is set.
Nutrition
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sorry still a bit confused on the brown sugar as Step #2 just says singular “sugar.” Is it 1/2 cup with the granulated sugar and eggs in custard, other 1/2 cup in topping mix? Is that correct? Thanks
Hi Kelly,
Sorry for the confusion. I just updated the recipe card instructions to help clarify when to add 1/2 the brown sugar with the custard and the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar for the top of the muffin! Let us know if that was helpful and how you liked the recipe!
Could Nutella be added to these for a chocolaty twist?
Sounds good!
Can these French toast muffins be assembled the day before and baked the next morning?
Planning to make these this weekend. Can I make them in silicone muffin cups or is it best to use normal metal muffin tins?
Hi Marjorie, that should work just fine. Hope you enjoy!
These are wonderful! It’s also really easy to scale down. I had 6 pieces of leftover brioche, (maybe 1/3 loaf) and just eyeballed about 1/3 to 1/4 of each ingredient. It made 6 wonderful muffins, just right for our 2 person household. I’m never wasting extra bread again!
Perfect! Thanks for coming back to let me know.
I cant get half and half where I am.. what do you recommend i substitute it with?
Thanks!
You can use heavy cream also.
Just,,, ~PERFECT~•• !!!!
Thanks Laice.
The photos of these yummy looking morsels look like they were done in mini muffin pans – is that accurate or are they made in standard size muffin pans? I’m planning to make these for a bridal brunch for a bride that loves French toast!
I used a standard muffin pan for this recipe. Have fun at the brunch!
Can i skip the whole heavy cream part of this recipe? or
It’ll change the flavor. You can use whole milk instead but again, the flavor will be less creamy. If you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out for you since I’ve never tested it this way, thanks!
Could I make these the night before, leave them in the fridge and bake them in the morning ?
Definitely! Make it easier in the morning, right?!
Have you ever made these ahead and put them in the freezer? If so, how did you reheat? I won’t have access to a microwave.
Yes, these work great this way and are always ready on hand. If you won’t have access to a microwave, I would suggest using a toaster oven to reheat. Helps with keeping the edges crispy too.
My love for french toast has no limits, and wow these do look amazing!
Thank you Katalina!
We love French Toast muffins at our house. These look great! We make a killer Cream Cheese french toast muffin. I just posted the recipe on KitchenCents.com in early January. If you like cream cheese, you should totally stop by and check it out. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I’ll have to check that out! Thanks!
Looks delish! Step 8 says to “Sprinkle an addition 1/2 cup of brown sugar over the top of the muffins, putting about a teaspoon on each one.” Where was the first quantity of this mixture supposed to be used — mixed into the bread before it’s put into the muffin tins?
Thanks!!
Read more at: French Toast Muffins //dinnerthendessert.com/french-toast-muffins/
I updated the recipe to read more clearly. So sorry for the confusion!
Where does the butter, brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon mix go? The directions don’t say. I think my grandkids will love these!
I updated the recipe, sorry for the confusion! I hope your grandkids will love it!
Best breakfast ever made into a muffin! Genius!
Thanks Krista!
My little boys would love these so much! I can’t wait to try them this weekend <3
Is the brown sugar mixture in step 5 the brown sugar we sprinkle over the French toast muffin in step 8
Yes, I updated the recipe. So sorry for the confusion!
There is nothing I don’t like about these incredible muffins. What I think I love the most is all those crunchy bits around the edges and tops. Brilliant idea! Wish I would have thought of it. LOL
Thank you Renee! I love the crunchy bits too!
Oh how dangerous these would be in my house! SO GOOD!
Yea, they didn’t last long here at all! lol
I need these in my everyday life. Just a constant never-ending supply of them!
Whoa yeah! I think I could easily pop a half dozen or so of those! 😉
My gosh these look amazing!
Thank you Nancy!