This post may contain affiliate links where I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
French toast is the perfect breakfast for picky eaters. It’s a carbohydrate-rich entree with built-in protein (eggs) and it’s simple to make too!
I’m sharing our favorite Apple Cinnamon French toast recipe that we enjoy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Plus, I’m also revealing the one ingredient that makes this a healthier French toast recipe, and how to offer it to the pickiest of eaters!
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need For Apple Cinnamon French Toast
Texas Toast
French toast is just better with thick slices of Texas toast. You’re welcome to use whatever bread you prefer!
I always like to have a loaf of Texas toast in the freezer to pull out and use for this apple cinnamon french toast recipe, as well as grilled cheese.
Plus, I find that using frozen bread makes it easier to handle when soaking in the egg mixture.
Whole Milk
Don’t be afraid of the fat! The thick, creaminess of whole milk is what makes this apple cinnamon french toast recipe so tasty.
However, sometimes I’ll use my French vanilla coffee creamer instead and oh boy does that make it tasty too!
But if you’re making breakfast for picky eaters, whole milk is the way to go to give them more fat and overall calories with every bite.
Eggs
Eggs are essential when it comes to French toast. Without getting all food scientist on you (because I’m not one, but did take a few classes in college), eggs work as a binder to solidify and firm up the liquid.
Vanilla
If you’re not using your French vanilla coffee creamer, you can add a little vanilla to give it more flavor.
Tiny Sprouts Digestive Booster
This is the secret ingredient I’ve been waiting to share with you!
I’ve been using Tiny Sprouts Digestive Boosters in our French toast for two-plus years now. It has an apple cinnamon flavor, which is perfect for French toast.
But that’s not even the best part! These digestive boosters are the perfect addition to any breakfast for picky eaters because they contain milled flax and chia seeds and add fiber, omega-3s, probiotics, and iron!
These digestion boosters are the perfect addition to any baked good, which we know kids love, to help keep them regular because no one likes to ride the constipation roller coaster.
Check out more foods to help your picky eater poop here!
How to Make Apple Cinnamon French Toast
French toast is a fairly simple breakfast to make for your family. Check out the steps below for detailed directions.
Crack and Whisk Eggs
Crack your eggs into a large bowl so you have enough room to really whisk those babies up. I’ve found that cracking eggs on the counter versus the side of a bowl works best for minimizing egg shells. Those suckers are hard to fish out!
You can even get your kids involved with cracking and whisking the eggs too!
A trick for whisking eggs is to use an egg beater (duh) or a blender to really get them whisked well. Otherwise, it can be difficult to break up the egg whites, making the mixture inconsistent.
Add Milk, Vanilla, and Digestive Booster
Next, you’ll add your preferred milk of choice, vanilla, and apple cinnamon digestive boosters to your whisked eggs. Give it a good whisk and your egg mixture is complete.
Fry Apple Cinnamon French Toast
I prefer to use a large griddle so I can fry up more French toast at one time, but you can use any pan you’d like.
If you’re looking for a nonstick option, I love my Caraway cookware set. Easy to clean, non-toxic, and beautiful too!
Butter is best with this apple cinnamon French toast recipe. Spread a dab of butter over your pan or griddle and let it bubble for just a second.
If you’re using a pan on the stove, fry at medium to medium-high, or your griddle at 375 degrees F.
I’ve been eyeing up those ever-so-popular Black Stone flat tops and think I might just get one.
I like to take the whole stick of butter, peel back the wrapper and use the whole stick like I’m coloring on the griddle. Works like a charm.
Now it’s time to dip your Texas toast into the egg mixture and coat it evenly on both sides. I like to use tongs for this because it makes it easier to pick up.
Place your batter-dipped apple cinnamon French toast on your pan or griddle and let it fry for a few minutes. Once you’ve achieved a golden brown finish to the side that’s frying, you can give it a flip and do the same to the other side.
Enjoy
Cover the apple cinnamon French toast until you’re ready to serve or let your family eat as they’re ready.
Variations
There’s a wide variety of ways to make French toast, so here are a few common variations you could consider!
Coffee Creamer Instead of Milk
As I mentioned before, sometimes I like to use my French vanilla coffee creamer in place of milk. This gives it an amazing flavor (more sugar, duh). I got this idea from my Mother In Law who used to run her own bed and breakfast.
Milk Alternatives
Whether you’re lactose intolerant, allergic to cow’s milk, or vegan, you can definitely substitute cow’s milk for whatever milk alternative you prefer.
Regular Ground Flaxseed
If you don’t have Tiny Sprouts Digestive Boosters, you can certainly add your own ground flaxseed to your French toast for an additional boost of fiber.
In this case, I’d also add a few teaspoons of cinnamon to give it that traditional French toast flavor.
French Toast Toppings
There are so many great French toast toppings, the options are endless! I like to ask my kids what topping we should try with our French toast. This is a great way for picky eaters to get involved and feel included.
French Toast Toppings You Can Try
- Fresh berries
- Sliced banana
- Frozen fruit, thawed
- Chocolate Chips
- Chopped nuts
- Peanut butter
- Almond butter
- Homemade whipped cream
- Yogurt
FAQs
Can You Freeze French Toast
Absolutely! Anytime I make pancakes or French toast, I purposely make extra so we either have leftovers to use up that week, or I freeze them for a later date.
The trick to freezing French toast, or pancakes for that matter, is to freeze on a parchment paper lined sheet pan in a single layer so they freeze individually. Once frozen you can place them in a Ziploc freezer bag or air-tight container.
Freezing French toast individually prevents one large frozen clump of French toast later.
What’s The Best Bread for French Toast?
Personally, I enjoy the thick Texas toast slices of bread for French toast. No, I’m not talking about the garlic or cheesy Texas toast you find in the freezer section and eat with spaghetti.
However it’s not always the easiest to find, but I have luck finding it in our fresh bakery section.
I’d avoid thin or holey slices of bread because it makes it hard for the liquid to get absorbed.
- White bread
- Brioche
- Sourdough
- French bread
- Challah
What if You Have an Egg Allergy?
If you’re avoiding eggs because of an allergy, or maybe you are vegan, you can certainly make an egg-less French toast!
There are a few options you can use to substitute eggs within this apple cinnamon French toast recipe, but corn starch is your best bet.
You can simply substitute 2 tablespoons of cornstarch for every egg in the recipe.
You won’t get the same nutritional benefits that eggs provide, but it will still give you a tasty breakfast for picky eaters. Simply add your preferred egg-less protein on the side.
How to Store and Reheat
Whenever I make this apple cinnamon French toast recipe, I always make extra. We either use the extra French toast for breakfast the next day or I freeze for a later date.
The trick to freezing entrees like french toast or pancakes is to lay them out on a parchment paper lined sheet pan in one layer, then once frozen, place them in a Ziploc freezer bag or air-tight container. By freezing them individually, you prevent them from freezing together in one large clump.
Then you can pull them out from the freezer and warm them up in the microwave until they’re heated through. 30 to 60 seconds should do the trick for one slice. You may need to flip the slices and heat for an additional 30-60 seconds if you’re heating more than one slice at a time.
What to Serve With It
French toast goes great with both sweet and savory sides.
It’s perfect to pair with any fruit, fresh, canned, or frozen! The juices from the frozen fruit make for a great syrup!
Because French toast already has a protein built-in to the recipe (eggs), you don’t need to offer a protein, but sausage or bacon just makes sense! Feel free to whip up some scrambled eggs if your family enjoys those even though the apple cinnamon French toast already contains eggs.
How to Offer French Toast to Picky Eaters
French toast is a great breakfast for picky eaters because it’s a carbohydrate-rich entree that most kids enjoy, but also has protein and fat too!
To help your picky eater engage with French toast if they don’t quite enjoy it yet, you can try a few different strategies:
- Give them mini cookie cutters to cut out their own shapes to eat
- Let them cut their apple cinnamon french toast themselves with kid-safe knives
- Offer syrup on the side in a small container for them to dip it in, and minimize the mess and quantity of syrup
- Let them help make the apple cinnamon French toast!
Other Recipes You’ll Love
Strawberries and Cream Oatmeal
The Best English Muffin Pizza Recipe
Apple Cinnamon French Toast
Ingredients
- 16 Slices Texas toast
- 1 Cup Whole milk
- 4 Eggs
- 1 Tbsp Vanilla extract
- 1/4 Cup Tiny Sprouts Digestive Booster or sub regular ground flaxseed with Tbsp of cinnamon.
Instructions
- Crack and whisk eggs in large bowl.
- Add and mix together milk, vanilla, and Digestive Boosters.
- Coat slice of Texas toast using tongs with egg mixture on both side.
- Fry on a greased griddle at 375 degrees F or a greased non-stick pan on medium to medium-high heat until golden brown. Flip and repeat on other side.
- Remove from heat and cover to keep warm until time to enjoy!
