13 Ways To Upgrade Frozen French Toast
French toast is one of those foods that you already know is quite versatile, but the extent to which you can jazz it up is pretty wild. As well as being a perfect vehicle for any toppings you might dare to dream of, virtually every ingredient in French toast can be swapped to make it tastier and more luxurious. So how does its frozen counterpart fare in the upgrades department, when all of the ingredients are already incorporated? Quite well, in fact. Like the fresh version, frozen French toast can be upgraded in loads of different ways, and some of them are unique to the premade kind.
Frozen French toast often comes in stick form, and those rectangular dimensions mean that some upgrades work particularly well. Turning these toast sticks into croutons for a breakfast salad is the stuff of mere minutes, or you can transform them into mini French toast roll-ups for some bitesize fun. Their longer shape also makes them perfect for dipping into sauces or eggs, or transforming into savory toast sticks that still have all of that eggy richness. Plus, there are a few upgrades that apply to both fresh and frozen French toast which suddenly become way easier with the frozen version.
1. Turn your frozen French toast into cereal for an exciting breakfast
If you haven't started making your frozen French toast into cereal, we hereby give you permission to give it a go. With frozen French toast, you can make a fresh version of French Toast Crunch, and one which has way more substance and bite to it. Just take your frozen French toast sticks and cook them fully according to how you like them. We personally prefer to cook them a few minutes longer than the package instructions dictate, so that they get a nice firmness that holds up in the milk. Then, dice them into small chunks, pop them in a bowl, and pour over a simmered combination of milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and sugar.
This is a dish that replicates the sweet flavors of milk toast, a breakfast dish that has strong ties to New England, where it can be made in sweet or savory form. It's also reminiscent of Hong Kong-style milk toast, which is served with condensed milk on top. However, French toast cereal has an identity of its very own, and the combination of sweet milk and eggy bread is hard to beat. The best part is that the longer it sits, the more delicious it gets, as the toast soaks up the spiced milk and becomes soggy and creamy-tasting.
2. Cut out some steps to make French toast casserole
Baked French toast casserole is the breakfast of champions, but there's no denying that it can take a lot of work. Before you can even cook the casserole, you have to leave your toast to soak overnight to take in the custard's flavors — and who has the foresight to think that far ahead? So, instead, bust out your frozen French toast sticks to make your life even easier. Just thaw your toast using your microwave or air fryer, chop it into bitesize pieces, and pop it in a casserole dish. Pour over some milk or cream to moisten everything slightly, and then bake.
As the casserole bakes, the toast will absorb the liquid, keeping it moist. It'll simultaneously crisp on the top, with the flavors of the frozen French toast developing and caramelizing. If you want to add even more flavor, use cinnamon frozen French toast, or toss your French toast pieces in a combination of cinnamon and sugar. Once your casserole is cooked, you can add any toppings of your choice, before grabbing a fork or a spoon and enjoying the best breakfast of your life.
3. Sprinkle them with more coating for extra flavor
In their base form, Frozen French toast sticks have a fairly neutral flavor: Eggy and sweet without being too intrusive. This flavor makes them accessible for both adults and kids, but it also means that they can be quickly spruced up with an extra coating. The moistness of frozen French toast gives it a slightly tacky quality that dried coating adheres to very well, and it usually takes no longer than just rolling the sticks in your chosen flavor combination.
If you want to keep things simple but effective, a homemade cinnamon sugar can be rustled up in moments by combining a half-cup of sugar with a few tablespoons of cinnamon. However, there's no need to stop there. Try adding some ground cloves, cardamom pods, or star anise in with the sugar to give it a spicy complexity, or a dash of cayenne pepper or chili flakes to add some sweet heat. Alternatively, dust your French toast sticks in icing sugar for a less granulated effect, and a slightly more toothsome sweetness. If you're making a special breakfast for your kids, you could even try coating your French toast sticks in sprinkles, or a dusting of sweetened cocoa.
4. Make an extra custard to bathe them in
Good French toast requires good custard — and while you don't have to worry about making this with the frozen version, that may not be entirely a good thing. The custard in French toast is a vehicle to add flavors to the dish, from the boozy notes of rum or whisky to sharper pops of citrus. Plus, custard gives French toast its all-important moisture, which frozen French toast can sometimes lack.
There's no need to despair, though: You can still make a delicious custard at home, and combine it with your frozen French toast to give it a boost of flavor. Just whip up the custard as you normally would, and then dunk some thawed toast sticks in it before cooking them in the air fryer or a hot pan. Your toast sticks should be firm enough to retain their structure with this extra coating, as long as you don't leave them soaking for too long, and they'll gain an extra pop of flavor. If traditional French toast custard isn't your thing and you want something that you can drizzle on top, you could also whip up a vanilla custard sauce.
5. Turn them into French toast soldiers to dip into eggs or chocolate sauce
Frozen French toast is pretty good on its own, but paired with a dipping component it's even better. The stick shape of most frozen French toasts makes them perfect for dunking in your favorite sauce or a soft-boiled egg, as all you really have to prepare is your accompaniment. To turn them into toast soldiers, simply soft-boil an egg until it's got a firm white and a runny, oozing yolk, lop off its top end, and then dip your French toast right in. Bear in mind that if you're doing this, it may be best to go with a more neutral flavor as opposed to frozen French toast dusted in cinnamon; the slight sweetness of standard frozen French toast works incredibly well with the egg yolk, especially if you add a little flaky sea salt to the top.
Alternatively, you can keep things sweet by rustling up a ganache dipping sauce, made by combining heavy cream and melted dark chocolate. The deep, bold sauce can make the frozen French toast almost taste like churros, particularly when you opt for a cinnamon-flavored version. It's a breakfast you might not want to repeat every day, but it sure is tasty.
6. Fry your frozen French toast for more flavor and texture
The cooking instructions for frozen French toast generally indicate that you should prepare it in the microwave or oven, and you can also air fry it to generate more crispiness. However, none of these methods compare to frying it. By either pan-frying or deep-frying your frozen French toast, you can generate an incredible crispiness on its exterior and a caramelized flavor note. Because frozen French toast may already have a high fat content, deep-frying it may make it too fatty — but if you find a lighter version, its flavor may benefit from a little extra richness.
It's best to work with thawed frozen French toast sticks when frying it, so that you don't end up with it being cooked on the outside and still frozen in the center (and so it doesn't release steam into your pan, creating moisture that can get in the way of its crispiness). One of the best things about frying frozen French toast is that it's the perfect opportunity to add more ingredients that create more crispiness, and even more flavor. Try brushing your frozen French toast sticks with a little beaten egg, and then rolling them in parmesan before frying them. The cheese will add a punchy umami note to your toast, and the outside will crisp up even more effectively.
7. Pile your frozen French toast into a breakfast lasagna
We've gotta admit to eating lasagna for breakfast a fair few times in our lives (look, when it's leftover and sitting in your fridge, and you're hungry first thing, it just ... happens). However, frozen French toast lasagna takes it to the next level. To make this breakfast lasagna, you simply have to swap pasta sheets for pieces of frozen French toast. Then, you layer in ham and eggs instead of a ragu, pancake syrup instead of béchamel sauce, and top the whole thing with hash browns and cheese after building it like a regular lasagna.
Breakfast lasagna is usually made with fresh French toast, but using frozen French toast sticks can make the process way quicker. Plus, it'll also make the lasagna easier to divide up, thanks to the toast sticks being smaller and slimmer. Just bear in mind that it's usually better to start with thawed toast sticks, so that they're not defrosting as the lasagna is cooking. This can get in the way of how successfully the lasagna cooks overall, and may cool down the other ingredients in your pan.
8. Turn your frozen toast into a stuffed treat
Stuffed French toast may not be something you have everyday — but when you do, it sure is a treat. However, there's no denying that it feels like a pretty lengthy thing to make (even if, in reality, it's fairly quick). So if you can't stomach the thought of making a classic stuffed French toast first thing in the morning, make things easier for yourself by using frozen French toast. You just have to sandwich some thawed slices together around your fillings of choice, coat them in a little egg wash, and then fry them in a pan.
Using frozen French toast instead of making it yourself ensures that every bite is full of flavor. Most stuffed French toast recipes don't soak the bread for too long, which can mean that its interior can be bland and doughy. Using frozen French toast doesn't give you this issue, as the whole thing is infused with eggy, sweet flavor notes. Just remember that you'll likely need to use whole frozen French toast pieces here, instead of the stick kind. It's also worth taking a look at the nutritional value of your French toast before doing this. When you're throwing sugary fillings into an already-sugary frozen product, it's easy for things to get way too sweet.
9. Convert frozen French toast into croutons
Having salad for breakfast may sound out there, but stranger things have happened — and it might not be as strange as you think. Many standard ingredients in salad, like eggs, bacon, avocado, and bread, are also commonplace in breakfast dishes. Plus, having a breakfast salad allows you to boost your nutrition for the day straight off the bat, and give you some all-important fiber to keep you full from mixed greens, tomatoes, and other vegetables.
We wouldn't blame you if you can't stomach making croutons as soon as you get out of bed, though. That's why opting for frozen French toast croutons is a great option. Just thaw your frozen French toast sticks, slice them into small cubes, and then air fry them. They'll dehydrate and crisp up, just as normal croutons would, while still retaining a juiciness from their egg infusion. If you don't have an air fryer, you can also pop them in the oven for the same effect. Just bear in mind that many frozen French toast products have sugar in them, so try to find options that are less sugary if you're looking to keep things healthy.
10. Roll up your frozen French toast
Anyone who's made French toast roll-ups will know how much of a winner they are, with adults and kids alike. Well, if you want to make a super-cute mini version that's just as delicious as the regular kind, use frozen French toast sticks as your starting point. Thaw your French toast sticks, and then press them flat with your hands or a rolling pin. This may take a little bit more force than you think, as thawed frozen French toast can be surprisingly springy.
Once they're flat, spread whatever filling you want in your bread, just as you would with a normal French toast roll-up. Dip them in an egg mixture, and fry them in some butter until golden-brown, gooey, and delicious. We like to use chocolate spread in ours, but you can also dollop in cream cheese, jam, fruit, or even applesauce. These bitesize pieces have a tendency to unroll sometimes, so make sure you seal them really well before frying them. If you want to keep things a little less fatty, you can also pop them in the air fryer.
11. Go all-out by turning your frozen French toast into a sundae
If you haven't made a frozen French toast sundae before, you haven't lived. French toast sundaes are normally made by popping halved pieces of French toast into a sundae dish, where your bananas would normally go (which kinda makes this dish a French toast banana split, too). You then scoop ice cream into the middle of the slices, and top them with all your standard sundae toppings before diving right in.
Opting for frozen French toast here cuts out the cumbersome step of cooking your toast from scratch. Instead, the toast sticks are ready to go. Plus, because frozen French toast is often in stick form, you don't have to half anything: Just cook them as per the package instructions, and pop them in your dish. Alternatively, you can also stack your French toast sticks on a plate and top them with ice cream, whipped cream, and sprinkles, just as you would with a regular sundae. As for when to enjoy this treat, we'd recommend doing so as brunch or splitting it (get it?) with a friend after an evening meal. It might be a little heavy for breakfast — so if you're eating it then, don't say we didn't warn you.
12. Turn frozen French toast into an easy bread pudding
Bread pudding is one of England's greatest cultural exports, and has been made in the country since the 11th century. These days, however, we're able to rustle up bread puddings that are both simpler and way more delicious. One quick way to do this is by using frozen French toast sticks, to make a French toast bread pudding that's bursting with flavor. You just tear up your thawed toast sticks, pop them in a casserole dish, and pour a vanilla-spiked custard over them. Once the toast has soaked up the custard, you then bake it until it's browned and deeply delicious.
Frozen French toast bread pudding is best served as a dessert, as the ingredients in the custard can make it very sweet (and therefore more sugary than a frozen French toast casserole). Raisins are a traditional topping for bread pudding, but you can also top it with berries, or whip up a glaze made from powdered sugar and milk. It's crucial to remember that frozen French toast sticks can already be quite moist, so you don't want to leave them to soak for too long. Otherwise, they'll just turn to mush.
13. For a simple hack, just add a pinch of salt
Adding a pinch of salt to frozen French toast may not seem revolutionary, but you'd be surprised at how effective it is. Most frozen French toasts err on the side of sweetness a little too intensely, which can give them a cloying, sugary flavor that's hard to stomach in the morning. Adding a pinch of salt to your toast can help to balance things out — there's a reason why it's a common ingredient in French toast custard recipes — and give it slightly more complexity. It's one of the easiest hacks you can perform if you want things to taste better.
Adding salt can also help when your toast isn't sweet enough. Salt can help to intensify sweet flavors, with scientists believing that one reason for this could be due to the presence of receptors in sweet-responsive taste cells. Essentially, adding salt to sweet things could make your tastebuds more reactive. Importantly, though, you're going to want to check how much sodium your French toast has before you start sprinkling salt on it. Some brands may have a surprising amount of your daily sodium content in a relatively small serving size, and adding further salt won't help matters.