Sweet and buttery French toast never fails to wow your breakfast crowd. But for getting that super caramelized crust, your air fryer is perfect for the job. Simply place the custard-soaked slices of bread into the preheated machine and cook. Within 10 minutes, the bread will be golden brown and fluffy—all without greasing or heating a skillet. From there, the toast just needs your favorite topping like maple syrup, powdered sugar or fruit sauce before it’s ready to devour. Keep reading for pointers on cooking French toast in the air fryer, plus two easy recipes to make for breakfast soon!
The basics of French toast
Preparing French toast starts with dipping slices of bread into a custard of eggs, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and milk and/or heavy cream. The soaked bread is then pan-fried in butter until it’s browned on both sides. This traditional version of French toast is hard to beat as it always yields a tasty treat. However, if you’re looking for a simpler way to make this breakfast classic, your air fryer is here to save the day.
Why you should cook French toast in the air fryer
Similar to other appliances, air fryers maintain a consistent temperature throughout the cooking process. This means your French toast will brown nicely without needing to adjust the heat as you would in a skillet. Also, the bread doesn’t need to be coated in butter or oil beforehand since the hot air circulates around each slice—creating a crispy exterior. The key to maximizing this machine’s cooking perks is by leaving enough room between slices. This may involve cooking two or three slices at a time, but it’s worth it for caramelized French toast that satisfies your morning sweet tooth! (Get the most from this machine by also trying these recipes for an Air Fryer Baked Potato and Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers.)
Chef’s secret to yummy French toast
In addition to using your air fryer, not letting the bread sit in the custard for too long is another way to nail delicious French toast. “Make sure you do a quick dip of the bread in the batter and shake off excess batter,” Chrissy Camba, Top Chef alum and lead R&D chef at Tovala (a meal kit and appliance company), says. This ensures that the bread absorbs the custard without being soggy and falling apart. Chef Camba also notes that a thin custard mixture works best because it fills the inside of the slices unlike a thicker batter. With these tips in mind, cooking French toast in the air fryer will be a breeze.
How to make French toast in the air fryer
Below, our test kitchen shares their two favorite air fryer French toast recipes. The first puts a citrusy and nutty spin on this dish, while the other turns slices of Brioche bread into sweet French toast sticks. Yum!
Orange-Pecan French Toast
Ingredients:
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ⅓ cup butter, melted
- ⅓ cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup orange juice
- ½ cup milk
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 12 slices white bread
Directions:
- Preheat air fryer to 350°F.
- In pot, heat sugar, butter and pecans over medium heat; cook, whisking constantly, until thick, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
- In shallow baking dish, whisk orange juice, milk, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon until combined. Add bread; let soak no longer than 1 minute.
- Coat air fryer basket with cooking spray. Place 2 to 3 slices (or more if your air fryer is large) in basket. Cook about 8 to 10 minutes; flipping halfway.
- Once browned, transfer bread to plate and repeat process with remaining slices.
- When ready to serve, drizzle French toast with pecan syrup and enjoy.
Brioche French Toast Sticks
Ingredients:
- ½ of (12 oz.) pkg. frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed, juices reserved
- ¼ cup + 1 Tbs. granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup milk
- ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 slices brioche bread, cut into 4 pieces each
Directions:
- In blender, puree raspberries and juices with ¼ cup sugar; reserve. Heat 7-quart air fryer for baking at 350°F.
- In shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. In batches, dip bread in egg mixture. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Coat air fryer basket with cooking spray.
- In 2 batches, bake bread pieces until browned and crisp, 6 to 7 minutes. Serve with raspberry sauce.
