For French Toast Sticks With More Flavor And Crunch, Cook Them Like Burger King

Can you ever really go wrong with French toast for breakfast? No. But can you make it even better than it already is? You better believe it. There are plenty of French toast variations that use unique seasonings or indulgent ingredients to make this breakfast staple even tastier. If you want to pack in more flavor plus a crispy texture, then you need to try making them the same way Burger King does. The trick is to cut your French toast into sticks and deep-fry them.

Deep-fried French toast sticks were a cafeteria favorite for many students back in the 1980s and 1990s, but Burger King has been making them this way since 1986. Fortunately, you don't need a commercial kitchen to reproduce a similar version at home. You'll just be cutting the French toast into sticks, and deep-frying them instead of pan-frying them. You can also use some of our suggestions to boost your French toast to give it more flavor.

You can make BK-style French toast sticks with any bread you like, but thicker options like Texas toast, brioche, or challah are especially good choices because they hold up well to the dipping and frying. They also stay custardy inside while developing a crispy exterior. After cutting your bread into sticks, dip them in the custard mixture, and deep-fry them in 350-degree-Fahrenheit oil for a few minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer the sticks to a paper towel to drain the excess oil, and then roll them in powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar while they're still warm.

Even with the right bread, it can become too soft after soaking in custard, making French toast sticks difficult to handle and susceptible to falling apart. Cutting soft bread into neat and even sticks (like the ones from Burger King) is also often easier said than done. One way to prevent disaster is to put the sticks in the freezer for 30 to 60 minutes before cutting and deep-frying them. This is especially useful if you are deep-frying stuffed French toast, since the filling is prone to ooze out when you cut it at room temperature. Freezing allows everything to firm up so you can cut them into clean, uniform sticks. You can also prepare a batch ahead of time and freeze them for a quick breakfast whenever you like.

Burger King serves its French Toast Sticks with a side of syrup for dipping, and that's a classic pairing. You could also whip up a maple butter for added richness, or even serve them with a maple yogurt. Hot honey, applesauce, and Nutella are all good choices, too.

If you want to get more creative, we have some unique French toast recipes you'll want over and over again that can be adapted into deep-fried French toast sticks. For a fun family breakfast, you could try several versions at the same time and make a sort of assembly line with different batters and fillings so everyone can try their favorite.