The Best Cinnamon-Sugar Brioche French Toast Bites (Your New Obsession!)
Cinnamon-Sugar Brioche French Toast Bites with Maple Vanilla Glaze
These are bite-size French toast cubes: crisp edges, custardy centers, cinnamon sugar on the outside, and a warm maple-vanilla glaze that actually sets. The ratios below keep the bread hydrated without turning soggy, the cooking method gives crispy outside yet fluffy inside results.
Why this recipe works
Right custard ratio. Eggs are structure; dairy is moisture and fat. Too much egg makes rubbery bites; too much milk gives bland, weepy cubes. The 4 eggs to 1 3/4 cups dairy split delivers custard that sets gently and browns well.
Stale or dried bread. Drying the cubes before soaking gives you room to add custard without collapse. Moist bread acts like a sponge and shreds in the pan. Ten minutes in a low oven solves it.
Butter + oil. Butter brings flavor and browning. A little neutral oil raises the smoke point so you can actually crisp the sides without burning milk solids.
Toss hot with cinnamon sugar. The sugar adheres to steam. If you wait, it falls off. Coat immediately; glaze after so the sugar crust stays intact under the drizzle.
Glaze with body. Powdered sugar + maple syrup makes a thin icing. A small amount of milk loosens it just enough to pour. It sets glossy and clings to the cube’s corners instead of sliding off.
Ingredients (cups & tablespoons only)
Bread & Custard
- 18–20 ozbrioche or challah, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4large eggs
- 1 1/4 cupswhole milk
- 1/2 cupheavy cream
- 3 tbspgranulated sugar
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 1 tspground cinnamon
- 1/4 tspground nutmeg
- 1/2 tspfine salt
- 3 tbspunsalted butter (for cooking)
- 1 tbspneutral oil (for cooking)
Coating & Glaze
- 1/2 cupgranulated sugar
- 2 tspground cinnamon
- pinchfine salt
- 1 1/4 cupspowdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tbsppure maple syrup
- 2 tbspmilk (plus 1–2 tsp if needed)
- 1/2 tspvanilla extract
- 1/4 tspground cinnamon
Recipe
- Dry the bread: Spread cubes on two sheets. Air-dry 20–30 minutes, or bake at 300°F for 8–10 minutes, just until the surface feels leathery.
- Mix custard: Whisk eggs, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt until smooth.
- Soak & drain: Add half the cubes; fold for 45–60 seconds. Lift into a colander over the bowl and let excess drip 1 minute. Repeat with remaining cubes. Don’t leave bread submerged—over-soaked cubes collapse and won’t crisp.
- Cook (skillet): Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet to medium. Add 1 tbsp butter + 1 tsp oil. Cook a single layer, turning every 45–60 seconds, 3–4 minutes total, until deep golden on several faces. Move hot cubes to a bowl; toss immediately with cinnamon sugar. Repeat with remaining batches, adding fat as needed.
- OR cook (oven): Heat oven to 400°F. Line 2 greased parchment-lined sheets. Arrange drained cubes in a single layer. Bake 10–12 minutes, flipping once at 6–7 minutes, until golden. Toss with cinnamon sugar while hot.
- Glaze & serve: Whisk powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk, vanilla, cinnamon to a slow ribbon. Drizzle over warm bites. Optional: finish with a tiny pinch of fine sea salt for contrast.
Serve immediately for maximum crunch. If you need to hold, see batching notes below.
Visual cues
Proper soak
Cubes should look glossy and feel heavier but still springy. If they slump and smear when pressed, you soaked too long.
Heat management
Right heat = steady sizzle with light steam. Smoke or speckled black = too hot; lower heat and wipe the pan. No color after 90 seconds = raise heat slightly.
Glaze thickness
Lift the whisk: ribbons should disappear in 2–3 seconds. Thinner runs off; thicker clumps.
Custard science (keep centers custardy, not raw)
Protein network. Eggs set around 160–170°F. You want heat high enough to brown sugars while the interior hits that window. Small cubes help; they cook through before the exterior burns.
Dairy mix. Whole milk thins the custard; cream adds fat for browning and richness. Skipping cream works, but you’ll lose some gloss and softness.
Salt matters. A tiny bit sharpens sweetness and wakes the cinnamon. Don’t skip it.
Skillet vs. oven
Skillet (best texture)
Hard sear, micro-crisp faces, deepest caramel notes. Batch cooking required. Use two pans for speed.
Oven (easiest service)
Hands-off and consistent. Color is a shade lighter; toss with 1 tbsp melted butter before baking for more browning.
Air fryer
375°F for 6–8 minutes, shaking twice. Don’t crowd. Great for small households.
Maple glaze that sets (not gritty)
Sift the sugar. Skips the chalky bumps in the drizzle. Use real maple syrup; pancake syrup turns gluey.
Temperature. Drizzle on warm—not hot—bites. Too hot and the glaze melts through; too cool and it looks dull instead of glossy.
Adjusters. Thicken with 1–2 tbsp powdered sugar. Loosen with 1 tsp milk at a time. If it looks speckled, it’s just cinnamon—good.
Troubleshooting (fast fixes)
- Soggy bites: Bread wasn’t dried or you soaked too long. Next batch, dry longer and drain properly. You can rescue by baking 3–4 minutes at 425°F to re-crisp.
- Bitter/black spots: Heat too high or pan had butter solids from the last batch. Wipe between rounds and use the butter+oil mix.
- Glaze sliding off: Bites are too hot or glaze too thin. Let bites sit 2 minutes; add 1–2 tbsp sugar to glaze.
- Sugar coating falls off: You waited. Toss in cinnamon sugar immediately after cooking while steam is visible.
- No flavor: You skipped salt or used plain white bread. Use brioche/challah and the full cinnamon amount.
Substitutions & variations
Almond/oat swap
- Use 1 3/4 cups almond or oat milk for dairy.
- Cook in neutral oil; glaze with plant milk.
Cider glaze
- Replace milk in glaze with 3 tbsp boiled-and-reduced apple cider. Add a pinch of cinnamon.
Extra crunch
- Stir 2 tbsp fine cornmeal into cinnamon sugar for sandy texture. Fry in 1/4 inch oil for 1–2 minutes if you want full-crunch edges.
Greek yogurt drizzle
- Mix 1/2 cup thick Greek yogurt, 3 tbsp powdered sugar, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1/2 tsp vanilla. Thin with milk as needed.
Hold the sugar
- Skip cinnamon sugar and glaze. Toss hot bites with grated Parmesan, chopped chives, and black pepper. Serve with soft-scrambled eggs.
GF brioche
- Use a good GF brioche or challah. Dry it well; GF cubes are more fragile so turn gently.
Any change to bread or dairy shifts browning. Watch color, not the clock.
Batching, holding & service
For a crowd
Cook bites and toss with cinnamon sugar. Hold on a wire rack set over a sheet pan in a 250°F oven up to 45 minutes. Glaze just before serving.
Half batch
- Bread 9–10 oz; Eggs 2
- Milk 5/8 cup; Cream 1/4 cup
- Sugar 1 1/2 tbsp; Cinnamon 1/2 tsp; Salt 1/4 tsp
- Glaze: Powdered sugar 2/3 cup; Maple 1 1/2 tbsp; Milk 1 tbsp
Service ideas
Skewer 3–4 bites and drizzle. Or serve in paper cones with glaze in a squeeze bottle for self-serve.
Equipment notes
- Pan choice: Nonstick is safest; cast-iron gives best color if well seasoned.
- Spider/slot spoon: Handy for draining soaked cubes without crushing.
- Cooling rack: Keeps bottoms from steaming soft while you finish batches.
Nutrition (estimated)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~420 kcal |
| Total Fat | 18 g |
| Saturated Fat | 10 g |
| Carbohydrates | 58 g |
| Total Sugars | 28 g |
| Fiber | ~2 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Sodium | ~410 mg |
| Serving Size | ~1 cup bites + 2 tbsp glaze |
Numbers shift with bread brand, cooking fat, and how heavily you glaze. Use as guidance, not gospel.
Storage & reheating
- Fridge: Undrizzled bites keep 2 days in an airtight container. Re-crisp at 400°F for 4–6 minutes, then glaze.
- Freeze: Freeze undrizzled bites on a sheet, then bag up to 1 month. Reheat from frozen at 425°F for 8–10 minutes.
- Glaze: Keeps 1 week in the fridge. Warm gently and whisk before using.
FAQ
Can I prep the night before?
Cut and dry the bread, mix custard, and store separately. Soak and cook in the morning. Don’t soak overnight—the cubes turn mushy.
Can I reduce sugar?
Yes. Drop custard sugar to 1–2 tbsp and toss in a lighter coat of cinnamon sugar. The glaze carries most of the sweetness anyway.
What if I only have 2% milk?
Use it, but keep the 1/2 cup cream. You need some fat for browning and soft interiors.
How small can I cut the cubes?
3/4 inch is fine; smaller than that dries out. Bigger than 1 1/4 inches will brown before cooking through.
Any toppings besides glaze?
Warm berries, salted caramel, or a quick espresso dip for a tiramisu angle. Don’t drown them—crisp edges are the point.
Cook notes
- Dry bread = control. It buys you soak time and prevents collapse. Don’t skip it.
- Work in layers. Color two faces per cube minimum; that’s where the crunch lives.
- Toss while hot. The sugar adheres to steam. If you mess up, hit with a mist of water and toss again.
- Glaze last. Sugar first, glaze second. Reverse the order and you’ll wash off the crust.
- Serve immediately. They’re best within 10 minutes of glazing. After that, they’re still good—just less crisp. Your call.