I usually prefer sweet breakfasts, so pancakes and French toast are my go-to choices—along with the occasional cinnamon roll. I especially love French toast made with homemade challah, but any French toast form will do: casseroles, stuffed French toast, or these French Toast Muffins topped with a maple cinnamon streusel. They’re irresistibly tasty.
The idea for French Toast Muffins comes from a food blog I admire, and I’ve put my own twist on it by adding a maple-cinnamon streusel. The streusel’s hint of real maple syrup elevates the familiar cinnamon crumble into something special.
For this batch I added raisins to make cinnamon-raisin French Toast Muffins, but you can omit them if you prefer. The method is simple: cut a loaf of challah, French bread, or cinnamon-raisin bread into bite-sized cubes. Whisk together the custard—milk, eggs, brown sugar and a touch of vanilla and cinnamon—then toss the bread cubes in the mixture so they soak it up. Scoop the soaked bread into a greased muffin tin, top each cup with the maple-cinnamon streusel, and bake.
About 25 minutes in the oven, and you’ll have golden, tender muffins perfect for a weekend breakfast, brunch, or a quick treat. I like to finish them with a warm drizzle of maple syrup for extra indulgence.
Enjoy!
MUFFIN INGREDIENTS
- 8–10 cups bread cubes (homemade challah, a 1 lb loaf of French bread, or a 1 lb loaf of cinnamon-raisin bread, cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 cups milk (1% suggested)
- 5 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Handful of raisins (optional)
MAPLE STREUSEL TOPPING INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups milk, 5 eggs, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
- Place the bread cubes in a large bowl. Pour the custard mixture over the bread and gently toss to combine. Stir in raisins if using and let the bread absorb the liquid for a few minutes.
- Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray.
- Make the streusel: In a small bowl combine the cubed butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Use your fingers or a fork to blend until crumbly, then stir in 2 tablespoons real maple syrup.
- Using a 1/2-cup measure, fill each muffin cup with a heaping 1/2 cup of the bread mixture until all 12 cups are filled.
- Top each muffin evenly with the maple-cinnamon streusel.
- Bake for 23–25 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and set.
- Cool the muffins for a few minutes before removing from the tin.
- Serve warm, drizzled with maple syrup if desired.
Recipe adapted from Two Peas & Their Pod