Crunchy French Toast

If you haven’t tried Crunchy French Toast yet, you’re seriously missing out. I mean, regular French toast is already a family fave around here, but when you add a crispy coating of Cap’n Crunch cereal? Game. Changer.

This recipe is one of those sweet little surprises. The outside gets all golden and crispy, and the inside stays soft and custardy. It’s the kind of breakfast that makes the whole kitchen smell delicious.

The Crunchy French Toast Recipe (Serves 6)

Instructions:

1. Smash that cereal
   Pour the Cap’n Crunch into a Ziploc bag, seal it up tight, and crush it with a rolling pin. You want small pieces, but not dust, think crumbly with a little crunch left.
2. Make the magic mixture
   In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon.
3. Prep your coating station
   Set up two shallow bowls: one with your egg mixture and one with the crushed cereal.
4. Drench and coat
   Take a slice of Texas Toast, dip it in the egg mixture (make sure it’s fully coated), then press it gently into the crushed cereal. Get both sides nice and covered.
5. Sizzle time
   Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted and bubbly, cook your toast slices for about 6-8 minutes total, flipping halfway. You want them golden brown and crispy on the outside, but still soft in the middle.
6. Serve it up
   Add your favorite toppings, syrup, berries, a scoop of vanilla ice cream (yes, ice cream for breakfast), or even a drizzle of peanut butter. There are no rules here!

Pro Tips

• Use Texas Toast: It’s thick enough to soak up the custard without falling apart. Regular sandwich bread just doesn’t cut it.
• Let the toast rest for a minute after cooking. This helps the coating crisp up even more. Also gives you time to wrangle the kids to the table.
• Cap’n Crunch too sweet for your crew? Swap it out for something else crunchy, like cornflakes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, or even crushed granola. (I’ve got a whole list of fun variations below.)

Crunchy French Toast Variations

Let’s be honest, this recipe is already a treat, but if you’re like me, you’re always thinking of ways to switch things up and surprise the family. Here are some of our favorite spins on this classic:

1. Peanut Butter & Banana Crunch

Swap the Cap’n Crunch for Peanut Butter Cap’n Crunch, then top with sliced bananas and a drizzle of warm peanut butter.

2. Berrylicious Delight

Use Cinnamon Toast Crunch instead of Cap’n Crunch, then pile on fresh strawberries, raspberries, and a dollop of whipped cream. I’ve even made this one for dessert with a scoop of strawberry ice cream!

3. S’mores Style

Crush graham crackers and mini chocolate chips for the coating. Top with mini marshmallows and toast them under the broiler for a few seconds. A drizzle of chocolate syrup seals the deal. This one is messy, wild, and so fun for sleepovers.

4. Tropical Crunch

Try using crushed toasted coconut granola and top the toast with pineapple chunks and coconut flakes.

5. Pumpkin Spice Morning

In the Fall, I swap the vanilla for a splash of pumpkin spice extract and add a dash of nutmeg to the mix. You can even stir a tablespoon of canned pumpkin into the egg mixture for extra coziness.

6. Savory Twist (trust me on this one!)

If you’re more of a savory breakfast person, you can skip the sugar in the custard and use unsweetened cornflakes as the coating. Then top your French toast with crispy bacon, a fried egg, and a sprinkle of cheese.

Meal Prep & Leftovers (Yes, They Reheat Well!)

Mornings can be chaotic. Sometimes even weekends feel like a whirlwind. So here’s the good news, Crunchy French Toast actually reheats like a dream. Just store any leftovers in the fridge (or freeze them with parchment paper between slices), and pop them in the oven or toaster oven when you’re ready. They come out crispy again, no soggy toast here!

This has become one of my go-to tricks when I want to give the kids a fun breakfast before school but don’t have time to flip french toast at 6:45 a.m.

So go ahead and treat yourself and your family to something extra fun this weekend. Breakfast doesn’t have to be boring, and Crunchy French Toast proves it.

View More Breakfast Ideas

• Granola Berry Cups
• Ham and Cheese Sliders
• Easy Waffle Pops

Crunchy French Toast

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  

• 6 slices of Texas Toast bread thick-cut is the key to that soft-inside, crispy-outside magic
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 cups Cap’n Crunch cereal
• 4 tbsp butter you’ll use half now and half later

Instructions

 

• Pour the Cap’n Crunch into a Ziploc bag, seal it up tight, and crush it with a rolling pin. You want small pieces, but not dust, think crumbly with a little crunch left.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, heavy cream, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon.
• Set up two shallow bowls: one with your egg mixture and one with the crushed cereal.
• Take a slice of Texas Toast, dip it in the egg mixture (make sure it’s fully coated), then press it gently into the crushed cereal. Get both sides nice and covered.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once melted and bubbly, cook your toast slices for about 6-8 minutes total, flipping halfway. You want them golden brown and crispy on the outside, but still soft in the middle.
• Add your favorite toppings, syrup, berries, a scoop of vanilla ice cream (yes, ice cream for breakfast), or even a drizzle of peanut butter. There are no rules here!