These French toast bagels are a must-try and the perfect cozy breakfast! They have soft, melt-in-your-mouth centers and crispy buttery edges and are flavored with vanilla and cinnamon. You can use plain or cinnamon raisin bagels!
Update: This recipe was originally published in June 2020. I updated it with more details, helpful tips, and step-by-step photos to show how easy making French toast with bagels is.
French toast made with bagels? Yes, please! These are so good I can't stop making them. Each bite is soft in the center, crispy on the edges, and absolutely delicious. I love adding fun twists to classic recipes, and my high-protein French toast inspired this one—but made even better with bagels. It's my favorite easy and comforting breakfast!
What I love most about this recipe is its simplicity – just six ingredients: eggs, milk, vanilla, bagels, cinnamon, and butter. It's quick to make and always a hit! I love using cinnamon raisin and plain bagels, but you can even use mini bagels for kids or family. It's a fun twist on classic French toast that always feels special.
Why you'll love this recipe:
- Quick & Easy: This cozy breakfast only takes 15 minutes to make!
- Drool-Worthy: These French toast bagels have soft centers and crispy, buttery edges.
- Totally Customizable: You can use plain or cinnamon raisin bagels.
- Kid-Approved: Kids will love these French toast bagels!
- Perfect for Special Occasions: Whether it's Christmas morning, a family breakfast, or a brunch party, these French toast bagels will surely impress!
Ingredients
French toast bagels are made with five simple ingredients, plus butter for greasing the skillet. Here's why each one is important and my recommendations:
- Bagels: I love plain or cinnamon-raisin bagels, but any kind will work. You can even use mini bagels; just double the amount.
- Eggs: Eggs give the French toast its perfect fluffy texture.
- Milk: I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk for extra flavor, but any milk works, like oat, 2%, cashew, skim, or whole milk.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds a rich, sweet flavor to the French toast.
- Ground Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds warmth and depth, giving the French toast that classic flavor.
- Butter: Butter helps grease the pan and gives the bagels crispy, golden edges while adding delicious flavor.
Instructions
French toast bagels are super quick to make! Here's how you do it:
Whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl (a casserole dish works great). Then, cut the bagels in half. Dip each half into the mixture, soaking each side for about 30 seconds.
Heat a pan and add butter. Once it's melted, place the bagels cut-side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until crispy and golden. Press down with a spatula to get them nice and crispy.
Top tips
- Soak the bagels longer: Bagels are thicker than regular bread, so they need more time to soak up the milk mixture. Let them soak for at least 1 minute on each side.
- Cook in batches: To avoid soggy bagels, cook in batches, depending on the size of your pan. This will give each piece plenty of space to cook properly.
- Press down with a spatula: Pressing the bagels with a spatula as they cook helps them get evenly crispy, warm, and buttery.
Equipment
Here is a list of kitchen utensils you will need to make French toast bagels.
- Measuring Cups
- Casserole Dish or Mixing Bowl
- Cast Iron Skillet or Pancake Griddle
- Spatula
Substitutions & Variations
- Bagels: Use any bagels you like! Plain, cinnamon raisin or even blueberry bagels work great. For a fun twist, try mini bagels.
- Milk: You can substitute any type of milk you prefer, such as oat milk, coconut milk, or even dairy milk.
- Eggs: If you're looking for an egg-free option, you can use a flax egg (1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with three tablespoons of water) or leave them out altogether.
- Butter: Use a plant-based butter or coconut oil for a dairy-free version.
- Toppings: Switch up the toppings! For extra sweetness, try fresh fruit, whipped cream, powdered sugar, or a drizzle of maple syrup. You can also sprinkle some additional cinnamon on top for added flavor.
- Savory French Toast Bagels: Skip the cinnamon and vanilla and add a pinch of salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the egg mixture for a savory version. You can top them with avocado or a fried egg!
- Coconut French Toast Bagels: For a tropical touch, add shredded coconut to the egg mixture, or top your French toast bagels with toasted coconut.
Storage
Storing: Keep your French toast bagels in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days for the best taste and texture.
Reheating: For crispy results, reheat your French toast bagels in a toaster oven or regular oven at 300°F for 5-10 minutes until warm. Reheating from frozen may take a bit longer. If you're in a hurry, you can microwave them, but they won't be as crispy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! You can easily make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free bagels. They may need to soak a little longer since they are thicker than regular bagels.
Yes! You can use plain, cinnamon raisin or any other flavor. Mini bagels are also a great option for serving a smaller portion.
Yes! To make this recipe vegan, substitute the eggs with two flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with three tablespoons water)—also, swap butter for coconut oil to grease your pan.
Definitely! You can prepare the French toast bagels ahead of time. This recipe is perfect for Christmas morning or brunch parties. You can double or triple the recipe and make it up to 1 hour ahead of time. Keep them warm in the oven at 200°F until you're ready to serve.
Yes, you can freeze them! Let them cool completely, then store them in an airtight container or freezer bag. When ready to eat, reheat in the oven at 300°F for about 10-15 minutes until warm.
To avoid soggy French toast, don't soak the bread for too long, and cook it over medium heat to ensure it crisps up properly. Also, make sure not to overcrowd the pan, as this can trap moisture and lead to soggy toast.
Did you make this recipe?
Remember to leave a review and let me know how it turned out! Also, tag me @healthfulblondie on Instagram with #healthfulblondie. I love seeing and sharing your creations!
More French toast & pancake recipes!
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
📖 Recipe
French Toast Bagels
Ingredients
- 4 bagels, plain or cinnamon raisin
- 4 large eggs
- ¾ cup almond milk or oat milk, I like unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt, optional
- 1 - 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
- Whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a large and deep mixing bowl. I like using a casserole dish.
- Cut the bagels in half.
- Before soaking your bagels, heat a large pan or pancake griddle to medium heat, so it is ready.
- Then dip each bagel slice into the mixture, allowing them to soak for about 30 seconds on each side. Since bagels are thicker than slices of bread, they need more time to soak up the mixture. Depending on the size of your pan, I highly recommend cooking in batches so the bagels don’t get soggy!
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the heated pan. Once melted, add your french toast bagels cut side down. Cook for 2 - 3 minutes on each side until the edges start to get a little crispy. I like to press the bagels down with a spatula as they cook so everything gets warm, buttery, and crispy.
- Carefully wipe down the pan, melt another tablespoon of butter, and repeat with the rest of the bagels.
- Top fresh fruit, powdered sugar, butter, maple syrup, or honey. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
I only recommend products I love and use myself. In full disclosure, I may receive a small compensation for purchasing a product I recommend. Thank you for supporting Healthful Blondie!
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Mary Lisa says
Simply the best! These mini french toast bagels are fun and perfect for families. My kids just loved them and we make them most saturdays now.