The Good Old Days
When I was in elementary and middle school, my favorite breakfast was Aunt Jemima’s Cinnamon French Toast Sticks. I believe they go by the name “Lil’ Griddles” now. I’m not too sure how I feel about that name, but we’re just going to have to move past that for now. Anyway, these french toast sticks were the type of food that left you so so sad when you ate the last bite. I’m sure you all have that one food that makes you internally shed a tear when you finish it. This was it for me. These french toast sticks are so nostalgic that I had to recreate them. Aunt Jemima, these Cinnamon and Cornflake Crusted French Toast Sticks are for you.
The 5-Minute Secret
So why were these french toast sticks so amazing, you ask? Well, these french toast sticks weren’t just any old frozen french toast sticks. Nowadays, all you see are french toast sticks covered in cinnamon sugar, which I’m sure are wonderful. However, Aunt Jemima’s french toast sticks had this outer cinnamon breading that changed the game.
The key to making these french toast sticks was to let them stand for about 5 minutes, after the standard cooking time. In the process of baking the sticks, they heated, which is pretty standard and normal. But in the 5 minutes afterwards, when you let them stand, the soft breading became this sugary and crispy crust. If you didn’t let them stand, the outer breading would be soft and soggy. So now you have this crunchy outer crust, and a warm, gooey, and soft center. It was the most magnificent contrast.
With that said, I am proud to say that I have achieved that wonderful contrast in my own Cinnamon and Cornflake Crusted French Toast Sticks. When I made this recipe, I didn’t tell my parents what I was aiming replicate. My mom remembers the frozen french toast sticks, probably because she was the one to make them for me everyday. Thanks mom. So when she ate it, one of the first things she said was: “this reminds me of the french toast sticks we used to buy.” And with that, I gave myself an internal pat on the back. I did it, Aunt Jemima.
The Aunt Jemima Method
I wasn’t exactly sure what the breading was for the frozen french toast sticks, so for my Cinnamon and Cornflake Crusted French Toast Sticks, I used cornflakes. Well, actually, I used corn squares. There’s no real reason for that, but either of them are okay to use. I crushed them in a food processor until they were fine crumbs, and mixed them with some sugar, cinnamon, melted butter, and salt.
After that process, I proceeded to use the standard french toast method of dipping my bread into a milk and egg mixture. Then I coated all of the sides of each stick with the cornflake crumbs. And you already know, I had to use the Aunt Jemima method when baking these babies. I placed them on a wire rack, lined over a sheet tray and baked them for about 15 minutes. Then, I took them out of the oven and let them stand for 5 minutes. Folks, this right here is the closest you’ll get to Aunt Jemima’s french toast sticks. They had the same perfect sweet and crispy crust, and soft and gooey interior.
Experience Aunt Jemima
If you haven’t experienced the beauty of Aunt Jemima’s french toast sticks, I highly suggest you buy some because you’re missing out. But if you’re feeling a little crafty, you can also make my Cinnamon and Cornflake Crusted French Toast Sticks. I am so happy with how they turned out, and the fact that my mom thought they tasted like Aunt Jemima’s, without me even bringing the brand up, made me feel so accomplished. Every time I think of them, they take me down memory lane. The awkwardness and angst of the elementary and middle school days. Good times. So if you want the Aunt Jemima experience, definitely buy them or make this recipe! I hope you have a wonderful day, and I’ll talk to you in my next post!
Cinnamon and Cornflake Crusted French Toast Sticks
Ingredients
- 1 (7 oz) Stale Brioche Loaf
- 3 1/2 cups Plain Unflavored Corn Squares or Cornflakes
- 3 tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 3 tbsp Unsalted Butter (melted)
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- As Needed Maple Syrup (for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350˚F
- Slice the loaf of bread into 1 inch thick slices. Then cut each slice into 1 inch thick sticks. Set aside.
- Place the cornflakes in a food processor and pulse until they become fine crumbs.
- In a shallow dish, combine the cornflake crumbs, sugar, 1 tsp of the cinnamon, salt, and melted butter. Mix the ingredients together.
- In a separate dish, whisk together the milk, egg, vanilla extract, and remaining 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.
- Place a wire rack on top of a sheet tray. Spray the wire rack with non-stick spray. Set aside.
- Dip the sticks of bread into the milk mixture until they have absorbed some of the liquid. Make sure you don't leave them in the mixture for too long or else they will become soggy and fall apart. Then coat all sides of the sticks with the cornflake crumbs.
- Once the sticks have been coated, transfer them onto the wire rack. Place the wire rack, with the sheet tray underneath, into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove the rack from the oven and allow the french toast sticks to stand for 5 minutes before eating. Enjoy!
Perfect instructions and ingredients! Glad I didn’t have to use oil to fry as with other recipes. I used evaporated milk, but everything else was exactly as recipe dictated. Thanks. My children love me a bit more because I duplicated one of their favorite dishes.
Thats so great! I’m glad you and your children enjoyed it!