Breakfast of Champions

These easy French toast muffins celebrate the weekend.

If there’s one thing I love about the weekend, it’s making a big ol’ breakfast for the fam and over-caffeinating with a second cup of extra-strong coffee. Smoothies, overnight oats and egg-topped avocado toast are fine for during the week, but by the time the weekend rolls around, I’m ready for something a little more indulgent. We recently declared Sunday “French Toast Day” in our house, and we have these quick and easy French toast muffins to thank for that. Drizzled with brown sugar cinnamon butter, they’re perfectly sweet just as they are, though I’ve been known to drown mine in warm maple syrup, too. You don’t have to worry about oversaturated, soggy French toast with these babies. These muffins have a slightly chewy exterior yet are soft and spongy in the center.

Taste and texture aside, what I love most about this brunchworthy breakfast is everyone eats hot French toast at the same time. No one’s left standing at the griddle flipping French toast while the rest of the crew demolishes what’s on their plates. They’re also fun to eat. Forks and knives are optional with this breakfast — we like to pull them apart with our fingers and dunk each piece in maple syrup, between bites of bacon, of course.

They’re quick to make the morning of but also can be prepped the night before. Just assemble the muffins, cover with foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, all you have to do is uncover and bake for a few extra minutes. Leftovers are rare, but they reheat well in the oven, though the microwave is good, too, in a grab-and-go scenario!

Makes: 12 muffins
Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound French bread or brioche, sliced into 1-inch cubes
• 6 large eggs
• 1½ cups milk
• ½ cup unpacked brown sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• ⅓ cup walnut pieces (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray.

Tear or slice the bread into 1-inch pieces and place in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, milk, ¼ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and salt until fully incorporated. Pour custard over bread pieces and, using your hands, gently mix until all the bread is evenly coated and most of the egg mixture is absorbed.

Portion about ½ cup bread mixture into each muffin cup and bake until custard is no longer liquid and bread lightly browned, about 15 to 20 minutes.

With about five minutes to go, bring butter, remaining ¼ cup brown sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon to boiling in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil one minute, stirring constantly. Remove muffins from the oven and drizzle 1 to 2 teaspoons brown sugar butter over each. Sprinkle with walnuts and serve with maple syrup and powdered sugar, if desired.