Protein French Toast Sticks
By Better Plate RecipesProtein French Toast Sticks coat whole-grain bread in a smooth egg and cottage-cheese custard flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and maple syrup. The sticks cook golden at the edges, remain tender inside, and are served with optional fresh berries and extra maple syrup.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These French toast sticks feel fun and cozy, but they are still made with simple breakfast ingredients. Blending cottage cheese into the custard makes it smooth, adds protein, and helps the bread cook up tender instead of dry. Cutting the bread into sticks gives you more golden edges and makes the pieces easy to dip in maple syrup. The cinnamon and vanilla keep the flavor classic, while whole grain bread makes the breakfast more filling. It is also a good recipe for beginners because the cues are easy to see: dip quickly, cook over medium heat, flip when golden, and serve while warm. The shape makes them especially easy to portion and reheat for another morning.
What Makes This Recipe Work
The blender is important here because cottage cheese needs to become completely smooth before it can act like part of the custard. Once blended with eggs, almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and maple syrup, it coats the bread evenly and cooks without leaving curds behind. A quick dip is better than a long soak because bread sticks are smaller than whole slices and can get too soft if they sit in liquid. Medium heat gives the custard time to set inside while the outside turns golden. Butter or coconut oil keeps the sticks from sticking and helps the edges brown. The result should be soft in the center, lightly crisp outside, and easy to pick up. That is what makes them feel like dippers instead of soggy bread.
Ingredient Notes & Easy Swaps
Whole-grain bread: Use slices about 1 ounce each; very thick or oversized bread changes the custard ratio and cook time. Slightly stale bread holds together best. Certified gluten-free bread works, but some brands soften faster and need only a one-second dip.
Eggs: Eggs set the custard and must reach 160°F in the center of the finished sticks. An egg-free substitute has not been tested for this formula.
Cottage cheese, almond milk, and cooking fat: Blend cottage cheese completely smooth. For a dairy-free version, use 1/2 cup thick unsweetened soy yogurt, unsweetened oat or soy milk, and refined coconut oil; the sticks may be softer and lower in protein. For tree-nut-free sticks, use dairy, oat, or soy milk and butter or coconut oil.
Vanilla, cinnamon, and maple syrup: The tablespoon of maple syrup lightly sweetens the custard. Keep any optional serving syrup separate so each person controls sweetness and the cooked sticks retain crisp edges.
Butter or refined coconut oil: Divide the measured tablespoon between two batches. Unsalted butter gives classic flavor; refined coconut oil is dairy-free and has less coconut flavor than unrefined oil.
Fresh berries: Berries are optional but included in the nutrition estimate. Rinse and dry them just before serving. Sliced banana works, but it raises carbohydrates and sugar and lowers the berry fiber.
Protein French Toast Sticks
Description
Protein French Toast Sticks coat whole-grain bread in a smooth egg and cottage-cheese custard flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, and maple syrup. The sticks cook golden at the edges, remain tender inside, and are served with optional fresh berries and extra maple syrup.
Ingredients
- 4 slices whole-grain bread (about 1 oz each)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup low-fat (2%) cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup, plus up to 2 tbsp more for serving (optional)
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter or refined coconut oil, divided between batches
- 1 cup fresh berries, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1Equipment: a cutting board, a bread knife, a blender, a shallow bowl or pie plate, a 12-inch nonstick skillet or griddle, a thin spatula, an instant-read thermometer, and 2 plates.
- 2Stack the bread and cut each slice into 3 even sticks on the cutting board, making 12 sticks total.
- 3Add the eggs, cottage cheese, almond milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup to the blender. Blend on high for 20 to 30 seconds, until completely smooth with no visible curds. Pour into the shallow bowl.
- 4Heat the skillet over medium heat. Add half the butter or coconut oil and spread it across the surface; it should foam gently or move easily without smoking.
- 5Quickly dip 6 bread sticks for about 2 seconds per side, letting excess custard drip into the bowl. Arrange them in one layer with space between each.
- 6Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on the first side, until golden. Flip and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on the second side, until golden, set in the center, and 160°F when the thermometer is inserted from the side.
- 7Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining butter or coconut oil and repeat with the remaining 6 sticks, lowering the heat if the first batch browned too quickly.
- 8Divide the sticks and optional berries between two plates. Serve warm with up to 1 tablespoon extra maple syrup per person, if desired.
Tips and Tricks
- 1
Blend beyond the visible curds: A completely smooth custard coats the bread evenly and prevents pockets of cottage cheese from sticking to the skillet.
- 2
Use a quick dip: Small bread sticks absorb custard rapidly. A two-second dip coats them while preserving enough structure to turn them without breaking.
- 3
Control the pan between batches: Wipe no hot fat from the pan; simply lower the heat briefly if the first batch darkens too fast, then add the reserved measured fat.
- 4
Check the center from the side: Insert a thin thermometer into the thickest stick horizontally. A 160°F center confirms the egg custard is cooked without relying only on exterior color.
Nutrition
Serving size: 6 sticks with 1/2 cup berries (1/2 recipe)
Calories: 415kcal, Protein: 19g, Carbs: 52g, Fat: 15g, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 15g, Sodium: 560mg.
Nutrition information is an estimate and may vary based on ingredient brands, product sizes, preparation methods, and substitutions. It is not intended as medical or dietary advice.
Recipe Guides
This recipe appears in
14 Easy High-Protein Cottage Cheese Breakfasts
Cottage cheese breakfasts from the Better Plate collection — loaded toast, spoonable bowls, pancakes, and French toast sticks, sweet and savory.
Explore cottage cheese breakfasts →