French Toast Roll-Ups

These French Toast Roll-Ups are one of our oldest recipes and a fun treat that we grew up eating. It’s how sometimes it’s the old-school recipes that become the most popular. We've kept this recipe pretty classic and if you also grew up eating rolled French toast, then you’ll experience the same nostalgia when you bite into these chocolate-filled, cinnamon sugar-dusted rolls. It’s important to use a soft sandwich bread that can easily be flattened; this is not the time for crusty country or sourdough bread. They’re suited to breakfast, brunch, or kids’ lunchboxes. Serve them with crispy bacon or sausage for a sweet + savory combo.

Before you start

• French Toast Roll-Ups are a classic treat filled with chocolate and dusted with cinnamon sugar.
• This recipe is straightforward and suited to breakfast, brunch, or as a sweet lunchbox snack.
• They’re made with 3 key ingredients: soft sandwich bread, eggs, and chocolate spread.
• You can make them ahead and freeze up to 2 months for a grab-and-go treat.
• Customize your roll-ups with different spreads and serve with proteins like bacon for a sweet+savory combination.

What stands out

Kids and adults alike will love these French Toast Roll Ups. These combine the classic flavors and texture of French toast with the fun of bite-sized roll-ups, making it a delightful treat for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet snack. The exterior crisps up beautifully and has a sweet cinnamon sugar that’s irresistible with the ooey gooey chocolatey filling. This may be an straightforward and quick recipe that uses simple pantry ingredients, but it will impress!

Bread slices: You’ll want a soft loaf of sandwich bread that will flatten and roll easily.

Eggs: Create a custard like texture and add creaminess to the bread, especially when you add a splash of milk before whisking.

Avocado oil: We like quick frying our rolls in avocado oil for a nice crust. You won’t need much – just enough to coat the bottom of the pan.

Chocolate spread: We use Homemade Nutella to fill our rolls with chocolatey goodness, but you can use any chocolate spread of choice.

Cinnamon + sugar: Dip your rolls in this dynamic duo for nostalgic flavor.

Kitchen tip

Make sure the roll-ups stay closed when frying by holding them down for a couple of seconds with your tongs when you place them seam side-down in the oil. You can also use a toothpick to hold them together while frying and remove them once cooked.

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

French Toast Roll-Ups are so, you probably won’t have leftovers. But just in case, here are a few tips on how to store them and make ahead for easier mornings.

• Store leftovers (if you have any) in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
• Reheat roll-ups in the oven or toaster oven at 350F for 10 minutes. Or for a quick option, in the microwave in 30 second bursts until heated through.
• You can make a batch of roll-ups and store them in the freezer for up to 2 months so you always have them ready to grab and go.
• Defrost in the fridge overnight, or reheat from frozen in a 350F oven for 15 minutes.

Swaps

1. You can use any sweet spread here: fruit jams, marmalades, nut butter, etc. Even a cream cheese/jam combo would be!
2. Instead of cinnamon sugar, you can also serve these French Toast Rollups with small bowls of maple syrup for dipping.
3. Use any bread you love here: gluten-free, whole wheat, rye, etc. Just make sure it’s soft enough to roll out.

Serve it with

• Serve these with your favorite breakfast protein such as bacon, turkey bacon or our Homemade Breakfast Sausage Recipe.
• Serve these as part of a brunch spread with Deviled Eggs and a Cobb Salad.
• These are great as an after school snack with some fruit or fresh veggies.

Questions

What kind of chocolate spread did you use?

For these French Toast Roll-Ups, we used our a strong Homemade Nutella recipe. You would not believe how straightforward and it is to make yourself! You can also use store bought of course.

can we make this recipe gluten-free?

Yes, you can use gluten-free bread, but make sure the slices are soft and straightforward to roll. Stale or thick breads might crack when rolled.

strong What other fillings can we use besides chocolate spread?

You can use any sweet spread of your choice, such as peanut butter, Nutella, jam, or cream cheese with fruit preserves.

how do you serve these french toast rollups?

You could serve them on a platter for brunch as a fun finger food for kids and adults, too. Or serve with a fork and knife and drizzle of maple syrup.

what can we do with the extra cinnamon sugar?

Any extra cinnamon-sugar mixture can be stored in an airtight jar in a cool dark place (like a pantry), for up to 3 months.

strong What should we do if our roll-ups start to unroll while frying?

Make sure to roll the bread tightly and gently press the seam down when placing it in the pan seam-side down first to help seal. You can also use a toothpick to hold them together while frying and remove them once cooked.

Ingredients

Makes 12 rollups

• 7 eggs
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 12 slices soft bread
• chocolate spread, or your sweet spread of choice
• avocado oil, or any neutral oil

Equipment

• Measuring Cups + Spoons
• Mixing Bowls
• Rolling Pin
• Nakiri Knife
• Large Sauté Pan

Method

1. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and whisk thoroughly with a fork.
2. In a small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon. Place a slice of bread on a clean work surface and roll it out flat using a rolling pin. Repeat with all the slices. Remove the crust with a knife and reserve.
3. Take a slice of flattened bread and add a thin layer of chocolate spread (about 1 teaspoon) or your filling of choice. Roll up the bread. Repeat with the remaining slices.
4. Coat the bottom of a large nonstick pan with a thin layer of oil and warm over medium-high heat. Give the oil at least 1 minute to get hot. Once your oil is hot, dip each bread roll into the egg mixture, shake off any excess egg, then transfer to the hot pan.
5. Fry each roll-up for 1 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
6. If you like, you can dip the bread crusts into the egg and fry these up. Transfer the cooked roll-ups and crusts to a plate and dust in the cinnamon-sugar.

Kitchen notes

• How to keep a tight roll: Make sure the roll-ups stay closed when frying by holding them down for a couple of seconds with your tongs when you place them seam side-down in the oil. You can also use a toothpick to hold them together while frying and remove it once cooked.
• Fillings: You can use any sweet spread here: fruit jams, marmalades, nut butter, etc. Even a cream cheese/jam combo would be delicious!
• Toppings and dips: Instead of cinnamon sugar, you can also serve these French Toast Rollups with small bowls of maple syrup for dipping.
• Bread variations: Use any bread you love here: gluten-free, whole wheat, rye, etc. Just make sure it’s soft enough to roll out.