Cinnamon Pecan French Toast Sticks

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

If you’re craving a cozy breakfast without spending all morning in the kitchen, you need to try these Cinnamon Pecan Crunch French Toast Sticks. They combine everything you love about classic French toast with a crunchy cinnamon pecan coating and creamy vanilla bean dip.

• Quick & Easy: These Cinnamon Pecan French Toast Sticks come together with minimal prep and cook right on the stovetop. They’re perfect when you want something a little more exciting than your usual breakfast without turning it into a whole project.
• Protein-Packed: With 36.5g of protein per serving, these high protein French toast sticks make it easy to start your morning with a satisfying breakfast while still feeling like you’re treating yourself.
• Cinnamon Pecan Crunch: Finely chopped pecans, brown sugar sweetener, and cinnamon create the best lightly toasted coating. You get a little crunch in every bite without needing breadcrumbs, cereal, or a long ingredient list.
• Soft & Custardy Center: While the outside gets golden and crisp, the Sola protein bread stays soft inside for that classic French toast texture. It’s the perfect contrast to the crunchy pecans around the edges.
• Creamy Vanilla Bean Dip: Greek yogurt, milk, and vanilla bean paste turn into the easiest creamy dip for your French toast sticks. Add more or less milk depending on how thick you like it, then dip away!
• Simple Ingredients: No protein powder or specialty flavor extracts needed here. These pecan French toast sticks use easy ingredients while still packing in plenty of flavor and protein.

Whether you make these for a slow weekend morning or need a fun way to switch up your weekday breakfast, they’re such an easy one to add to the rotation. Finish with a little sugar free syrup and don’t skip that vanilla bean yogurt dip—it makes every cinnamon pecan bite even better.

Key Ingredients for this Cinnamon Pecan French Toast Sticks

These Cinnamon Pecan Crunch French Toast Sticks come together with a handful of simple ingredients that give you the perfect combination of soft, custardy French toast and a warm, crunchy pecan coating. Protein bread, egg whites, and Greek yogurt also help turn them into a satisfying high protein breakfast. Here’s what you’ll need to make them:

• Protein Soft White Bread: Sola protein bread makes the perfect base for these protein French toast sticks. It soaks up the egg mixture while still holding its shape well enough to cut into sticks, plus it gives the recipe an extra boost of protein.
• Liquid Egg Whites: Egg whites create the custardy coating for the French toast while adding plenty of protein without making the mixture too heavy.
• Nonfat Milk: A little milk thins out the French toast mixture so it evenly coats the bread. It’s also used to loosen the yogurt dip until it reaches that perfectly creamy, dippable consistency.
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla gives the French toast mixture a little extra sweetness and warmth without needing additional sugar.
• Pecans: Finely chopped pecans are the star of that crunchy outer coating. They become lightly toasted as the French toast cooks, adding a nutty flavor and plenty of texture to every bite.
• Zero Calorie Brown Sugar Sweetener: Brown sugar sweetener adds that warm, caramel-like sweetness to the pecan coating while keeping the recipe macro-friendly.
• Ground Cinnamon: Cinnamon pairs perfectly with the toasted pecans and brown sugar flavor, giving these Cinnamon Pecan French Toast Sticks their cozy flavor.
• 0% Milkfat Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt creates the thick and creamy base for the vanilla bean dip while adding even more protein to the recipe.
• Vanilla Bean Paste: Vanilla bean paste gives the yogurt dip a richer vanilla flavor and those pretty little vanilla bean specks throughout.
• Sugar Free Syrup: A drizzle of syrup finishes everything off with a little extra sweetness and makes these pecan French toast sticks feel like a classic French toast breakfast.

Substitution Options

One of the best parts about these Cinnamon Pecan Crunch French Toast Sticks is how easy they are to customize with ingredients you already have on hand. You can swap out several components without changing the basic recipe or cooking method. Just keep in mind that different substitutions may slightly change the final macros, texture, or sweetness.

• Protein Bread: If you don’t have Sola Protein Soft White Bread, use another sturdy sliced bread you enjoy. Brioche, sourdough, whole wheat, or another high protein bread can all work, although thicker breads may need a little more time to absorb the egg mixture.
• Liquid Egg Whites: You can substitute a whole egg for the liquid egg whites if preferred. The French toast will be slightly richer and more traditional in flavor, but the protein and calorie content will change.
• Nonfat Milk: Feel free to use whatever milk you normally keep on hand. Almond milk, oat milk, soy milk, or a higher-fat dairy milk can all work in both the French toast mixture and yogurt dip.
• Pecans: Walnuts would be the closest swap if you don’t have pecans. You can also experiment with finely chopped almonds, although the flavor will be a little different from traditional pecan French toast sticks.
• Brown Sugar Sweetener: Regular brown sugar can be used in place of the zero calorie brown sugar sweetener. You can also use your preferred granulated sweetener, although you may lose some of that deeper brown sugar flavor.
• Greek Yogurt: Any thick Greek yogurt should work well for the dip. You can use a higher-fat variety for an even creamier texture or try a dairy-free Greek-style yogurt if needed.
• Vanilla Bean Paste: If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, regular vanilla extract is an easy substitute. Start with a smaller amount since extract is thinner and adjust to taste.
• Sugar Free Syrup: Use your favorite maple syrup or pancake syrup instead. Regular maple syrup will give the finished high protein French toast sticks a richer maple flavor but will also alter the macros.

Feel free to mix and match these substitutions based on what you have available. The most important part is keeping that contrast between the soft French toast center and crunchy cinnamon pecan coating. However you customize them, don’t forget a creamy yogurt dip on the side!

**If there is a sub I haven’t mentioned above, it’s because I have not tested it and can’t speak for how well it would work for this recipe.

Equipment and Tools

No complicated kitchen equipment is needed to make these Cinnamon Pecan Crunch French Toast Sticks. Everything comes together on the stovetop with just a few basic tools for prepping, coating, and cooking the bread. Having separate shallow dishes for the pecan coating and French toast mixture will make the dipping process especially easy and mess-free.

• Measuring Scale: A kitchen scale is the easiest way to accurately measure your bread, egg whites, pecans, yogurt, and other ingredients so the recipe and macros turn out as intended.
• Measuring Spoons: Helpful for measuring smaller amounts like the cinnamon, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean paste.
• Shallow Dishes: You’ll want two shallow dishes—one for the cinnamon pecan mixture and another for the French toast mixture. A wider surface makes it much easier to dip and coat each bread stick.
• Cutting Board: Use a small cutting board for slicing your bread into sticks and finely chopping the pecans.
• Sharp Knife: A good knife makes it easy to create evenly sized French toast sticks and chop the pecans finely enough to stick to the bread.
• Whisk or Fork: Either works perfectly for combining the egg whites, milk, and vanilla into a smooth French toast mixture.
• Nonstick Skillet: A nonstick pan makes it easier to cook the pecan-coated French toast without losing too much of that crunchy coating or having it stick to the pan.
• Small Mixing Bowl: You’ll need a small bowl to mix together the Greek yogurt, milk, and vanilla bean paste for the creamy dip.

That’s really all you need! Keeping the equipment simple makes these high protein French toast sticks an easy breakfast to throw together without creating a sink full of dishes. Once everything is prepped, the dipping, coating, and cooking process goes quickly.

How to Make Your Cinnamon Pecan French Toast Sticks

These Cinnamon Pecan Crunch French Toast Sticks look like a fun weekend breakfast, but they’re surprisingly quick and easy to put together. Preparing the pecan mixture first makes the coating process especially seamless once you start dipping the bread. From there, all you need to do is cook the sticks until golden and mix together the creamy vanilla bean yogurt dip.

Prepare the Pecan Crunch

Start by finely chopping 9g of pecans so the pieces are small enough to stick to the bread.

Add your chopped pecans to a shallow dish along with 4g zero calorie brown sugar sweetener and 1g ground cinnamon. Mix everything together until the pecans are evenly coated in that sweet cinnamon mixture.

Make the French Toast Mixture

Cut 82g of Protein Soft White Bread into sticks. With two slices of Sola bread, I like to cut each slice into three strips to create six French toast sticks.

In a separate shallow dish, whisk together 46g liquid egg whites, 15ml nonfat milk, and 4ml vanilla extract until well combined.

Dip & Coat

Dip each bread stick into the French toast mixture, turning it so all sides are lightly coated. You want the bread to absorb some of the mixture without letting it sit for so long that it becomes too soft.

Immediately transfer each dipped bread stick into your prepared pecan mixture. Gently press it into the cinnamon pecan crunch, turning to coat the larger sides and using your fingers to press on any loose pecan pieces as needed.

Continue dipping and coating until all of your protein French toast sticks are ready to cook.

Cook

Heat a nonstick skillet over low-medium heat and coat with 2g olive oil spray.

Add your coated French toast sticks to the pan, leaving a little room between each one. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side, rotating as needed, until the bread is golden and the pecans are lightly toasted.

Keep the temperature around low-medium rather than turning the heat up too high. This gives the French toast time to cook through while preventing that pecan coating from burning before the center is ready.

Make the Yogurt Dip

While your Cinnamon Pecan French Toast Sticks finish cooking, prepare the creamy vanilla bean dip.

Add 85g Greek yogurt, 15ml nonfat milk, and 5g vanilla bean paste to a small bowl. Mix until smooth and creamy, adding more or less milk as needed depending on your desired consistency.

Serve

Stack your warm pecan French toast sticks onto a plate and drizzle with 10g sugar free syrup. Serve with that creamy vanilla bean yogurt dip on the side for plenty of dipping.

And that’s it! You have golden Cinnamon Pecan Crunch French Toast Sticks with a soft center, toasted nutty coating, and creamy dip—all while packing in 36.5g of protein. They’re easy enough for a weekday morning but definitely feel like a breakfast worth slowing down for.

Tips and Tricks

Here are some helpful tips and tricks to make your Cinnamon Pecan Crunch French Toast Sticks perfectly golden, crunchy, and delicious every time. These protein French toast sticks are super simple to make, but a few small details can help you get that ideal contrast between the toasted pecan coating and soft center. Keep these tips in mind before you start dipping and cooking!

• Finely Chop the Pecans: Make sure your pecans are chopped into small pieces so they stick easily to the bread. Larger chunks are more likely to fall off while coating or cooking your pecan French toast sticks.
• Prepare the Pecan Crunch First: Mix together your pecans, brown sugar sweetener, and cinnamon before making the French toast mixture. This way, once each bread stick is dipped into the egg whites, you can transfer it directly into the cinnamon pecan coating.
• Don’t Oversoak the Bread: Quickly dip each bread stick into the egg white mixture instead of leaving it to soak. Sola bread absorbs liquid quickly, and keeping the dip brief helps your Cinnamon Pecan French Toast Sticks hold their shape.
• Press on the Pecan Coating: After dipping the bread, gently press each side into the pecan mixture. You can use your fingers to press any loose pieces onto the surface so you get plenty of cinnamon pecan crunch in every bite.
• Keep the Heat Low-Medium: Pecans can toast quickly, so avoid cooking these high protein French toast sticks over high heat. Lower heat gives the centers time to cook while allowing the outside to become golden without burning the nuts.
• Rotate as Needed: Since French toast sticks have multiple sides, rotate them while cooking rather than only flipping them once. This helps cook the egg mixture evenly and gives you golden edges all around.
• Customize Your Yogurt Dip: Start with the listed amount of milk and adjust from there depending on how thick you want your vanilla bean yogurt. Use less for a thick dipping consistency or add a little more for a thinner drizzle.
• Serve Them Fresh: These Cinnamon Pecan French Toast Sticks are at their best straight from the skillet while the pecans are warm and crunchy. Finish with your sugar free syrup and serve the creamy yogurt dip alongside for the perfect bite.

With a little attention to the pecan coating and cooking temperature, these Cinnamon Pecan French Toast Sticks come together so easily. You’ll have crunchy, golden edges, a soft center, and plenty of warm cinnamon pecan flavor in every bite.

Storage Instructions

These Cinnamon Pecan Crunch French Toast Sticks are definitely best enjoyed warm and fresh, but you can save leftovers if needed. Proper storage will help keep your protein French toast sticks fresh while preserving as much of that pecan coating as possible. I recommend storing the French toast and yogurt dip separately so each component keeps its best texture.

• Refrigeration: Allow any leftover French toast sticks to cool completely before transferring them to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days for the best taste and texture.
• Store the Yogurt Dip Separately: Keep your vanilla bean yogurt dip in a separate airtight container in the refrigerator. This prevents the Cinnamon Pecan French Toast Sticks from becoming soggy and lets you reheat them before adding anything creamy.
• Reheating: Reheat your pecan French toast sticks in a skillet, toaster oven, or air fryer until warmed through. These methods will help bring some of the crunch back to the pecan coating better than microwaving.
• Microwaving: You can microwave the French toast sticks if you’re short on time, but keep in mind that the pecan coating will become softer. Heat in short intervals just until warmed through to avoid drying out the bread.
• Freezing: If you want to freeze the French toast sticks, let them cool completely and freeze them without the yogurt dip or syrup. Place parchment between layers if needed and store in a freezer-safe container before reheating directly from frozen or after thawing overnight in the refrigerator.

Keeping the components separate is the easiest way to enjoy leftover high protein French toast sticks without sacrificing their texture. Reheat the sticks until warm and lightly crisp, then add your chilled vanilla bean yogurt dip and syrup just before serving. They may not be quite as crunchy as they are straight from the skillet, but they’ll still make for one delicious breakfast!

More Pecan Recipes

I can never get enough of that warm, nutty pecan flavor, especially when it’s paired with cozy cinnamon, maple, or something sweet and creamy. If you loved these Cinnamon Pecan Crunch French Toast Sticks, here are a few more pecan recipes from my site that I think you’ll love next!

• Maple Pecan Cinnamon Rolls⁠
• Maple Pecan Pudding Cake⁠
• Butter Pecan Cottage Cheese Ice Cream⁠
• Vegan Peach Crumble Bars with Candied Pecans⁠

FAQs

Have a few questions before making these Cinnamon Pecan Crunch French Toast Sticks? They’re a really simple breakfast once you get started, and the cinnamon pecan coating is easy to customize depending on what you have available. Here are a few common questions to help you make the best high protein French toast sticks at home.

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