French Toast Cupcakes, with cranberries and orange, is a twist on the classic French toast, baked in a muffin tin and topped with frosting.

a bite of a French Toast Cupcake

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This French Toast recipe makes 12 delicious breakfast cupcakes of eggy, custardy, tangy, sweet goodness, that can be served with or without frosting. Either way, they’re the perfect brunch treat!

French Toast Cupcakes

These French Toast Cupcakes are served like French toast, with a crispy outside and soft, tender inside! It’s a unique recipe, a twist of the orginal French Toast recipe, but made in muffin tins. Brilliant! You may want to try these Brunch Board Ideas, too, or this Baked Berry Stuffed French Toast.

French Toast Cupcake with orange topping

Stuffed French Toast recipe (made into muffins)

Muffins and cupcakes are essentially the same thing. The latter simply has frosting and can only be eaten for dessert, while a muffin is breakfast appropriate. I decided that French Toast Cupcakes, cream cheese frosting and all, should be an acceptable breakfast to have (or dessert). This recipe makes twelve delicious cupcakes of eggy, custardy, tangy, sweet goodness that can be served with or without frosting—either way, they’re the perfect brunch treat.

We love French toast. It’s so easy and everyone loves it, including myself. I recently decided to change things up by making Baked French Toast Muffins. Instead of making the French toast in a 9×13 pan, we made cupcakes.

a French Toast Cup

Why we love this recipe

  • French Toast Muffin Cups make the perfect breakfast on the go, too.
  • You can freeze them, and they defrost quickly.
  • They are also a great brunch option and are a fun breakfast during the holidays! They taste like Sunday Brunch.
  • Serve on a Brioche Brunch Board.

baked French Toast Cupcakes

Ingredients for French Toast Muffins

  • Brioche bread (or other kind, like sourdough)
  • Eggs
  • Whole milk
  • Heavy cream
  • Vanilla extract
  • Brown sugar
  • Cinnamon
  • Kosher salt
  • Orange
  • Dried sweetened cranberries
  • Powdered sugar for dusting

plate of French Toast Cupcake with orange frosting

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting ingredients:

  • Whipped cream cheese
  • Orange (zest and juice)
  • Powdered sugar
  • Maple syrup for serving

plate of French Toast Cups

How to make French Toast Cupcakes

  1. Grease 12 cup muffin tin with butter or nonstick spray.
  2. Cut bread slices into 1’’ thick cubes and place in a large bowl.
  3. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, remaining orange zest, and orange juice. Pour the bread cubes into the custard, gently stir to coat all the cubes, then gently mix in the cranberries and let sit to absorb.
  4. Bring a kettle of water to a boil (for the water bath or “bain-marie”).
  5. Using a spoon, fill the muffin tins. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and place on the center rack of the oven. Carefully pour in the boiling water to create a water bath.
  6. Bake until firm and golden on top.
  7. Make the frosting: As the cupcakes bake, make the cream cheese frosting. Whip together the cream cheese, orange zest, orange juice, and powdered sugar, until smooth and thickened. Transfer to a small zip top bag or piping bag and set aside. Alternatively, if you don’t want to drizzle the frosting on, leave it in the bowl and simply spread on the tops with a spatula.

Let cupcakes cool before transferring to a cooling rack, dusting with powdered sugar (optional), and frosting (also optional).

French Toast Cupcake with orange frosting

Tips and substitutions:

  • Crumble a few slices of bacon over the top of these cupcakes once they are frosted.
  • Using stale bread allows the cubes to absorb the custard and retain their shape, instead of turning into mush once wet.
  • Swap out the cranberries and orange for blueberries and lemon (for spring and summer).

You can also serve them warm with a drizzle of maple syrup if frosting isn’t your favorite.

French Toast Cupcakes

If you are looking for other breakfast and brunch ideas, here are a few of my favorite recipes:

Strawberry Lemon Ricotta French Toast

Blueberry Salted Caramel French Toast Casserole

Bacon and Gruyere Egg Bites (made in a muffin tin)

Air Fryer French Toast Sticks

plate of French Toast Cups
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French Toast Cupcakes

makes 12 cupcakes.
French Toast Cupcakes, with cranberries and orange, is a twist on the classic French toast, baked in a muffin tin and topped with frosting.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
cooling: 15 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 12
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Ingredients
 

  • 20 oz brioche bread, or other kind like sourdough, cut into 1’’ cubes and preferably stale and dried out
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 c whole milk
  • 1 c heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ brown sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 large orange, zested (about 1 1/2-2 tsp zest) and 1/4 c orange juice juiced, divided
  • ½ heaping c dried sweetened cranberries
  • Powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Orange Cream Cheese Frosting;

  • 8 oz whipped cream cheese, about room temperature (or 6 oz regular cream cheese, softened)
  • ½ tsp orange zest, optional
  • 2 Tbsp orange juice
  • c powdered sugar
  • Maple syrup for serving, optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin tin with butter or nonstick spray.
  • Cut bread slices into 1’’ thick cubes and place in a large bowl.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, milk, heavy cream, vanilla, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, remaining orange zest, and 2 Tbsp orange juice. Pour the bread cubes into the custard, gently stir to coat all the cubes, then gently mix in the cranberries and let sit 5-10 minutes to absorb.
  • Bring a kettle of water to a boil (for the water bath or "bain-marie").
  • Using a spoon, fill the muffin tins. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet and place on the center rack of the oven. Carefully pour in the boiling water to create a water bath. Bake for 20-30 minutes until firm and golden on top.
  • As the cupcakes bake, make the cream cheese frosting. Whip together the cream cheese, 1/2 tsp orange zest, 2 tsp orange juice, and powdered sugar, until smooth and thickened. Transfer to a small zip top bag or piping bag and set aside. Alternatively, if you don’t want to drizzle the frosting on, leave it in the bowl and simply spread on the tops with a spatula.
  • Let cupcakes cool 15 minutes or so before transferring to a cooling rack, dusting with powdered sugar (optional), and frosting (also optional).
  • You can also serve them warm with a drizzle of maple syrup if frosting isn’t your favorite.
Cuisine: American
Course: Breakfast
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French Toast Cupcakes with cranberries